Helping You to Stop and Go

This week we’re going to look at some specific applications of Anything Is Better Than Nothing. These are techniques that you can implement in a variety of ways to keep you moving in the right direction. Sometimes we want to make progress in stopping or delaying a behavior or action. And other times we want to find the motivation to stretch a little more towards our healthy goals. These are techniques that can be used to help you do both. And the best thing is – they are simple!

When we make little changes, stretch our comfort zone just a small amount, we don’t resist the change so much. And when we do that consistently, soon our comfort zone has changed, and we are that much healthier.

Our first technique is called Plus One

• Plus One is about doing one more minute, one more mile, one more block, one more repetition … your goal is to stretch the action and benefit just a little more than you did yesterday or the week before. Any stretch beyond your usual level of activity is a positive step and works in your favor.

• This is easy to apply to exercise. It can also be used with other things, like increasing your water intake – one more glass, one more gulp. Apply this to reading you do for personal development – one more page, one more chapter.

• This works with any beneficial activity – get extra benefit by applying the Plus One technique.

Then we have those habits or actions that really don’t serve us. Here is a place to apply a Five Minute Mission.

• Five Minute Missions are when you choice to delay an action. Delaying eating a snack or having a glass of wine for just five minutes more

• In the moment you might say I can’t do this but if you take it five minutes at a time you can do it.  Commit to holding out just five more minutes and you are expanding your Comfort Zone.  Just think about the next five minutes. If that’s too much, think about the next five seconds; stay in the immediate moment.

• Even if we postpone eating the cake for five or ten minutes and then have some, we’ve still successfully delayed that bite. Every time you wait a little longer, you get better at waiting and before you know you have changed your Basic Nature and you don’t even want cake anymore.

• This technique doesn’t just apply to eating either! If you’re goal is to quit smoking, you could try waiting 5 minutes before lighting up. If you have a big project or chore to do, decide to spend 5 extra minutes on it the next time you work on it. Get creative!

QUESTIONS FOR THE BLOG

- When do you feel like you have your ‘weak moments.’ When do you feel like you slip the most? Could a Five Minute Mission help in these times? Blog about how you feel after you’ve been able to use this technique.

- Share your most creative ways you employed the Plus One technique. Have fun with this! Did you park on row further away from the entrance? Did you go up and down the stairs one more time…just because? Let’s see how many different ways this technique can be put into practice this week!

ABUNDANT HEALTHY ACTIONS

- Pick a healthy activity that you currently do and apply the Plus One technique. Use this technique to increase your activity just a little bit. Depending on the activity, add a little bit more each day or every few days. You’ll be surprised at how much progress you’ll make by doing this!

- Choose to use a 5 minute mission on some task or action this week. Use a timer, if it helps.