One

Sometimes it seems like we have too many things to work on.  It might even be true.  However, when it comes down to it, we really can only do one thing at a time if we want to do it well.

Let’s say, for example, that we want to lose weight.  We have been hanging out with our BFF (Best Furniture Forever), the couch, for the last six months and have been subsisting on a diet of pizza, soda, chocolate, and bananas (because no one has only bad habits).  We know we need to do cardio, lift weights, eat vegetables, cut out the sugar, hydrate, stretch, and meditate.  If we try to do all those things at the same time, we’ll be lucky if we can crawl back to the couch the next day.  Choose one.

I have two suggestions for which one to choose.  One is to pick the easiest one.  Maybe we’re already really tired of pizza and there’s a salad bar at the store on the way home from work.  Making that substitution for a week can get things rolling and give us a sense of success.  Or maybe we have a dog who would love to take a walk every morning and evening instead of just visiting the yard.  We already have the dog and the leash and all of a sudden we are magically doing our cardio.

The second option requires a little bit more thought.  We can pick the one that gives us the most leverage.  Which choice that is will vary from person to person.  Some people find that weight lifting makes all the difference because of the way it changes the metabolism or because it creates a sense of power or because they find a buddy or trainer to do it with.  Other people might find that cutting out the processed food reduces calories and increases energy so much that it is the change-maker.

Whatever we choose, we commit to doing that one thing until it is as automatic as brushing our teeth in the morning.  Then we add the next positive change.