Imagine a fantasy window. As you look through the clear panes you see a world of clarity, of brilliant colours, of happiness. The window magically becomes larger and lower and in that exact nanosecond you could simply pass through it to embrace this new world. Then, just for a moment, you look back. To see how far you’ve come. Perhaps to say goodbye to the world you’ve known. And when you turn again, the window is fading, getting smaller and drifting further away.
You don’t have to believe in magic to believe in windows of opportunity. They might not have physical form but there is no doubt that they exist. There is a time when a certain action is going to succeed. There is an idea whose time has come. There is a product that is perfect for the world at that particular moment.
Many people find that these strategic windows work for sleeping. When you have reached a certain point of tiredness, if you go to bed straight away you will sleep like a baby. If you wait up any longer, it could take hours after you go to bed to fall asleep.
This surely is also the situation with making better health choices. There is a time when you are excited about making a change, when you feel powerful and you are totally in the moment. Fresh. The idea has its own life, its own energy. That is the time to effect change. Not days or weeks later when your supply of chips runs out, you’ve used up the last packet of cigarettes or your alcohol stores are diminished. The idea of not seizing the moment because you don’t want to waste this stuff is ludicrous. It’s garbage and it would be better if it were consigned to the rubbish bin right away.
These little windows of opportunity are when the action following the thought seems easy, doable, right. It’s like you’re in a breezeway with the wind behind you. But once the moment is gone, the window is no longer wide open and every step is so much harder. Suddenly you’re battling against a headwind.
So when one of these moments of rightness comes along, it can be powerful enough to help you make even the most momentous change. Grab the magic with both hands and an attitude of gratitude as you enjoy the power-assisted ride. And be diligent. These moments don’t appear all that often.