Behaviors vs. Outcomes

Deciding to make a change to your lifestyle is a big step. More sleep. More exercise. More good food. Less bad food. It is a lot to take on board. Change is difficult. Very difficult. It is a skill that must be practiced just like playing the guitar or playing golf. Small incremental changes on a consistent basis must be achieved in order to make significant changes in the long run.

Those small incremental changes are your behaviors. They are the only things you can control. Therefore, your focus must be here and not on the outcome. Doing so will lead to frustration and likely failure. Think about if you decide you want to go for a nice picnic with friends or family on a certain weekend. Well, you can pack a basket full of delicious food and bring all your favorite blankets, but you can’t control what the weather is going to do.

In order to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed on your health and fitness quest, a similar mindset is required. Don’t focus on the constantly watching the scales to see how much weight you are losing. Instead, stay laser-focused on what you can control – getting plenty of sleep, eating nutritious food, and exercise often. These behaviors will lead to the weight loss outcome you desire.

Finally, a few things to keep in mind when setting behaviors goals that will lead to your outcome:

• They can be done consistently and regularly

• They are small, manageable, and within your control

• They are things you can likely do pretty quickly (Now, today, or soon)

Be realistic. Under-estimate in the beginning. It’s better to start with a low bar and easily jump it rather than going to big too quick and crashing and burning. You can always adjust higher if need be. Set yourself up for success!