Having returned from a holiday in France the other week, we had a quick adjustment in the number of children around.
From seven, including our nephews, in France to four that day.
And then quickly to one as our older three kids went off to their other parents.
And, on the Saturday, we were briefly down to zero kids as our youngest went to see Shrek The Musical with a school friend.
So the wife and I took this rare opportunity to pop into Manchester and use some birthday vouchers at the restaurant Dishoom.
We parked in the car park that my wife gets free parking with thought her work.
It’s the first time I’ve been in there as they moved offices a year or so ago.
As we were leaving she said “This is where I am when I ring you and can’t find the car”.
Because sometimes she’ll call me for a chat when leaving work and will spend a while walking around a few floors looking for the car.
Because, when you park in the same car park regularly, it’s easy to not fully commit to memory where you’ve parked that time.
I do the same with the Leisure Centre in Macclesfield which, between various kids swimming lessons and activities, I visit several times a week.
Walk out and have zero recollection of where I parked the car.
Because things we do regularly and frequently can become a habit that we don’t even think about.
That we don’t even realise that we’re doing and can barely remember afterwards.
Like, perhaps, some of the food that we put in our mouths.
Just goes in without any thought.
Because we’ve done it so many times.
Often leaving us looking at the empty tub, box or plate and thinking “Did I really just eat all that?”
So, what’s the answer?
We can, of course, just “try harder”.
Decide to “just do it”.
And it’s not that that won’t work.
But it’ll probably work as well as the previous times we’ve tried to “try harder”.
From my experience, what works better is to make the decisions that we want to make less of, harder to make……..
And the decisions we want to make more of, easier to make.
We just don’t have that food in the house, work, or wherever else.
Oh we just have smaller portions in.
Or we portion up an appropriate amount for someone of our size and activity levels rather than going for the whole tub, tube, box, etc.
We make decisions related to food further in advance rather than at Hungry O’Clock.
The online food order at the start of the week or checking the menu online before we go out.
If our default habit is to not pay much attention to where we’ve parked this time or to eat in a way that doesn’t serve us overall……….
How can we make it so that the easiest and most obvious option is one that does?
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Much love,
Jon ‘NCP’ Hall
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RISE in Macclesfield was established in 2012 and specialise in Group Personal Training weight loss programmes for those that don’t like the gym and find diets boring and restrictive!
