“Balance isn’t something you find, it’s something you create.”
Day 1 Morning Scorecard and Lifestyle Self-Reflection:
Stages of Change
One of the larger questions we all ask ourselves is “Can I change?” Can I move away from habits that are no longer in my best interest? Can I stop living on automatic pilot?
The short answer to these questions is obviously yes, as many people’s lives can attest to it. The long answer is that no two people can go about it the same way, as we all must adapt to our own personal circumstances. However, there are models of behavior that generally apply to all humans and these frameworks help us understand if we are “ready” for change. One of those models is called the “transtheoretical model” or the “stages of change model” for short. While you’re going through the change process it helps to identify where you are along this spectrum so that you can act accordingly. If you have signed up for this program, then you are already in the “action” stage of change. It’s important to note, however, that while this stage is one of the hardest to break into, it is also one of the hardest to move forward from. The biggest mistake you can make during the change cycle is to believe you have graduated into the “maintenance” stage and therefore stop putting in conscious effort. When this happens, your brain will quietly smile behind the scenes, as it predicts your old habits will soon return. Therefore, to create a “new normal”, your brain needs the proper motivation and repetition. A monthlong challenge is the best way to accomplish this goal because it gives you both the “carrot” and the “stick.” The reward of succeeding if you stay with the program, but also the punishment of social pressure if you give up too early. So take a good long look into your current circumstances and decide if you’re ready for a change or want to continue with business as usual.
FACT: Science has shown that “giving up” habits isn’t half as successful as “switching” habits. Researchers have also proven that it takes between 3-4 weeks for your brain to adjust to a new way of behaving.
TAKEAWAY: Your brain needs time to adjust to new circumstances. Giving your brain a “good” habit to replace a “bad” habit makes this adjustment much more bearable.
Gratefulness
Cortisol, one of your body's stress chemicals, is released at its highest amount the moment you wake up in the morning. This means you start off every day on edge and primed to see what’s wrong with your life. Humans are programmed this way because our bodies want to motivate us out of bed and into the world of productivity. Stress chemicals achieve this motivation by making us worry about what we need to do next. This annoying feature of the brain pushed our ancestors to hunt down the day's meal, but in today’s world, it mostly causes you undue stress. Therefore, to counteract this prehistoric tendency, you should make a conscious effort to balance out your thinking. Science has shown the best way to accomplish this goal is to focus on what is going “right” in your life. Writing down what you are grateful for every day achieves this shift in attention by diverting blood flow away from your amygdala, the worry center of your brain, and towards your left pre-frontal cortex, the positive emotions center in your brain. Getting in the habit of being grateful then creates a positive feedback loop away from your stress centers and towards feelings of contentment.
FACT: Writing down five things your grateful for every morning increases your “overall life satisfaction” by 20%. That’s the same percentage your score would improve if you doubled your income.
TAKEAWAY: Being grateful is the easiest and cheapest way to increase your feelings of well-being.
“So much has been given to me. I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.”