This article has been automatically translated from German. While our little team is working hard to provide you the best quality and resources, our multilingual capacity is still limited. Don't judge us by the Google translation please and head over to the original version in German instead.
I already suspected that on January 1, 2020, I would NOT be as slim as a top model, fit as a triathlon participant and successful like the Forbes 40 under 40, but that I would also give up my more humble goals and good intentions in less than three weeks , had a sobering effect on me. I couldn't and didn't want to accept that! So I did some research and found out what separates the wheat from the chaff. The answer is obvious, but as is so often the case, the devil is in the details:
As we wrote in the AURUM 6 Minute Guide to Wellbeing, the study conducted by Strava with over 800 million user-logged activities in 2019 shows that January 19 will be the day most people give up their New Year's resolution. Last year it was January 12th. Haha, what we all were for Luschis in 2019! Everything will be better this year;).
Strava is a social network with over 40 million users, including athletes, who track their sports activities such as cycling, jogging or swimming online.
Form a habit. Researchers found that around 40% of our daily actions are habits. Whenever we do something habitually, our brain can save energy. And this is important because even though our brain is only 2% of our body weight, it uses about 20% of our energy. If you perform an action habitually, you no longer need any willpower. The subconscious takes over - fully automated. Wouldn't it be nice to switch on the fully automatic fat burning booster in the morning ?
So, as someone who comes from a passionate tennis player family, I opened the habit of the best players, uh, I mean:
The conclusion is clear: it is of course more difficult to achieve an ambitious goal than a small goal. It is crucial, however, whether you can develop habits that make it easy to achieve the goal.
For example, if a goal of 5 kg weight loss is at stake, the main thing is to reprogram the brain and not to muster the willpower for weeks . When this happens, the “way to the goal”, ie the inner struggle to avoid snacks in the meantime and to get up early in the morning for strength training, is easier.
Building new habits or replacing old ones is a meta-ability (see AURUM 6 Minute Guide to Wellbeing) . So if you want to get fitter, sleep better or meditate regularly or just want to eat better, then you have to build a habit. If you build a habit, you will get closer to the goal. Leaving it to "fate" without a plan will most likely become part of the sobering statistics of January 19th.
Actually, I want to improve in all four areas: nutrition, fitness, sleep and meditation (emotional wellbeing), and I don't feel like not fulfilling my annual resolutions. My research and discussions with experts resulted in a simple concept that you can also learn:
... and thus be among the few who achieve their goals this year.
Maybe you decided to get fitter this year. It's a great goal, but what does “fitter” actually mean? Basically nothing. What is a better goal? Lose 3 kilos in 60 days, because that is a concrete, measurable goal for which you can create a process:
Very important: start in small steps, and so small that the failure becomes UN-possible. The first habit you want to develop should be as small as possible. If you manage to get used to something new, it gives a feeling of satisfaction, which in turn is motivating.
Define trigger. What regularly reminds you that you should do the new activity? You need a "trigger". Every Friday at 12:30 p.m. (trigger: time), if you do home office (trigger: existing action), make an appointment with your partner (trigger: caregiver) for strength training.
Define reward. If you do the strength training at AURUM, a possible reward could be the sense of achievement, which can be seen in the Power Report and in the 3D scan. However, seeing this as the only motivation is dangerous. Enjoying the positive feelings after training by consciously noticing them with a cup of tea or by indulging in something pleasant (reward) guarantees an automatism in the brain.
Let's say your intention is to drink more water, and your goal is to drink two extra glasses a day. It's simple: put a glass on the sink in the bathroom and drink it after you've brushed your teeth (which is a well-established habit). Do this after getting up and before going to bed and boom: you couple a new habit with an existing one. It is much easier than creating a new habit.
Limit the choice of decisions . The less there is to think about, the easier it is to overcome natural resistance. Say: Have the fitness clothes ready for strength training. After getting up, you no longer have to actively think about which leggings to wear and whether you are even going into training ...
Do you want to eat less sweets? Then make sure that nothing sweet finds its way into your house. Do you want to start more productively every day? At the end of each working day, decide what you will do first tomorrow and do everything you can to get started right away. So you don't have to look for the willpower within yourself and have your own excuses in your head.
For the "But what if ..." scenarios, you have to have a plan. So if you don't do a home office on Friday and your training partner gets sick, will you still do or postpone training?
What gets measured gets done. If you focus your brain on the success (progress) you have already achieved and not on the remaining path to the goal, it will be easier for you to remain consistent.
Seeing progress increases motivation.
You can find more tips in these four areas that achieve the greatest effect with the least effort here .
Enjoy exceptions. Developing good habits is difficult and giving up is easy. If the goal is to lose a few pounds, then you will surely experience a few days or weeks of daily success. But if you do not resist the dessert in the evening and postpone strength training until the next week ... or if it rains, your training partner cannot come along and the reward is not attractive enough, then you will ... make an exception. And that's OK. Two things are important here:
The brain makes an action habitual when you feel good during or immediately after it . Regardless of whether it is a matter of developing good or bad habits - the brain proceeds in a three-stage loop.
First, your brain is constantly looking for triggers that can trigger a habit. This trigger tells your brain exactly which habit to activate (“autopilot”). There are basically only 5 types of triggers that you can adopt to develop a new habit:
When the trigger is activated, you know what you have to do: you are performing a routine that can be physical, mental, or emotional in nature.
Finally, there is a reward that helps your brain decide whether it is worth remembering this specific loop for the future or not.
Important: In order to develop new habits, you should rely on rewards instead of punishments. In his book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do”, Charles Duhigg states:
The golden rule of changing habits: you cannot “put an end to a bad habit,” you can only change or replace it.
In conversation with the founder of 21 Day Hero , a solution for intermittent fasting, we go into even more tips and tricks on how to stop snacking on sweets after dinner. You can find our AURUM Studio Talk on Instagram .
If you have your habits under control, then you will also have the year 2020 under control.
The 6 Minute Guide to Wellbeing, AURUM
Diet , https://www.strava.com/
“ The power of habit: why do we do what we do ”, Charles Duhigg,
https://www.amazon.de/Die-Macht-Gewohnheit-Warum-wir/dp/3492304079
10 Tips To Start Your Day From Tennis’ Top Players, Play Your Court, https://www.playyourcourt.com/news/top-ten-routines-to-get-you-going-from-tennis-top-stars-2/
Personal interview with Tauras Sinkus, founder of 21 Day Hero
I have a deep passion for movement and sports, and an insatiable curiosity for understanding human nature. While researching the connections between physical vitality, mental acuity, and the pursuit of longevity, I care to share valuable insights and practical tips that can easily be incorporated into our daily lives.
See All Posts
