How a tattoo is helping me achieve my goals

November 2016 was the first time I managed to get my body weight below 100kg for the first time in a long time. That was the first big milestone for my weight loss journey and I wanted to give myself a gift for making it that far.

I had no idea about tattoos, let alone how to get one. While searching online I was lucky enough to stumble upon the work of a high school friend of mine and messaged her straight away. I liked her art style and given I have been passionate about tech all my life, a digital themed tattoo seemed fitting.

I wanted the tattoo to be visible to me at any given moment. If I ever went above 100kg, the tattoo would work as a reminder that somehow I once made it. That in my mind would motivate me to do it again. After a few back and forth, my friend recommended some styles and designs and we had a final design.

Having a tattoo on a place where I can easily glimpse has some other unexpected benefits. In addition to my weight loss goal it works as reminder of other personal goals. When I feel that one of my goals does not go as intended, the sight of the tattoo sets my mood straight. It works as a motivator no matter the activity. During workouts, it helps me push additional repetitions whenever I feel like giving up.

This behavior also comes up when people ask questions about the tattoo. People would ask about the story of the tattoo and I would immediatelly be reminded of my goals, which works as a positive reinforcement.

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The tatoo artist is Melina Van Derwef

Photo by Maria Oswalt on Unsplash