How Damaging are Small Slip-Ups?
Yesterday you learned setting extremely low quotas, like flossing only one tooth, or promising to exercise for just five minutes, can get you over the hump of starting.
(Because the challenge isn’t doing, it’s STARTING.)
You also know the only way to success is to do what is required over and over again…
…to build a HABIT and put a PLAN in place for reaching your goal (i.e. your daily quotas!)
BUT !!
You also need a STRATEGY dealing with OBSTACLES or temptations.
Ever notice how when we slip up just a little during the formation of a new habit, we suddenly decide to “abandon ship” and give up on all the progress we’ve made??
Have you ever said, “Screw this! It’s not worth the effort!” ??
That’s an “ahscrewit” moment and the negative effect goes far beyond your “quitting”
Take for example a recent study on cookies and dieters, which found that when dieters THOUGHT they’d blown their calorie limit, they ate 50% more! And when they thought they were safely within their limit, they ate the same amount as subjects not on a diet.
Minor setbacks and frustrations are habit destroyers.
They give us the excuse to skip our habit and throw the baby out with the bath water.
Small little slips trick us into thinking it’s okay to blow the whole thing off because we messed up.
Having a plan in place and creating a self-SUPPORTING environment is the first step.
The meal plans are your offense.
The meal plans are your action plan strategy for weight-loss, time saving, money saving, and “eat healthy” goals! (Cook one meal this week - low quota!)
“If this happens… Then I will…”
IF I start craving sweets, THEN I will brush my teeth.
IF I feel too tired to cook, THEN I will open a can of beans and eat them.
The If-Then technique is the BEST countermeasure when you lack motivation.
(It’s also incredibly effective when you don’t want to do your new habit!)
“Progress comes with consistency, and part of reaching your goals is working towards them even when you don’t want to.” - Gregory Ciotti
What If...Then will you create?
Share it below in the comments.
P.S. Today is my 9th wedding anniversary. When I look back at my wedding pics, I can’t believe they’re us. What a transformation!
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