There Are No Shortcuts to Where You Want to Go.

I remember when I was a teenager, I became obsessed with losing weight.

It was all I could think about.

I grew up in a Colombian household. And if you know anything about Colombian women, we care a lot about how we look.

In my teen years, I gained a lot of weight because of my poor diet (I went from eating Colombian home-cooked meals to the typical American diet). I remember eating Eggo waffles drowned in syrup or sugar-filled cereal in the mornings.

Not the best way to start the day. Having a heavy sweet tooth didn't help this either.

Couple this with my worsening self-image; losing weight, in my eyes, became the only solution to fixing everything I felt was 'wrong' with me at the time.

I'll be honest. From a health standpoint, I did need to lose some weight.

For reference, I weigh less now than I did when I was seventeen (I'm twenty-eight. It's not a huge difference, but still).

The way my mind was constantly wrapped around the idea that being skinny would solve all my problems wasn't healthy. And it led me down a rabbit hole that caused me years' worth of damage (mentally and physically).

So why am I sharing this with you?

Because I know and understand what it's like to be obsessed with wanting to accomplish something and willing to do anything to get there.

The problem is I was also willing to take shortcuts. And I had to learn the hard way that there are no shortcuts when you want long-term results.

I want to share with you three crucial lessons I've learned on the journey of pursuing my goals and the mindset changes necessary to make them a reality.

It will require more effort than you initially thought.

It always does.

If you told younger me everything I needed to do to change my mindset, habits (challenges), and how long it would take to accomplish it all, she would have cried.

And probably given up, too.

Over time, I've learned that each obstacle makes you more resilient, persistent, and stronger so you can deal with whatever comes next.

It took me a while, and I mean a long while, to change my mindset about my body, food, and health.

I was not able to make a lasting change until my health was compromised.

I've lost over ten pounds these past five months because I started working with a holistic doctor.

My digestive system was a mess. I couldn't eat without getting uncomfortably bloated, I wasn't sleeping well at night, and I was feeling sluggish and tired ALL the time.

These massive results that I'm seeing now are all a compounding of the last ten or so years and everything that I've struggled with when it comes to my nutrition, my self-image, and what I value.

Before, I valued my looks. Now, I value my health and well-being.

It took over ten years and countless attempts to finally change my mindset and reap the benefits.

You're probably wondering, was it worth it? 1,000% Yes.

It will take more time than anticipated or expected.

The journey is full of unexpected turns and twists.

I did not expect my health to take a turn for the worse a year ago (let alone for this journey to be a decade long). I thought I had it under control, finally.

But life, God, the universe, whatever you want to call it, has a funny way of putting things into motion so you can reach the next level.

The truth is, I wasn't doing well with my diet before I got sick.

I thought I was, but it wasn't until I sat down and had a real conversation with my holistic doctor that I admitted I wasn't making the effort necessary to stay healthy.

After that, I got to work.

Have I been perfect with my diet? Not by any means, but I have made certain things a priority, and that's what's allowing me to reap the benefits — I'm no longer bloated, I've lost weight, my skin has improved, my energy levels have increased, etc.

Did this all take longer than what I had hoped for? Of course. Much, much longer than I would have liked.

But I'm still grateful for this journey because I've learned valuable lessons, not just about losing weight and staying healthy but also about what's truly important in life and what it takes to accomplish goals and keep those results.

I've learned to have grace with myself, forgive myself, and not give up despite how overwhelming the obstacles may feel.

Having this process be messy and unexpected has taught me not to give in when things aren't working, to look for another angle, and to keep advocating and rooting for myself.

It's better to arrive supposedly late than not at all.

If things aren't working out, blaming what you picked won't do anything.

Instead, you must analyze what you're doing and if you're the one getting in your way.

So many times, we blame the method or system we chose to get something done.

But the reality is, most of the time, we're the ones who aren't doing enough of what's necessary to make changes happen.

Another important lesson I learned through this journey is being self-aware and honest about what I am and not doing.

I've sat down and analyzed my current actions, dissected them, and made a new plan to start moving in a different direction.

I've done that with my writing, health, finances, relationships, and other areas of my life.

It's been a huge relief and motivation looking at things from the lens of 'what can I do to make this better' rather than 'things aren't working out, and there's nothing I can do about it.'

When we blame how we're trying to get something done, we take the responsibility off of ourselves and the authority and power to change what isn't working.

When we own our actions and take accountability, we give ourselves permission to change our behavior and allow ourselves to make a real change.

I remember when I was in my early twenties, desperately wanting to lose weight, I always blamed whatever diet I was on.

I used to think, 'I just haven't found the right diet.'

I wanted immediate results, with little to no effort, without changing much of what I was already doing.

But I needed to overhaul my entire lifestyle, which would take a lot of effort and time — things the younger me did not want to hear.

So I hopped from one diet to the next and the next, wondering when I was finally going to hit the jackpot and lose weight.

Eventually, I had a reality check with myself (not just about my weight but about my mental health and well-being), sought out professional help (counseling), and finally, I started making real, lasting lifestyle changes that began giving me the results I had been looking for.

If you're on the journey of wanting to accomplish your goals, I hope these lessons can help you take the pressure off yourself that you need to accomplish everything now. You don't.

More importantly, you need to change your mindset about reaching these goals as fast as possible.

Because the truth is, taking shortcuts has never helped anyone get the long-term results they hope for.