Make it Easy
If you want to create positive results, make it easy to win.
Lower the bar. Make it simple.
Let’s take improving body composition as an outcome you want.
There are two basic approaches:
- Increase lean body mass (build muscle)
- Decrease fat mass (lose body fat)
But building exercise habits and changing eating habits is hard, right?
Not if you make it easy enough.
The key is building. And there are many ways to build habits.
BJ Fogg, in his book Tiny Habits teaches that one way to build a habit is to make it tiny.
For example, say you want to do 20 pushups a day. Depending on your current fitness level, 20 pushups might be hard.
So start with 1. Or 3. Or do one against a wall.
Some days you may do more. But you’ll start a string of success that our brains love.
Another example:
I want to publish to this blog daily.
But creating an entire blog post can be big. Intimidating.
So I will create the habit of: “Log in to the blog.” I’m not sure that I’ll write and post every day. But I can log in no matter what, maybe edit something, or post. I may need to research a new tool such as find a Word Press app so I can log in via my phone, but it’s doable.
“Well I’m running down the road trying to loosen my load
Got a world of trouble on my mind.” (From the Eagles song, “Take it Easy”)
Isn’t that what we’re all trying to do? To loosen the grip of our troubles on our life.
“Make it Easy” can be the catalyst to better days.