Brain Snacks 005: Fasting by any other name

I’ve been fasting for the last month or so. And no, I’m not starving all the time.

What I changed about my diet was that I only eat during a certain time window now. (Fasting doesn’t mean you just stop eating.) I only eat food between the hours of 7AM and 7PM. I know; what a sacrifice.

As it turns out, this isn’t incredibly difficult, and is actually quite normal or achievable for most people. In reality, all I’ve done is cut out late night snacking.

But calling it “not eating snacks late” isn’t as cool as calling it “fasting.” The term “fasting” is motivating. I have a goal. Something to mention in conversation. Constraints. Benchmarks. I’m in a club.

Names matter.

That’s why Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee, which I’ve been on the board of for the last six years, just changed its name to Nurture the Next. It was time to focus on what the agency is working toward (healthy children) rather than what it’s working against (abuse and neglect).

Everyone hates webinars, especially now when we’re forced on them nonstop. But we all love making decisions that change the game. So we’ll work together to get that done even if we’re buffering and sputtering while we do it. Don’t send the invite titled “Conference call;” call it a “Decision session.”

Need to get something done or excite others? Don’t change your goal. Change your name.