At least there wasn’t whipped cream on it! Photo Credit: MrWillWong.com
It’s like having a split personality really.
Every day I wake up, sometimes full of energy and sometimes not as much. My thoughts quickly flow back to what I accomplished or didn’t get done the day before.
And I remember all of the things I did that I said I wasn’t going to do anymore.
Everything seems so much easier first thing in the morning. I wake up full of resolve, ready to get things done, eat healthy foods, be proactive and responsible and completely focused on what I need to do.
Then sometime in the afternoon, I find myself not quite as enthusiastic as when I first set out that day.
In the morning we feel ready to conquer the world. We know who we want to be, what we want to do, and what we need to do better.
Look before you leap, or just leap? This handsome guy I met in Costa Rica says just go…
I did something interesting yesterday. I looked back at the trail of decisions that have led me to where I am in this moment.
Some of them were big ones, like moving across the country and leaving friends and family behind. Others weren’t as spectacular, like what I had for breakfast yesterday.
The thing that struck me most was that in every moment, we make decisions that determine what our future will look like.
There is so much power in this that it’s almost paralyzing. If you had to consciously think through every moment of life, would that empower you or stop you in your tracks?
That’s where habits come in, and to some degree they are very useful. For instance, I don’t want to think about getting ready every morning to start my day. Things like brushing my teeth, getting dressed, and having breakfast are routine activities that I don’t want to fuss over constantly.
Snow yoga – not something I would be excited about doing again!
I have a good exercise habit going on. For the last five years or so, I have been pretty consistent with getting up and getting it done.
For me the mornings always work best. If I leave it until later in the day, I find that the excuses become easy to make and my willpower disappears.
I’ve gotten used to exercising first and eating later. It works for me, and so that is what I do.
That’s the key. You can listen to what other people do, think that it sounds good, and then try it and find out it isn’t for you. It’s not a bad thing – there is something that works for everyone. You just have to experiment until you find it.
Because there is definitely no one thing that works for everyone, trying to make someone else’s routine fit yours can be a frustrating pursuit.
Knowing that you can do something and then choosing not to do it is another matter.
Sometimes I have a bit of an argument with myself when I know I said I would do something and then I just don’t feel like it. It always seems easy to make the plans, set the intention to follow through, and then find enough reasons not to do it .
I have always been good at starting things, but there have been many times when I haven’t finished. And I never feel good about it after.
As I’ve grown older, I now try to commit only to projects that I am passionate about. I guard my time better and am able to say no to things that take me away from what is truly important to me.
My reasons for wanting to do something have to be powerful. I get up and exercise because I love feeling fit, strong, and it gives me energy. If I don’t do it I feel lousy.
Make goals, and make the reasons why you want to achieve the goals so important to you that not following through would be more painful than doing the work.
Strong reasons lead to strong willpower and powerful motivation. You can accomplish almost anything if you want it badly enough.
Do you feel like you are bombarded with hundreds of choices every day? From what to wear to what to eat to what to do after work, it seems like there is always one or many options to consider.
Decision overload can make it seem almost impossible to consistently make good choices that support our goals.
After a long day of making multiple decisions, it might not actually be your fault if you reach for the cookie jar when you get home instead of having a salad.
Although the research is somewhat controversial, ego depletion, or the idea that exercising self-control gets harder the more you have to do it, could play a role in your ability to assert willpower successfully or not. If our decision making muscles have limits in how effective they are based on how many decisions we make, this could explain why you end up doing exactly what you don’t want to do.
The secret to success lies in taking back control of your decision making. But where to start?
Small changes can make a big difference. A little planning ahead of time can save you from having to test your willpower when it’s at a low.
Here are five easy tricks to follow to encourage better habits:
Plan Ahead – Minimize the number of decisions you have to make, especially in the morning. If you want to go to the gym, put your workout clothes where you almost have to step over them when you get out of bed. This reaffirms your desire to develop a better habit and makes it more likely that you will follow through.
Shop Wisely – Stock up on the foods you would like to include in your diet, like fresh fruit and vegetables, and don’t bring your triggers into the house. You are less likely to grab that bag of cookies after work if you have to go out to get it. Put the things you would like to be eating in plain sight, and prep healthy snacks ahead of time so minimal effort is involved.
Be Regular – Devise a routine that you can live with. Make choosing healthy choices as simple as possible For example, you can find easy ways to workout at home or experiment with a food delivery service that takes care of most of the prep. These can be useful short-term solutions while you train your mind to look forward to cooking fresh, healthy meals. As you begin to feel better you will want to continue the behaviour until it eventually becomes a habit you want to keep.
Be Mindful – Outwit your tired, impressionable mind. If your go-to activity after work is plopping in front of the tv and zoning out, at least make sure that you aren’t watching endless food commercials that entice you with impossible to ignore food porn. Don’t test your willpower in this way! Grab a glass of water and prep a salad before dinner, and then commit to taking a walk after eating while doing something you enjoy, like listening to a favourite podcast. Make this a routine you look forward to and it will cease to be such a struggle.
Make It Easy! – And finally, don’t be so hard on yourself! We are human, and we will all give in to temptation from time to time. One lapse doesn’t mean that you have to go into a full-blown frenzy of bad behaviour! Promise to do a little better each and every day, and before you know it you will be the person with the good habits who you always dreamed of becoming!
Article originally appeared in dietician Ara Wiseman’s newsletter
