How to achieve your fitness goals using the power of grit.
During the 1970’s a Psychologist named Walter Mischel conducted a study with several 4-year-old children. The psychologist sat down with each child and in a room by themselves. The psychologist then placed a marshmallow in front of the child and gave the child some options. In a few seconds, I’m going to leave the room. If you would like you can eat the marshmallow but if you wait till I come back in a few minutes I will give you second marshmallow. So, you can eat two marshmallows. Next the psychologist proceeded to do exactly that. They got up and left the room for just a few minutes. Most of the children ate the marshmallow. Some children played with it, smelled it, acted like it was a toy and just shoved it in their mouth. A few of the kids just grabbed the marshmallow right after the psychologist left the room. But there were a few kids who didn’t eat the marshmallow.
They went on to track the lives of the children who didn’t eat the marshmallows and they found out that those kids who waited for the marshmallows, went on to have significantly more successful lives than that the others. They did better in high school and college, went on to have better couriers, they had better relationships with their friends and family’s, they were less like to have a divorce, they had better health and in better shape.
The difference between the kids who waited for the marshmallows and the kids who didn’t is that those kids had something called Grit. Grit is Passion and Perseverance for very long-term goals. I got my information about Grit from the Psychologist Angela Duckworth. I posted a linked to her book and her TED talk down in the description section of this video.
Are you the kind of person who finds yourself dropping your fitness goals? If so, you are lacking Grit but the good news is that We can learn to cultivated Grit. There are many ways to do that but here I am going to talk, about the problems my clients seem to struggle with the most.On average, I find that most people drop the goals whenever unhealthy foods are presented to them at their work. Let me paint the scenario, Sherryl went by Krispy Kreme this morning and picked up 3 dozen glazed doughnuts and now she brings them in and everybody starts eating them. Uh-oh, you might want to eat one of those doughnuts so how do we avoid it? Here are two ways.
Tip 1: Pretend The Doughnuts Aren’t There
First, Pretend the doughnuts aren’t there or put them out of site. When the psychologist asked the kids, who waited for the second marshmallow, what they did to avoid eating the marshmallow, the kids reported they pretended the marshmallow wasn’t really there. They put their heads down on the table and covered up their head. Some of the kids pretended the marshmallow wasn’t real, they envisioned a frame around the marshmallow, as though it was a picture. I’m not saying to cover up your head but you can practice the same thing by staying away from the faculty lounge where the doughnuts are at. Get away from it. If it shows up while you area eating in there, take your food and go for a walk and eat outside or go eat at your desk.
Tip 2: Always Have Food With You
Second, always have food with you and never stay hungry. I strongly recommend have 5 small meals a day and keep that food with you at your work always. The moment you start to feel hungry or tempted to eat those doughnuts, you should instead reach for your food and fill yourself up with healthy food. The more you do this, the more you practice staying away from the unhealthy food and eating your food the easier it will get.
You should apply this process to your weekend as well. I would say that most people really drop the ball on their weekend. The temptation to drop your healthy habits on the weekend is high. People tend to drink and eat way more than they should on the weekend, and it’s because typically that is when people go out to social and have get together. I am not telling you not to socialize or go out, you can still go out and have a good time without indulging in unhealthy eating and drinking, and here is how.
Tip 3: Pre-Plan Your Choices When Eating Out
Here is my third Tip. If you are going out to eat with friends then you should pre-plan what you are going to eat. Look up the restaurant and look at their menu and pick something health out. And when you get to the restaurant order you health option right away. I know some of you are thinking you can just wait till you get to the restaurant to order but numerous psychological studies suggest that if you pre-decided what you are going to eat at the restaurant then you will be more likely to stick to your plans. Don’t leave it up till the moment you arrive because then you will be more tempted by all the other goodies they have there.
Tip 3: Order A Diet Soda or Sparkling Water with Lime
Let say after dinner your friends are going to a bar but you don’t want to drink. What do you do then? I have a few tips, Order a diet soda or a sparkling water with lime. Try your best to order your drink in privacy, don’t announce to everyone that you aren’t drinking because they will try to get you to drink. Keep it to yourself. Now if people figure out that you aren’t drinking then they are going to ask you why and whatever you do, don’t tell them that you can’t you are on this tough diet and you hate it and blah blah blah because they are going to counter that by saying, oh you can have one, Just one drink wont ruin your diet. And blah blah blah. Don’t do it.
If they are trying to get you to drink, the less you say the better. So, when they ask you why you are drinking or if they offer you a shot or simply say “Thanks but I’m good” if they try to push you even more and just smile and say, “I really appreciate it but I really am good” Don’t say anything else, if they keep asking just ignore them, you don’t need to justify what you are doing. At first it won’t be easy. Chance that deep down there is a part of you that wants that drink but the more you turn it down the easier it will get because your developing grit. You are learning to stick to your goals. You are learning to wait for the second marshmallow. The second marshmallow is your fitness goal. And when you achieve you are going to feel much happy and proud of your accomplishments. The happiness you will get from that will be greater than the temporary high you get from a doughnut in the office or drink at the bar.
Links:
Angela Duckworth Ted Talk
Ted talk on Grit by Angela Ducworth
Angela Duckworths Book:
Grit the Book by Angela Duckworth
Audio Version of Grit by Angela Duckworth
Grit The Audio Version by Angela Duck Worth