When Change Of Lifestyle Becomes Lifestyle Change
There probably isn’t a correct answer for this. Time as we understand it is linear and therefore we are always projecting any change that might take place as a future event. However, working to a specified date is most likely going to be an arbitrary figure at best.
For when we reach that point what then?
Do we revert back to our old ways or continue with what is now the ‘new normal’?
Hopefully your response would be the latter. And in so doing, that removes the notion of there being an endpoint. After all, the clue is in the caption ‘lifestyle’.
So there is an endpoint, but let’s not get too morbid. So we have time on our side to formulate and action whatever change we are seeking. More time gives us more freedom, freedom to explore, attempt, fail, adapt, retry, fail, retry and ultimately grants us a greater chance of success.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. What we gain in time we will lose in…… INSTANT GRATIFICATION; ‘the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment’. And in these two words we reveal 90% of the reasons why we fail. Why we only flirted with the idea of an actual lifestyle change, why we tip toed around the fringes and why we succumbed to nothing more than dressed up rhetoric and virtue signalling. We’ve all done it, so there is no embarrassment or shame in admitting it to ourselves and others. We have to remove the need for someone to tell us that we’ve done a great job, or for us to instantly feel better, look better, perform better. Whatever your ‘better’ is, it won’t be there waiting for you when you wake up in the morning (Instagram likes sound familiar?).
You have to go out there day after day and fight for it. As already stated; Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Your daily action will cause a reaction of change. Each day that we collect will earn us a little more of that lifestyle that we are seeking.
In order to give ourselves the best chance of success we need to do (and not limited to) 3 things:
1- No end date. Remove the pressure of fixating yourself on a specific time frame that will only pass by in the blink of an eye. For sure have some mini goals, some checkpoints in order to remain accountable to ourselves and to celebrate the little wins when you experience them. Whether it is a tangible goal like a number or an intangible goal such as an emotion, it doesn’t matter. Whatever works for you.
2- Tell others. Friends or family that will support you, won’t judge you and that will tell you when you’re steering off course. It takes a special person to be able to do all three so choose wisely.
3- Don’t jump in at the deep end. If I want to squat 250kg I don’t load the bar with 250kg on day 1. Yea that’s my end goal but if I try to do it all at once it will break me. So instead I’ll squat 2/3 times a week and gradually increase the load, I’ll rest well on my days off and stay well nourished. I’m consistently doing what I need to do to get there on a daily basis. Little by little. And while a 250kg squat isn’t a lifestyle change, it does serve as a good analogy that we all can relate to.
We create and action habits that aren't overwhelming and one in which we can do each day that will directly (eg squatting) or indirectly (eg sleeping) help us achieve that change. Be clear about what you want to change and why you want to change it. Identify what you can do daily to build the momentum. Be resolute, practice patience and have faith that if you adhere to consistent small actions, then you’ll probably make it.