And for those who may have missed it in the news, this is the brand name of a relatively new drug, part of the class of semaglutides designed for use in patients with diabetes, gaining in popularity for its off-label use in the general population for the purposes of weight management. It’s known for its ability to decrease the patient’s appetite.

My breezy use of the name of Ozempic here is intended to raise the question: if appetite suppression is what we desire in order to facilitate weight loss (a logical inference), then how might we decrease appetite without drugs? If that question interests you, keep reading.

Efforting refers to a certain kind of thinking that we can slip into. It’s exhausting. It’s effort-full. It produces heightened drama and typically results in disappointment because the goal that we desire so fervently is not being reached. We can feel justified about our correct behavior, and victimized when results don’t come as expected. We might be angry, blaming the diet or the experts who wrote it. Often, we quit.

So why set goals? I submit that the purpose of having a goal and working to achieve it is not to search for that elusive “happiness” or fix something but rather to get to know yourself better. To discover your own power, your own “awesomeness” as we call it nowadays. To become a self-actualized person. To engage more fully in life. To find out what you’re made of. It’s not the goal per se that’s the greatest value but rather to see who you become as you challenge yourself to become the person you truly want to be.