Nathan’s Journey: My First Small Group Workout
WHAT MAKES HUMAN FORM DIFFERENT
No machines that accept your entry card as a form of payment for protein shakes. In fact, there’s no entry card at all; when you walk in, someone already knows your name and if it’s your first time coming, someone is bound to ask you what’s going on within the first twenty seconds of walking through the door.
THE POWER OF HABIT
One of the most interesting books that I read (and then re-read) last year was The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. It’s important that I call out that I’m “that guy” who prefers non fiction marketing books over even the best fiction novels. Sorry J.K Rawlings. In Duhigg’s book, the most memorable element is the three-step loop of habits, called the Habit Loop. It goes like this:
Cue – something that causes your brain to go into auto-pilot and determine what routine to follow.
Routine – the physical, mental, or emotional behavior that follows the cue.
Reward– the positive stimulus that causes your brain to think the route went well and was worth remembering.
I spent hours thinking about the very habits that make up my standard week and the way it got to that. From hitting snooze 2 times before waking up to scavenging the office for a piece of chocolate after 3-4 hours of stressful meetings or presentations. While humans are extremely complex, this loop is pretty easy to understand and apply into your own life.
So in this whole process that I’m on, I am easily discouraged when I remember that I’ve started this process before. So what makes it different?
See Chapter 3: The Golden Rule of Habit Change. Duhigg suggests that while you must create a new routine into the cue and the reward to eliminate a bad habit, this often isn’t enough. The crucial element is belief. When we can confidently come to trust and believe that change is happening, we’re more likely to change the routine and transform beyond the habit. My own believe comes in part because of the community surrounding me at The Human Form, the coordinated and comprehensive plan in both nutrition and training, and the thought leaders that are partnering with me through the entire process to eliminate the fear that I may be doing it all wrong. It feels different, and truly requires no other explanation.
I continue pressing onward and inward in my own journey towards holistic wellness. But a few thoughts in reflection for your week:
What habits take up the bulk of your time, energy, or mental space?
Label each of theme habits as positive (+), negative (-) or neutral/somewhere in between. (=)
Take a few minutes with each habit that you marked as negative or neutral and think through the possible changes. Then consider your fears, challenges, or factors that keep you from change.
Start small: Eliminate the fears, challenges or factors; do not give them the authority over your life that they don’t deserve. The first step is action. But know that it’s just the beginning of a journey with intent to change.