Oof. Resolutions.
This time of year, our imaginations can run a little wild with ideas for new wellness approaches. At certain times and in certain environments, we can talk ourselves into nearly anything but, as you know, it usually doesn’t stick. As it turns out, no matter how much environmentally sustainable protein they have, nobody in this house is committed to habitually eating mealworms - though my husband did say that these aren’t half bad. It might be contextual; he had to eat a palmful of foraged mealworms in military survival training, and no effort was made to improve their taste. Apparently, proper seasoning is a must.
Can a well-thought-out resolution work though? It turns out that there’s a cognitive bias that can actually aid in your success and Katy Milkman describes it here in an older episode of Choiceology. Also, James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits, asserts that it’s important to focus on who you’re being and not just what you’re doing in this episode of ‘Good Life Project’. A far more thorough take on habits with Clear can be found in his interview with Peter Attia where he outlines the four steps he uses to build successful habits. For instance, by focusing on being a runner versus running a marathon, you are more likely to align your habits consistent with someone who will one day run a marathon. As Hermione Granger would no doubt argue, it’s all in the way that you say it. It boils down to setting and forgetting outcome goals while focusing on the day-to-day steps that get you there (process goals).
Some
Years ago, while training at Microsoft's corporate gym, I worked with a programmer who wrote code for Windows. He commented that his computer only worked a couple of weeks before each update shipped. Yes, each problem was incrementally fixed, but there were always things that only worked once the operating system was ready to go. To me, it was funny imagining a programmer spending every day working on a computer that didn't function. The product was undoubtedly the outcome, but the PROCESS of creating that product was his job.
I sometimes think about that when I expect fast results after a straightforward tweak or when I overwhelm myself with everything to focus on. Those moments usually reveal that I've been on a slow slide back to all-or-nothing thinking. I've stopped seeing the process and started thinking about that far-off result again. Alas, I stopped seeing ‘some.’ After all, I set a goal for a reason, so why can't I keep staring longingly at it?
The answer is that fixating on the end goal seldom works to move you forward, and I often need to remind myself of that. This episode of 'Choiceology' hosted by Katie Milkman, author of 'How to Change', is a great reminder of how incremental change works. The first part of the episode may not feel relatable when she talks to Olympic Gold Medalist and Hall of Famer Shannon Miller, but hang in there.
As a bonus, I'm adding the most recent episode about friction (this is where Behavioral Economist Dan Ariely adds to the discussion) because it's a helpful reminder of how to remove it and how to use it to your advantage when changing behaviors. I included a picture of the exercise equipment above with that in mind. These machines are in parks all over Europe, so everyone can access convenient exercise equipment. I even used a park elliptical until I decided to buy my own.