How do we create change?
The real secret to change is, there is none. As the new year begins and the resolution is made, many of us want a better 2023 than what we had in 2022. New year’s resolutions occur during the start of a new timeframe or the beginning of a new year.
A New Year’s Resolution is “you decide at the beginning of a year to start doing something or to stop doing something” (Collins Dictionary, 2022). New year’s resolutions help individuals speak into existence what they want to accomplish in the new year. Below is a list of the most common new years resolution.
The top 10 most common goals are:
- Get a 6 pack for the summer
- Learning a new modality or skill
- Being more confident
- Not being lazy
- Making more income/ working harder
- Enjoy the Little things in life
- Spend more time with family and loved ones
- Save money
- Quit a bad habit
- Be better than I was last year
Many of us including myself have made a resolution in the past and not accomplished what we set desired. And that’s okay because nobody is perfect.
How we each respond to failure is different and can be a key indicator of how change is made by the way we handle situations.
Human beings are complex individuals and there are exterior factors that influence the choices we’re making. For example, our experience, interactions, environment, work, where we live, the foods around us, the people we live with, or what we watch and how we feel can all be factors that influence us in one shape or form.
A quote that sticks with me is “think of these ideas like ingredients at a buffet: They don’t stand alone, and they’re not the whole picture” ( Precision Nutrition, 2022). Focusing on skills rather than efforts is an effective method for creating change through psychology.
There are a couple of common myths we heard in the past about psychology:
Myth #1: You just need to try harder
This myth refers to if you always work hard and be resilient and thug it out approach you will be this super-level human being. Think about those movies where someone is the underdog in sports and comes out as the winner in the end. This is a popular theme in North American society pretty motivating but ignores real-life constraints. Such as the environment around us, physical or social environment.
Secondly, the effort is an important skill but if we consistently work harder, not smarter we are only making things completed in the long run. The bottom line changes are like a buffet and if we only have three ingredients like hustle, willpower, and effort, when we fail we might feel we didn’t try hard enough but there are other ingredients that we are missing to be successful.
Myth #2 Behavior change is the result of the right system
There is no such thing as the right system for change. Let me repeat this one more time for the people in the back, there is no right system. Social media, the things we watch have a significant influence on perception. Perception can be both positive and negative and the way you handle this information can oftentimes be misleading.
For example, have you ever purchased a product such as a magazine, app subscription, guide, workout, diet, etc? That promised a desire or endpoint result and you tried it thinking you just bought something that was going to fix all your problems? Reality is at some point we all fail under that path of falling onto a type of system that has been successful for other people. Yes, behavior can be changed with a system but to create true change we must master the behavior change process.
Take everything with a grain of salt and focus on the little things and perfect them before mastering the complete things in life.
Myth #3: Anything can be accomplished with the right motivation
Imagine three months you achieve all three goals you set for yourself, how would that make you feel? On a scale of 1-10, how motivated are you? Focusing on how you will fill in the future can be quite motivational. Understanding that there will be good days and bad days. Motivation is like drinking a cup of coffee in the morning it feels great at the moment but eventually runs out. Understanding your routine and what going to get you their back actions and plans can be significant to achieving your goals.
Myth #4: We’re automatic beings, controlled entirely by our triggers
Think of a factor worker turning on a machine of production or and boom the production has been started. This analogy of if we think behavior is going to happen automatic like a light switch or a button is false. The best way to create behaviors is through habits. For example if my goal lose fat, I’m not going to think and one day I’m going to wake up and I lost fat without having a plan. The best way to create behaviors is through habits. The type of habits we set can be macro and micro goals. Going back to my goal being to lose fat, I’m create small habits that are slowly going to get met with my S.M.A.R.T goal.
Myth #5:It’s all about creating the perfect goals
Setting realistic and healthy goals is a significant way to achieve your goals. S.M.A.R.T stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time. An example of a smart goal can be trying to walk for 10 minutes 3 times a week, sleeping for 7 hours a day for 5 days a week, and trying to drink more water throughout the day by setting alarms on my phone. Read more at: https://www.trainerize.me/articles/smart-goals-2/
Summarizes everything we just cover today
- An effort is crucial.
- Systems are applicable.
- Motivation is supportive
- Our environment structure our behaviors.
- S.M.A.R.T. goals give us navigation to where we want to be.
Having more systems over one is always going to be superior to having none. Taking a moment to reflect through effort, systems, motivation, environment, and s.m.a.r.t goals are all essential to being successful.
There is no right system and it’s complex processes and a combination of XYZ to get us from point A to point C. These myths we went over today are only going to serve as a small piece of the puzzle to get us toward the true psychological change that we are seeking. To truly make real change we need to focus on deep health through relation, physical, external, emotional, mental, and environmental (Precision Nutrition, 2022).
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If you like to make an impact on your daily routine, practice more growth mindset techniques, and look for accountability. Please Reach-out via Trainerize, Instagram, or Facebook and I will get back to you within 24 hours.
With Gratitude,
Elite Rubi
Personal Trainer | Coach | Precision Nutritionist
Specialize: Bodybuilding, Precision Nutrition, Functional Range Conditioning Mobility, Pre/ Post Natal
Instagram http://instagram.com/eliterubi
