We live one moment at a time, not one day at a time. You continuously breath, and your heart beats continuously. Your life is the product of these continuous actions. You don’t have to think about breathing or beating your heart. It happens automatically.
What if you were to make good decisions that had the same frequency? These decisions are the product of your thinking. Of course, your environment influences your thinking. Be mindful of your environment and the decisions that you are already making.
For example, you make the decision to brush your teeth everyday when you are in the bathroom particularly in the morning and at night. Yet, many people don’t floss as well as they should. If you made the decision to floss just one tooth rather than all of your teeth, there would be an immediate reward for having accomplished this small action. The reward should be celebrated even if it is just to say awesome or good job. Over time, that one decision to take a small action accompanied with a reward would lead to many more decisions and actions which would produce a habit, which in turn produces as result.
Begin with recognizing the need to change and what needs to be changed. The need to change is easy because it is an awareness that you are not getting the result you want now based on what you have been doing. Knowing what to change is not that difficult either because we know that the actions we take produce the results we get. The key is recognizing that small changes in behavior produce big results over time. For example, if we get on the scale or look in the mirror and don’t see the result we want, it is clear that we need to change the result and our behavior. So, when we eat the wrong foods we don’t get the result we want.
We usually think of the big change we want to make, lose ten pounds, save a ton of money, exercise 30 minutes per day, etc. Of course we know you can’t achieve these things in lump sum. You have to begin by losing one pound, one dollar, and one minute. These are tiny steps toward a bigger goal. So, let’s focus on achieving these very small wins.
Since these decisions happen in a moment, let’s pay attention to what triggers us to take action in the right or wrong direction. These triggers happen at a biological level. We may not be able to change our biology; however, we can make a decision to make a small change in behavior which will lead to another decision to make a small change. These small changes develop momentum and lead to a habit which produces a big result.
What can you do to trigger better behaviors? Break it down. What action leads to the next action? Do something that brings you a reward. Achievement leads to an endorphin release, feeling good. Creating a string of actions with reward will help you to get the results you want.
Pain or pleasure? We tend to avoid pain and pursue pleasure in the short term. That decision to eat cake produces pleasure in the mouth and brain at the moment followed by regret and weight gain in the long run. Perhaps you could carry gum with you and chew a stick of gum each time you feel the temptation to each cake. This tiny action can produce a long term result.
Drinking more water could be an example. To drink more water, make it easier to drink. I never liked drinking water and still don’t. However, I recognize it is important for my health. So, I have a case of water in my truck, in my office, in my lunch bag, and many cases in my house. Having water all around me all of the time makes it easier to drink. It also serves as a trigger. Seeing the water reminds me to drink. Of course, I have to make the decision to drink; however, when I create an environment to make that decision easier I make the decision with more frequency.
Think about creating trigger goals rather than just long term goals. Make micro changes to achieve what you want. Create a trigger, take a small action, give yourself a reward, and repeat (T.A.R.R).