Welcome to Day 4!
We have reached the end of the week, which means tomorrow we begin Phase 1 of The Reprogramming Process, and I cannot wait for you to see what I have in store for you!
In the past couple days I spoke to the specific topics that we will be working through:
– How we are building a diet based on real, whole foods because the scientific consensus is that it is industrial not-so-foods that drives the progression of poor health and modern disease.
– How we are building a balance of stress and rest into our days, taking time to move our bodies regularly, while stressing them (acutely) from time to time. In this way, the systems supporting the body receive the signal to improve and are less likely to receive chronic stress signals that lead to damage and dysfunction.
Now that we’re clear on the specific actions we will be making, I want to take time today to address the bigger picture – to make sure we are crystal clear on what we are aiming for with these four weeks.
To begin, remember that this is Phase 1 of The Reprogramming Process – which means that there is a Phase 2 to come.
This first phase is devoted to establishing a foundation of good health. It is meant to move you leaps and bounds forward on your path to good health because it is centered around the principles and practices that tend to work for the population.
But, is not meant to be perfection.
We are going to get started with the work tomorrow, and trust me, I don’t expect things to go perfectly from the beginning. While the concepts may be relatively simple, the practice is what is hard – that is, actually getting ourselves to change habits that have been wired into us over years – possibly even decades – this is going to take time to work through.
If you mess up and find yourself engaging with a bowl of chips and dip, find yourself reaching for a dessert that you promised you would turn down, or find your head in a cupboard reaching for the options that you promised you would say no to…
If any of this happens, I ask that you recognize what is happening, forgive yourself for it, and move forward by making the next decision the healthy one.
See, the problem is that many of us have this notion that we are either on or off a diet (or some other plan), and that if we mess up then the plan is ruined and we might as well throw in the towel.
I’ve struggled with this one personally: “I fell off the wagon by eating ____, so I might as well throw in the towel and make all these other unhealthy decisions today. But don’t worry, I’ll get back on track tomorrow.”
Ever had those sorts of thoughts? Where did they lead you?
Chances are, the answer is to nowhere good.
This month, we want to step away from this mentality that our healthy behavior is an all-or-none sort of deal.
Every decision you make – and that you have made – everyday, compounds and results in your ultimate state of health. The goal, then, is not to strive to be perfect (until we fall off the wagon completely). Instead, the goal is to envision the bigger picture that is the accumulation of all of your decisions made throughout your entire life, and to aim to make as many healthy decisions as possible.
Even better – if we can aim to improve our ability to make healthy decisions – that is, to build a body and mind that is capable of easily recognizing and making the healthy decision – well, then we are setting our future selves up to be even better at making healthy decisions.
This is a key piece of the Reprogramming Process. Sure, we want to be able to make healthy decisions for this short chunk of time. But, more importantly, we want to be working towards a self that is better at making healthy decisions than we are today.
- a self that has more knowledge and greater clarity on what the healthy decision is.
- a self that has more energy, motivation, and discipline to make that healthy decision.
To reach this goal by the end of this month, I ask three things of you:
- That you go all in this month. That you give yourself this one month – just one – that you are entirely devoted to making the healthy decision.
- That no matter what happens, no matter what obstacles may arise or set-backs may occur, you keep moving forward.
- That you reserve judgment about what lies ahead until the month is up, especially early on in the process.
This last one is important. Chances are there are some tough obstacles to move through, and I don’t want you making any decisions prematurely. Instead, I want you to work through each obstacle so that you come out on the other side a healthier individual, able to make healthier decisions.
The last thing I want is for you to struggle through this month, promising yourself that there are Taco Tuesday’s on the other side.
Will there be Taco Tuesday’s (or fill in this in with your favorite indulgence) in your future? Possibly, but that’s for future you to decide.
Present you has another job to do this month.
Keep in mind, I am here to help you through this. To make this process as successful as possible, I encourage you to:
- read through each email and post
- follow along on your preferred social media platform, commenting with any obstacles and successes.
If you can do this, then at the end of the month you will be in a place where you are equipped to take on Phase 2, or to simply continue on with the knowledge and habits established during Phase 1, all the while, building a healthier you!