Why Change is Hard - Part 1

Why Change is Hard – Part 1

Self-control is an exhaustible resource.

When you stop and think about it, that statement can prove to be the answer to a lot of unanswered questions people may ask themselves throughout their lifetime. Whether its good or bad, wanted or unwanted, change can and usually is a difficult thing for people to live with. We’re creatures of habit. We fall into a daily routine that works for us and whether good or bad, it becomes habitual.

Habits are great, they allow us to function on autopilot freeing up our thoughts for other subjects or ideas. Think of all the things that go through your head while brushing your teeth in the morning. Because your habits don’t require much thought, they don’t expend much energy either.

Think back to the last time you tried change something regarding your health and fitness. Maybe you signed up for a race, decided you wanted to lose 10 pounds, saw a T.V. ad that motivated you, or wanted to get your beach body back before summer. Chances are it went a little something like this; You were super motivated to get in shape so started Monday with a fresh slate, went to the grocery store and bought healthy foods on Sunday, were going to start cooking for yourself, packing your lunch everyday, and go to the gym 4-5 days a week. Week one was solid. You nailed everything and felt great doing so. Next Monday and Tuesday were good but by Wednesday you were a little fatigued. It became harder to pack your lunch for the next day and you really didn’t feel like cooking yourself dinner because you had a long day at work. By the time Friday rolled around you were ready for the weekend, made a few nutritional slip ups here and there but at least made it to the gym every day. You indulge on the weekend as a means to reward yourself for starting a new goal and working out 5 days a week for the last two weeks. The following Monday rolls around and you wish it were still the weekend. You squeeze in a workout but it wasn’t that great. The rest of the week you never feel “on” and skip a couple workouts because your boss gave you more work to do that required some extra hours. By the time the fourth week rolls around you’re completely wiped out and hanging on to a few new habits you might have managed to change while rationalizing all the things that have gone wrong to make yourself feel better and give your ego a boost.

The face is most people bite off a little more than they can chew. Take a look and count how many things you’ve just asked yourself to change, all at once. You’re day used to be a breeze. You could cruise around on autopilot most of the time and simply turn your brain on maybe a couple hours a day when you really needed too. The reason you’re all of a sudden so tired is because you’ve just placed a whole lot of self-control on several different areas in your life. Self-control is an exhaustible resource. Its literally costing you energy to even think about the changes you’re making before you even make them. Avoiding your favorite foods at the grocery store, going to the gym rather than simply going home after work, cutting back on your late night cheese and wine, all this takes self-control and saps energy from you, and it only can last for so long.

In order to avoid being defeated by change, make these 2 adjustments:

1. Be Specific

Don’t create a goal for yourself that is too broad, like “I’m going to get into shape”. There are so many ways to dodge that statement while working towards “getting into shape”. Instead create “Black & White” goals. Black and white means you either did or you didn’t, plain and simple. “I’m going to workout 4 days a week”. There’s no way around that statement, at the end of the week you either did or you didn’t. Being specific makes it easy for your mind to focus on just one task rather than the variety of options that can fall into “getting in shape” category. This saves a lot of time and mental energy and leave a little more in the tank to put toward other tasks. But don’t get too carried away with how many things you’re specific about.

1. Keep it Simple

Most people get excited over the idea of a positive change to their life. Avoid overwhelming yourself with a list of 6 different things you’re going to change all at once, no matter how specific they might be. I like to start with one thing at a time. Maybe your goal is to lose 10 pounds in 3 months. In order to do so you know you need to clean up your diet, make it to the gym 4-5 days a week, and try to get some more sleep every night. Choose one area and narrow that down to one step. For example nutritionally, instead of doing a complete diet overhaul take a look at the one thing you need to change the most. If you’re someone who drinks a lot of calorie filled beverages throughout the day maybe its to replace them with water or green tea. Work on that one step for a couple weeks and move to another once it becomes a habit. This style of change is easier on you and your mind and increases the chances of achieving your goal.

See you next week for part 2 of this 3 part series in breaking down how to effectively beat change and reach your goals. For more information visit www.TotalfitnessandHealth.net. For free workouts and weekly exercise and nutrition tips “Like” Personal Trainer LA on Facebook, or follow me @chris_abbott1.