Temptation Building. What is it? How did I turn jobs, tasks and keeping myself accountable into something I actually looked forward to.
Look, we all know what’s needed of us if we want to lose weight. We need to eat less and move more.
We know that if we don’t get enough rest, we’ll be overtired and struggle to sleep the next night.
If we don’t get up and move, we’ll trigger that overwhelming guilt we all suffer from when we find ourselves unable to move forward.
Why are we so terrible at following through with our resolutions or with a simple diet or work out plan?
Because we are wording it all wrong for our Brain.
We don't fully understand how habits are built, life gets busy, and our default behavior is often as unhealthy as it is easy.
We tell ourselves that “after” I work out I’ll reward myself with another episode of Ozark. Or after I cook that new healthy recipe I’ll listen to my podcast.
But all that says to your mind is… oh… I have to do the task I don’t feel like doing before I get my gratification. We all know that instant gratification will most likely win.
So often the WANT will outweigh the NEED. And you’ll end up skipping that work out or resisting that new recipe and buying take out.
So instead of watching Netflix when you are finished, watch it WHILE you work out, or cook that new recipe. Listen to your favorite podcast during the task you have struggled with in the past. This is what I call a hack! Its Temptation Building. And it's worked very well for me.
I started watching my series on my laptop, getting dressed, and doing my hair and makeup. I listened to my favorite podcast when I was cooking my family a new recipe. I jammed to my favorite play list at incredible volume while working out. And you know what.. I’ve stuck with it for over 3 years now.
Train your brain to feel the gratification while you are in the midst of completing any task that feels like it may not be something you can stick with. And watch your body start to identify those tasks with a reward.
It’s an excellent strategy to help move you forward in this health journey. I hope you’ll try it!