Do It for Yourself Now! - Time for Focusing

Written by Ilan Shalif, Ph.D.

Remember!!! as in war, the winning of each battle and the success of each implementation of a tactic is not so important. What really is important, is the final success of the strategy and the victory at the end. Therefore, if you have over eaten during a meal or a day, you can always even out your caloric intake the following meal or lengthen the duration of the project.

If you find that the decrease in your body weight is too quick or that you are nearing your target, relax your effort a bit. It is time to start building new eating habits (updating the activation supra-programs involved) for the permanent daily maintenance of your body. When you reach your target weight, it is advised to know already how you are to continue, lest you regress to your previous eating habits and weight.

The importance of a close inspection and control of the tempo of the changes induced by focusing is common to all projects. Matching the effort invested to the result achieved, in order to get the optimal tempo, contributes to the efficient expenditure of effort and will power. The need to economize is common to all focusing projects you involve yourself with. Sometimes it is a precondition to success. In addition to the economization of effort invested, this kind of management can reduce the danger of leaping from one extreme to the other or from one unwanted emotional climate to another. (Anorexia Nervosa or even a "simple" emaciation are no better than obesity.)

VIII. Concluding remarks

This is a temporary end to the guide for self-training in the use of the general sensate focus technique. For some of the readers, this is a guide for a shortened trip or a journey to a better life. To other readers, the failure to apply this technique successfully will be more proof that they are helpless against the world and the troubles of life. For some, this book will enlarge their horizons, or be a reason to criticize the author for the sloppy work he has done or for the unfulfilled promises.

The one who, in spite of his disappointment, is still left with cautious optimism, and thinks that the problems encountered are due to a lack of clarity - is invited to get in touch with the author. Blessed be the reader who directs my attention to additional material, explanations and directives needed for this guide.

next: A Short Guide for the Focusing "Coach"