It’s a regular occurrence when we talk to people who are struggling to make the changes that they would like to make in their eating and / or exercise……….
That that they feel they need more “willpower”.
Which we get.
That’s the prevalent way of looking at these things that we hear.
From our friends.
On social media.
That the reason that we haven’t achieved what we’d like is a lack of willpower on our part.
And whilst I fully get that sometimes we would benefit from doing stuff when we don’t really feel like it……….
If willpower is the entirety of our approach……..
We’re probably setting ourselves up for it to not happen.
After all, willpower is a finite resource.
It runs out.
And it’s only needed for stuff we don’t want to do.
We never say we need willpower to spend time doing stuff we enjoy, do we?
We just do it.
Some willpower might be required here and there, sure.
But the more it’s required the less likely it is to happen.
And, if our environment and peer group are in opposition to our goals………
All we’re left with is willpower.
I started covering this yesterday.
How I just put enough food out for what I need and have a lot of mixer with my drinks, rather than just “trying harder” to leave food and drink more slowly.
“Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behaviour”.
If everyone we hang out with doesn’t eat great……..
Doesn’t exercise……..
Makes us feel bad for trying to do so………
If tempting food is just lying around waiting to remind us of it’s existence………
If our exercise method of choice is tricky and inconvenient………
If the most convenient food choices are high energy density and hyper palatable (super moorish)………
Then we’re making it so much harder than it has to be.
If our peer group and environment don’t support our goals……..
All we’re left with is willpower.
Much love,
Jon ‘I’ll expand on ‘peer group’ tomorrow’ Hall
P.S. You want to become part of super powerful peer group where people get dragged along by that ‘collective momentum’? You can find it at www.myrise.co.uk/apply or www.myrise.co.uk/join
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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!
