Excogitate (part 1)

ex·cog·i·tate [eks-koj-i-teyt] verb, ex·cog·i·tat·ed, ex·cog·i·tat·ing.

1. to think out; devise; invent.

2. to study intently and carefully in order to grasp or comprehend fully.

I came across this word and decided to use it in my introductory blog post. Excogitate. What does it mean? Per the definition given above, this word has two meanings. Both meanings can be similar yet I perceive them as a two-step process in regard to starting any type of change.

Let's look at the second meaning: to study intently and carefully in order to grasp or comprehend fully.  This is what I would identify as the first step. In order to start a change, a person needs to understand all aspects of that particular change. To reach that understanding, I would ask questions. Why is this change needed? How is this change going to affect my life? Am I willing to make the sacrifices needed (if any are needed)? What are the benefits of this change? Will this improve the quality of my life? I know I have many changes in my life that I want to undertake. But the two main changes would be my health and my finances. I will ruminate on my goals in part 2 of this post. For now, I want to analyze the meaning of excogitate.

Moving on to the first meaning: to think out; devise; invent. I see this as the second step to any change. This is the planning portion of change. Once we have thought out all the repercussions of starting a change, we need to plan out how we are to change. To start, we need to set a clear goal. If your goal is to lose weight, don't just state "lose weight". Make the goal more precise. Change "lose weight" to "I want to lose 20 pounds in 4 months". This gives you a clear acquisition in sight. After setting a goal, DEVISE how you are going to get there. Don't try for a drastic plan for change, otherwise you are setting yourself up to fail. Try implementing small, gradual changes. For example, with the goal of losing weight, you could start by cutting sugar for a couple of weeks. Then replacing salty, oily foods with your favorite fruits and vegetables. Small changes are key to a long lasting result.

There are a plethora of things to think about when starting a change. Don't take too long thinking about it, or you may never start your change. However, taking a couple of days to plan things out may help you create the routine you need to start the change for the rest of your life.

Mona

“Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman.” 
― Maya Angelou