Practice Makes Perfect

It can be so difficult to stick to healthy resolutions, can’t it? We humans are complex and fallible creatures. We eat foods that aren’t good for us; we don’t stick to our exercise programs; and we don’t follow our doctors’ orders, even when we’re really sick.

Understanding what we need to do, having the resources to do it, and wanting to do it are the three prerequisites for improving our health.

            When we create an implementation plan (if this happens, then I’ll do this) our success rate doubles. We can use this to deal with distractions also, as in if I see potato chips, then I’ll ignore them. Planning for slip-ups can also use the if/then method. If walking isn’t working because I always stop at the bakery, then I’ll join the gym instead.

            Keeping track of your progress can be very motivating, as can making public commitments to lose a certain amount of weight or to adopt a new healthy behaviour. Knowing that your family and friends are watching you for results and persistence makes you feel more obliged to carry through. Setting up a challenge with a friend to lose weight, eat healthier, or exercise regularly can activate your competitive spirit and take you farther than if you go it alone.

            The more we do what we’re supposed to do, the easier it becomes. Be on the alert, though, for times of high stress when willpower is a little harder to hang onto. Self- control gets stronger with regular use, just like our muscles. Practice really does make perfect.