Behavior Change? Think Smaller!

Today, I will start getting in shape by working out everyday. Fast forward one week, and I am no longer working out. I'm feeling frustrated with myself, confused or maybe coming up with many excuses as to why I couldn't string seven straight workouts together.  Or, how about this one: "I am going to start eating better!". Fast forward 2 hours to find myself covered in Buffalo wing sauce.  Shoving the negative thoughts down, I commence living the same life I don't want to live - the one that doesn't do anything for my confidence or self-esteem.  These are examples relating to fitness and nutrition, but let's be honest, isn't this often times our process for other things we try to change for the better?  Well, I have some good news. The problem isn't that you "suck", or  that you are "too weak", or lack "Willpower" to change, The problem, most likely, is that you have underestimated the amount of steps, or habits, that go into making a lasting change..... so let's dive into an example to see how this should work:

"I eat like crap, and starting today, I will eat healthy."  That's one goal, or behavior change right? Probably not. Most likely, it could be at least a dozen, depending on your current situation.  Let's make an honest, realistic list of all the things I need to learn, adjust, and/or do to "start eating healthy".

• I need to learn how to read food labels to determine what is healthy.
  
• I need to get to the grocery store more often, to buy the healthy food. In order to do that, I need to:
  
•  Find someone to take Johnny to Soccer practice so I can go shopping every Wednesday.
  
• Groceries are expensive, so I need to find places in my budget to cut out.
  
• Clean out my refrigerator, since it is packed with unhealthy food.
  
•  I need to prepare the food ahead of time, to avoid being tempted to eat out, or hit the vending machine. In order to do that, I need to:
  
• Find time to do some food prep the night before.
  
• I should buy some food containers so I can store the prepared food properly.   
  

Well, I think we can stop there, as by now hopefully you can see were we're going with this.  Right now, we are at 8 changes, or habits that need to be incorporated into our routines in order to reach our Goal of "eating healthy". And I have 4-6 more I could quickly add.  Eating healthy sounds like a basic change that could be met with little effort, little planning - but that's where most of us get tripped up. If it were that easy, we would already be doing it!

What to do:

1. Identify your goal.
   
2. Make a list of all the things that are needed in order to meet that goal.
   
3. Get a detailed plan on how you will address those items.  Make the plan actionable. You should be able to measure whether or not you accomplished each one. (ex: went to store yes or no)?
   
4. Be patient! You may find that your plan requires some time to implement before you actually start "eating healthy".  That's perfectly fine!
   
5. Be kind to yourself during this time, and feel proud as you check off each item off your list.