Here we are again.
Yesterday marked the start of the first full week of the new year. This Friday, the second Friday of the month, is nicknamed “Quitter’s Day” – signaling motivation has waned and resolutions start failing. Yikes.
Resolutions fail because we overestimate the power of motivation and underestimate how hard it is to change our behavior. “I really need to” and “I really want to” are thoughts that come and go like the tides.
Those thoughts aren’t useless. They’re powerful if the Why behind them is rock solid – but they’re also tested every time an attractive alternative is dangled in front of us – which can be at almost every decision point.
As for underestimating how difficult it is to change our habits – we’ve all experienced this.
Which leads me to this suggestion, to get you started toward that worthwhile goal:
Pick just one thing (JOT).
Small, and 100% doable on your worst day.
Schedule it every day for a week.
Assess after 7 days, adjust as needed, and recommit.
Use the month of January to build momentum.
Last January I chose rowing daily on the C2 as my JOT. I started with 2000m every day – easily done in a matter of minutes.
I also made a promise to myself; on any given day, it didn’t matter whether I felt like it. In my mind, “I don’t feel like it” sounded childish, and, I’d made a promise to myself. Just do it.
I missed four days in January. (Never two days in a row; “never miss twice” was another principle.)
I missed five in February – illness required rest. (But the rows were getting longer.)
I did this all year. As the habit took hold, I stretched the goal a little. (A little longer, a little faster, etc.) And, I recorded every row in my calendar. (The daily act of recording and the visual of the calendar are both impactful.)
Bottom line: with this process I steadily moved toward the outcome I wanted. Imperfect, of course. But steady.
An appropriate goal and a toolbox of tactics are important. But here’s the truth:
behavioral change is rooted in self-perception.
It’s simple: if you want to change what you do, you may need to change how you see/think about yourself, because this is the primary driver of our behaviors. (e.g. “I keep promises to myself…”)
Unfortunately, it’s never as simple as knowing enough or wanting it enough.
So, how long will it take you? Who knows. But you’ve got to start, and there’s something about January…