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Tag: behaviors

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Consistency Before Complaint

Food for Thought:

Consistency Before Complaint

You know, changing lifestyle habits to better health and wellness is definitely not a walk in the park. It takes dedication, patience, and, above all, consistency. Yet, sometimes, we find ourselves feeling frustrated and wondering why “nothing is working” despite our efforts.

But here’s the thing – before we throw our hands up and blame the universe for our lack of progress, it’s essential to take a step back and evaluate our consistency with healthy habits. Are we truly giving it our all, day in and day out? Or are we slipping back into old habits more often than we’d like to admit?

Consistency is the secret sauce that makes all the difference. It’s not about making drastic changes overnight or following a strict regimen for a week and then giving up when we don’t see immediate results. It’s about showing up for ourselves every single day, making small, sustainable choices that add up over time.

So, before we hit the panic button and throw in the towel, let’s recommit to consistency. Let’s focus on making healthier choices consistently – whether it’s choosing to snack on vegetables instead of cookies, squeezing in a quick workout, or prioritizing sleep.

Remember, progress takes time, and every small step forward counts, even if it doesn’t feel like it right away.Trust that the results will come in due time.

What To Do Today:

Take a good look at your typical day.  Are you actually doing the things that fit, healthy and energetic people do?

How can you do more awesome things without overhauling your life?

You've got this!

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Difficult-Difficult vs. Difficult-Easy

Week 13

Difficult-Difficult vs. Difficult-Easy

Quick, grab a shovel. Start digging a hole. Dig, dig, dig.

The hole serves no purpose. You’re not burying a time capsule or planting a tree. You’re just… digging.

It’s hard work. You’re sweating, mopping your brow. It’s difficult work. And it sorta feels productive.

But in truth, you’re shoveling to nowhere.

“Shoveling to nowhere” is synonymous with the kinds of behaviors that are uncomfortable or unpleasant, but don’t ultimately serve your health and fitness goals.

We’ve all got our own version of “shoveling to nowhere.” Maybe it’s:

  • Repeatedly crushing yourself in the gym until you’re exhausted—and injured.
  • Crash-dieting, and then gaining all the weight back. Again.
  • Stress-eating until you’re uncomfortably stuffed… and feeling even worse than before you started.
  • Avoiding exercise because “you’re not a gym person”… even though you feel creaky, stiff, and sluggish.
  • Refusing to try medication for your chronic anxiety—because you take pride in being prescription-free.
  • Dodging difficult conversations or asserting your needs because it’s easier to keep the peace.
  • Trying to do it all, without asking for help, to prove that you’re the person who’s got it all together.

In these situations, you might be working hard. You might be enduring. But you’re not necessarily growing.

Sound familiar?

We call this type of discomfort “difficult-easy.”

Difficult-Easy

“Difficult-easy” is the uncomfortable stuff you do on autopilot, even though it doesn’t get you closer to your goals.

These behaviors might not feel “easy.” They might even feel awful.

But they’re also familiar. They feel safe. Status quo.

It’s not that “difficult-easy” behaviors are totally useless: Like all behavior, they serve a purpose. In fact, they may have been valuable, even necessary, at another time in your life. Behaviors that were once purposeful are now “difficult-easy”: familiar patterns that no longer serve you.

On the other hand, some discomfort—the kind that gets us out of our comfort zone—can be positively life-changing.

Difficult-Difficult

“Difficult-difficult” refers to the stuff that feels uncomfortable (maybe really uncomfortable), but ultimately helps you grow.

Notably, a task doesn’t have to be hard or complex in order to be uncomfortable.

Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest ones, like:

  • Walking into a gym for the first time, despite feeling intimidated or self-conscious.
  • Practicing self-compassion in place of self-criticism.
  • Taking a recovery day instead of doing another punishing workout.
  • Eating to 80% full when you’re used to overeating at every meal.

Discomfort is deeply personal.

Some folks need to dig deep just to step foot in the gym, while others have to be practically peeled off the treadmill.

To be clear: Difficult-difficult (just like difficult-easy) is less about the behavior itself and more about whether or not it serves you.

There’s no universal list about what “counts” as difficult-difficult or difficult-easy.

The point is simply to differentiate between behaviors that serve you, and those that don’t.

If you can tolerate more of the useful kind of discomfort—and less of the not-so-helpful kind—you grow.

What To Do Today:

Can you identify any behaviors in your life that could be characterized as “difficult-difficult”?

What about “difficult-easy”?

When you feel discomfort, sit with it, in whatever form it takes, for 10 minutes.

During that time, notice and name the discomfort as best you can.

After that, make the choice you feel is appropriate. (There are no wrong answers here. You choose what to do. Just sit with the discomfort before taking any action.)

Best, Zovi
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Focusing on Behaviors

Week 4

Outcomes vs. Behaviors

Focusing on behaviors rather than outcomes is a fundamental principle in personal development, goal setting, and goal achievement. While outcomes represent the end result we desire, behaviors are the actions and habits that lead us toward those outcomes. Outcomes are often out of our control, but behaviors are always in our control.

Focusing on behaviors gives you:

  1. **Greater Control:** Behaviors are within our control, whereas outcomes may be influenced by various external factors beyond our reach. By focusing on behaviors, we empower ourselves to take tangible actions that contribute to our progress and success.
  2. **Immediate Impact:** Behaviors have an immediate impact on our lives and well-being. Each behavior we choose to engage in shapes our daily experiences and contributes to our overall growth and development, regardless of the eventual outcome.
  3. **Consistency and Sustainability:** Consistent behaviors are the building blocks of sustainable progress. By establishing positive habits and routines, we create a solid foundation for long-term success and fulfillment. Sustainable change often stems from the consistent practice of behaviors aligned with our goals and values.
  4. **Process-Oriented Mindset:** Focusing on behaviors encourages a process-oriented mindset rather than an outcome-oriented one. Instead of fixating solely on the end result, we learn to appreciate and find fulfillment in the journey of personal growth and self-improvement.
  5. **Resilience in the Face of Setbacks:** Behaviors provide a resilient framework for navigating setbacks and challenges. When we encounter obstacles along the way, we can adjust our behaviors, learn from our experiences, and continue moving forward with determination and resilience.
  6. **Promotes Learning and Adaptation:** Emphasizing behaviors fosters a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation. Through experimentation and reflection, we gain valuable insights into which behaviors are most effective in helping us achieve our goals, allowing us to refine our strategies over time.
  7. **Enhanced Well-Being:** Engaging in positive behaviors contributes to our overall well-being and quality of life. Whether it’s prioritizing self-care, nurturing meaningful relationships, or pursuing personal passions, the behaviors we choose shape our sense of fulfillment and happiness.
  8. **Shifts Focus to Process Goals:** Process goals, which focus on the actions and behaviors we commit to, are often more attainable and sustainable than outcome goals alone. By setting specific, actionable behaviors as our primary targets, we create a roadmap for success that is both achievable and fulfilling.

In essence, while outcomes provide a vision of our desired destination, it is the behaviors we adopt and consistently practice that pave the way for progress and transformation.

What To Do Today:

How can you shift your focus to the behaviors that will get you closer to what you want? Grab a notebook and pen- what can you do right now to do just a little bit better? What behaviors are slowing you down? What behaviors will speed up progress?

Best, Zovi