May 23, 2022

Addicted to progress

No matter what your goal is, just get started with the bare minimum. Biting off too much too soon can actually hurt you. Let me paint a picture of how.

Imagine that you’re inspired to lose some weight. You decide tomorrow that you’re going to drastically change your diet and exercise habits. Everything is going great at first. You can follow your new plan with no issues for a few days. But then one night you decide to meet up with your friends for dinner and you can’t beat the temptation to cheat on your diet. The next day you feel hopeless and you slowly fall off the wagon and revert back to old habits. Sound familiar?

I’ve been there and I found it difficult to accomplish my goals because I expected too much to change too soon. What actually worked for me, to get from a place where I was borderline obese to where I am 50 pounds lighter and crushing marathons, was years of small habit changes.

If you’re just starting now, set the bar really low. One goal could be to workout for 30 minutes 3 times a week. Another could be to eat at least one serving of vegetables per day. Slowly accumulate these small habits over time and you will see a dramatic shift when you look back over the years.

The word “years” might scare those of you looking for the quick fix but I don’t think one exists. In retrospect, the years don’t feel that long. And this idea doesn’t just apply to health changes. I’ve experienced this with investing and building a business as well. 

Eventually, the progress you make will become more addicting than the short temporary pleasure you get from your bad habits. Patience is key.

- Seaford, NY