How to reclaim your health.
Part 2: Take action and build a habit
Talk is cheap.
Action is costly.
Action takes time, effort, energy, and commitment. All extremely valuable aspects to one’s life.
Talking about getting in shape feels good. It’s almost like you are accomplishing something by telling others your transformation plans.
Action, on the other hand, happens when no one is looking. It takes ruthless commitment to the daily process to move the needle little-by-little. Most of the time going un-spoken about and un-noticed by others.
As I stated in my prior email, the journey to better health starts with a positive mental attitude (click here to read).
The next step to take is to cultivate a good habit centered around exercising and eating healthy. If done properly, this will set you up for both short and long term success.
Building a good habit can be a challenge. It requires the trainee to take action and get out of their mental and physical comfort zone.
The best ways to establish a new habit are:
- Create a new identity.
- Implement an intention strategy.
- Systems before goals
Identity-Based Habits:
To achieve optimal health, one must focus on creating a new identity for themselves based on who they wish to become.
By focusing on a specific gaol, you are driven by an objective.
Goal:
Run a marathon.
Read a book.
Lose weight.
By focusing on developing a new identity, you are becoming a different person.
Identity:
Become a runner.
Become a reader.
Become an active person.
You become the thing you habitually do. So choose your identity carefully.
Intention Strategy:
Most people believe they lack motivation, when what they really lack is direction.
Taking action needs to be clear and obvious.
The intention strategy is helpful because it provides clarity for the new habit.
The Intention Strategy formula is simple:
I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].
Example:
I will exercise for 1-hour at 8am (Monday – Friday) at Gold’s Gym
Some people will procrastinate their entire lives on starting a new habit when all that is needed is some direction.
Systems Before Goals:
It’s important to understand that systems will help you reach your goal.
Goals are the results you want to achieve. Systems are the processes that lead to those results.
If the goal is to lose weight and reclaim your health, the systems for that objective would be: Shop for food, meal prep, eat in a caloric deficit, exercise daily, follow a strength training program, get 10K+ steps a day, etc.
Even if you didn’t lose weight doing all of the above (which would be nearly impossible) you would still be moving the needle toward becoming a healthier human being.
So there you have it, the basics on getting started.
Take action on your goals, habits, and systems. Change who you are at the fundamental level and become a healthy person. And have a clear and concise direction for your new habit.
Next, Part 3: Nutrition & Exercise (aka Move More. Eat Better).