How to Build Healthy Habits for LIFE
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We all know that we should eat better, exercise smarter, and move more. However, there’s also a force pulling us in the other direction whenever we try to get going on our goals. That force can be laziness, junk food, and another re-run of The Office.
So how do we establish the healthy habits that we know we should have?
That’s what will be explored more in this article.
The Battle Between the Emotional and Logical
In their book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, psychologists Chip and Dan Heath say that the brain’s emotional side is like an elephant, and the logical side of the brain is like the person riding the elephant.
So logically, you might know what you need to do (exercise, for example), but your emotions/feelings are pulling you in another direction (stay in bed and watch Netflix).
Sure, the rider gives direction, but the elephant is much stronger, so if there’s a battle between the emotional and the logical side of the brain, the emotional will always win.
So the key is to align your emotions with your logic.
But if you’re reading this and asking yourself,” how do you do that Jeremy? “
Simple solution: You ask yourself (or better yet, get someone else to ask) provocative questions that elicit emotion.
Questions That Draw Emotion
You know logically that you need to exercise and eat healthier. Now, how do you create an emotional connection to that? By digging deep with great questions.
So here are the questions that you ask yourself to motivate yourself:
- Why do I want to _____ (exercise/eat right)?
Keep asking “why” 5 times to get to the nitty-gritty of things.
Example:
Q: Why do I want to exercise?
A: So that I can look good and have more energy
Q: Why do I want to look good and have more energy?
A: Because I feel like I could get more done in my day if I had more energy.
