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Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v08n03)
Gettin' Ripped in Ripple - Habit Your Way - by Laura Minor
posted: Feb. 04, 2011

Gettin' Ripped in Ripple header

Habit Your Way

We all have a thing or two about ourselves that we would like to change; our "bad habits". Whether it be changing our diet, exercising more, or saving money, many people struggle to form consistent and successful behaviors for the long term. All of us have witnessed, and likely experienced personally (as I have), the New Year's Resolutions that started out with a fury, only to fizzle out to a dead halt just days or weeks later; and often times this leaves people two steps backward, winding up feeling disappointed and ashamed.
Why is this so often the case? Eating better, exercising more, or saving money shouldn't be that hard should it? First off, we tend to tackle our new challenge in a negative instead of positive light. For example, when thinking about eating better, the brain focuses more on missing those beloved French fries instead of how healthy eating will make you feel better and have more energy. Therefore, at the very onset of our goal attempt we already have a feeling of dread and unwanted obligation.
In her book This year I will. . . , M.J. Ryan, an expert in collaborative thinking, spells out why change is difficult: Whenever we initiate change, even a positive one, we activate fear in our emotional brain. . . .If the fear is big enough, the fight-or-flight response will go off and we'll run from what we're trying to do.
So, how do we approach a challenge in a way that can render an unpainful yet effective result? There is a very interesting Japanese philosophy called Kaizen which can help us do just that. Kaizen focuses on continuous but small change. You see, there are two ways to create change: big changes fast that are extremely noticeable and often quite challenging, or small and gradual changes that are hardly or not noticeable. With a strategy of continuous low-level change, we are able to sidestep the number one barrier to change: fear.
This Japanese word applies to the analogy is that a farmer doesn't fertilize the soil, prepare the land for planting, plant the seeds, water the soil, and continue nursing his crop until it's ready for harvest all in one day. He does these things a bit at a time, and after patience, work, and dedication he is rewarded with a thriving crop.
Let me use an example to illustrate the Kaizen philosophy:
Person 1: Couch Potato Kathy
Kathy spends hours on the couch and knows that she needs to be more active.
Typical Approach: Kathy hits the gym every day for a week and punishes herself by not watching her favorite television shows. Kathy gets very sore, loathes her gym, and ends up right back on the couch turning to her prerecorded television shows due to the fact that she had a feeling this attempt would fail.
Kaizen Approach: Kathy attends the gym 3 days a week for 30 minutes, and adds 5 minutes each visit per week until she works up to an hour. Over the 6 weeks, the added exercise was hardly noticeable, and she rewards herself by watching her favorite shows.
Person 2: Money Wasting Don
Don spends money irresponsibly, has poor credit, and eats out almost every meal per week.
Typical Approach: Don stops dining out, tries to live off Spagettios and ramen noodles, and becomes anti-social due to missing his meals out with friends. Two weeks later, Don, 10 pounds heavier and lonely decides that life is too short and treats all of his friends to St. Elmos.
Kaizen Approach: Don starts by eating out 5 nights per week and decreases it one meal each week until it is 1 or 2 meals per week with his friends. Don uses the money he saves to pay off credit cards.
I realize that this may make real change seem too simplistic, but the idea is to slowly, yet surely, make small and realistic changes. You will be amazed by how far you have come over time.



Laura Minor owner and operator of So.Be.Fit. Personal Training and Fitness studio located at 54th and the Monon. She is passionate about teaching others how to "FIT" exercise and physical activity into their daily lives, and have fun while doing so! Visit her website at www.sobefitindy.com or e-mail laura@BroadRippleGazette.com




laura@broadripplegazette.com
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