Power of Before and After Pictures

When setting out to accomplish a laborious goal—significant weight loss, closet clean out, organizing the garage, major yardwork—I suggest taking a before and after picture as a power boost.

Sometimes the hardest part of a project is just getting started. By taking the picture, you are setting an intent and perhaps a start time/date. When you are starting to make some headway but perhaps losing interest or motivation, it’s encouraging to see where you started. This can also help if you begin to feel overwhelmed that there is still a long way to go. You can see and confirm your efforts to date compared to the start picture.

Finally, once the project is complete, there is a moment of satisfaction when looking at the side-to-side comparison. The transformation of where you began and to you achieved can be a huge boost and also serve as future inspiration. You have the picture proof that you can do this!

This has become a personal trick of mine. I also find it helps to harness motivation for future projects. When looking, with satisfaction, as positive changes through my own efforts, it encourages me to do this again and again.

Have you tried this trick with any success? If you have a project you’ve been considering but haven’t started yet, start today by simply taking a before picture.