In the last article on motivation, I talked about , journaling, acknowledging small victories, and . In this article, we害羞草研究所檒l explore social motivation, the power of our peer group, and some strategies for change.
What害羞草研究所檚 The Best害羞草研究所�?
As a health and fitness professional, I often hear the question, What害羞草研究所檚 the best diet? And my immediate response has always been, 害羞草研究所渢he one that you don害羞草研究所檛 know you害羞草研究所檙e on.害羞草研究所� What I mean by that is when the actions we take intrinsically support the results we seek, achieving the goal is much easier. For example, let害羞草研究所檚 say my goal is to be muscular and fit. I enjoy rigorous exercise, and I hate fast food, preferring to snack on carrot sticks and sip soda water, well害羞草研究所害羞草研究所檓 probably already muscular and fit!
In introducing the idea of behaviour change as the missing piece of the puzzle, and in creating , my goal is to help make change a little easier by sharing knowledge, tools and techniques that develop habits and automate the actions necessary for success.
Motivation and Habit
So far, we害羞草研究所檝e looked at motivation as personal, social and structural or environmental. These are the forces that move us - the drives to take action - and they can be intrinsic, meaning from within, or extrinsic, from outside. If I like and want to do the things that support my goal, if the drive comes from inside, that害羞草研究所檚 intrinsic. With weight loss and physical changes, the real 害羞草研究所渢rick害羞草研究所� to succeeding is transforming our extrinsic motivations into intrinsic ones.
Let害羞草研究所檚 look at this a little closer. After a routine medical check, there害羞草研究所檚 a message from the doctor about negative test results and some long-term potential risk factors, and while not scary, it害羞草研究所檚 certainly unnerving. This is an extrinsic or external motivator, and it may be enough to start some change, a walking program, or even dietary changes, but is it enough motivation to make this change a habit? It害羞草研究所檚 only when those changes become intrinsic害羞草研究所� when you want to walk or enjoy added fruits and vegetables, that the results become much more permanent.
Changes to our health or fitness are relatively quick; things like cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and cardiovascular performance, react faster to intervention than weight-loss, or body composition. Permanent, visible changes to our waistline require more time. They take time, effort and consistency, which is why the newfound actions that support the goal need to become automatic, habits that become a part of what we do every day.
Social Motivation
Now, social motivation is the power of our peer network; it害羞草研究所檚 peer pressure. Arguably the most powerful influencer in our lives. By its very nature, it is extrinsic, coming from outside of us. With health and fitness and establishing new habits that support the goal to feel or look different, it害羞草研究所檚 essential to recognize and shape the forces that influence our behaviour. With social motivation and social ability, the objective is to either resist or recruit the power of our peers and to do it strategically. I can害羞草研究所檛 stress this point enough; social motivation and ability need to be done with some real analysis and thought. In my opinion, weight loss programs that advocate changing your social circle to surround yourself with new like-minded confederates are saying, 害羞草研究所渄ump your friends to lose weight and get the body of your dreams害羞草研究所�. Situations and relationships are different, and maybe some do need changing, but suggesting that one needs to abandon old friends and find new ones to reach their goals is not what I recommend. Cleaning out the cupboard and throwing away the double chocolate Oreos is not the same as ghosting your BFF.
Real World Application 害羞草研究所� The Lunch Lady
I have no idea what our new social lives will look like, but let害羞草研究所檚 look at an example of what I mean when I say strategy - based on the pre-COVID 19 era. Over the years, I害羞草研究所檝e had several clients whose jobs required them to meet with their customers, typically over lunch or dinner in a restaurant setting, and they害羞草研究所檝e struggled with managing any changes to their diet. One of my clients regularly used the restaurant lunch meeting as both a marketing and an operational tool, using that time to the best of her advantage. She害羞草研究所檚 a very savvy woman, but she struggled with practical strategies to deal with the high-calorie content in restaurant foods, relying mainly on the 害羞草研究所渟tarve now, eat later害羞草研究所� plan, forgoing breakfast and any food until her lunch date. Choosing to skip now and eat later is a bad idea because of how physiology and psychology interact. In general, hunger is the reason we eat, and excessive hunger often leads to overconsumption. Now, I may have plans for a salad at lunch, but if I haven害羞草研究所檛 eaten since the previous day, and I害羞草研究所檓 hungry, the low-cal meal I was planning on ordering becomes something I害羞草研究所檒l do next time, and for now, it害羞草研究所檚 pasta and breadsticks.
It害羞草研究所檚 not necessarily a lack of stoicism or grit that causes me to change the plan (although sometimes you do need a little toughness); it害羞草研究所檚 our physiology, the need for calories and homeostasis, affecting our psychology and decision making. So analyzing the situation, I asked two questions:
- Who pays for lunch?
- Who decides where lunch will be?
She paid for lunch, and she often named the locale (rarely deviating from one establishment), which put her in the driver害羞草研究所檚 seat. We talked about this, and as a valued customer, she decided that she would contact the restaurant and request a couple of healthier options tailored to her goals. We were trying to create a new, robust habit that integrated with her existing work style, and so I suggested the following steps:
- When booking a lunch meeting with a client in her calendar, she would write her intended order along with any other details of the appointment.
- When making the reservation with the restaurant, she would ensure her intended option was available.
One of the concerns was the optics of a special order; my client didn害羞草研究所檛 want to draw attention to her diet, so she was able to remove that issue by contacting the restaurant and arranging for some alternative meals tailored to her. Writing the intended order in her calendar and then requesting it when making the reservation further strengthened her motivation to stick to her plan. Now all she had to do was to eat breakfast and reduce the physiological need for calories, and she had a strategy that she could stick with long enough to see some motivating results!
In every situation, there are options. The 害羞草研究所渂est害羞草研究所� choice becomes the worst if it害羞草研究所檚 so inflexible, it gets tossed in the trash and while there might be the 害羞草研究所渂est害羞草研究所� choice, a choice tossed in the trash. Instead, we should aim for the 害羞草研究所渂etter choice害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� an alternative that might not fit perfectly with the plan to lose weight or change your fitness, but it fits well enough to get results, and even better, allows for comfortable repetition and the time necessary to become invisible and automatic.
ABOUT SEAN HAWTHORNE:
Sean Hawthorne is the owner and operator of OneLife Health and Wellness, Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 first and longest running private, personal training facility. While working in Dubai, UAE as a Contracts and Project Manager, Sean decided to leave his successful career in Civil Engineering Technology and pursue his passion for health, fitness and helping others achieve their goals. He returned to Canada in 2001, taking formal education in Exercise Science and starting his career in the field of health and fitness. Working in collaboration with their clients, Sean and his team of health and fitness professionals strive to continually improve their skills and to help everyone reach their goals.
Contact Sean:
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