Against My Will

I’ve talked before about willpower and decision fatigue. The first representing the judgment to do or not do something, the latter being the struggle to make a choice. These two concepts work conversely. As willpower decreases, decision fatigue increases. For example, when you constantly walk past a bowl of tortilla chips sitting on your counter all throughout the day, you will see your ability to say no wanes as the day goes on. (Yes, this is definitely personal experience. An unplanned self-experiment that I did not enjoy in the least!) You may tell yourself that there are much healthier options. As time passes, though, you are worn out on refusing them, and it becomes incredibly hard to resist. On top of that, controlling how many chips you will have becomes the next struggle. What about those healthier options? That went out the window too. And honestly, did you have healthy options ready to eat? The mental debate of what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat increases to a point where it feels impossible to make a clear-headed decision.

Both of these characteristics are complicated, heavy, and have a negative connotation. Willpower sounds like work and decision fatigue frankly sounds exhausting. So here’s a thought. Throw both of them out. You’ve been educated on what they are and know they exist in the world, but decide now to not have them in your life. There are thousands of other choices to mull over and temptations to fight in other areas of life, so when it comes to health, make that selection easy.

Now that the reason is out there, you have your “why.” Next, work on the “how.” How will willpower and decision fatigue not play a role in your healthy lifestyle? This is a two-fold answer. First, you have to identify what this means and secondly, you have to do the work in advance. In simplest terms ask, “Why would I do that and how would I do that?”

By asking, “Why would I do that?” you are identifying as a healthy person. No matter what you did yesterday, nor what you did five minutes ago, you are healthy now so embrace this person. The healthy you would not grab fast food for lunch. The healthy you would not eat out of boredom. The healthy you would only drink alcohol twice a week. You do not want to be a healthy, vibrant person or dream to be one; you are one - right this very minute.

Following up who you are, is how you do it. What makes you a healthy person? Define that by looking at the things you do, the way you run your day, and the way you sleep, eat and move. Taking the time to think through these rhythms of our day and how we can ensure success, is time well spent on the front end.

Breaking it down, dissect categories such as sleep, exercise and eating. Think through your sleeping patterns. How many hours do you need each night and when do you need to wake up? Do the math and figure out your bedtime. With exercise, how will you incorporate it? Plan your workouts, pack your clothes, check the weather, and schedule time with your workout buddy. What about nutrition? Subtract temptation foods and add healthy options. Order out wisely. Plan meals in advance and shop for just those items. Remember, you are already a healthy person; these are just the how-tos that make you be that way.

Take the time over this next week to become one with this new identity and then map out specifically the details to support this revelation. Make this a personal journey or share it with others for outward motivation and accountability. By throwing out the old (willpower and decision fatigue) and ushering in the new (identity and planning), you will feel the weight lift off and the opportunities flow in.