It was a “brisk”, 7-degree, dark, windy Thursday morning here in St. Louis when I walked out of the house for my 40-minute rucking (fancy way of saying walking with a weighted backpack).
I know it sounds miserable, but I’m continuing to build my habit of an outdoor activity every day, so what choice did I have?
Speaking of…
Yesterday, we continued our habit-building week by uncovering your “why”. Below the surface, what is your REAL “why”, not just what you think it’s supposed to be.
Over the past two years, we’ve seen a huge shift in people’s WHY. It used to be that the majority of people wanted 6-pack abs, were getting ready for bikini season, wanted to look good in front of the fairer sex, etc. – absolutely nothing wrong with any of those.
Now that we’re living through this pandemic, we’re seeing people wake up. And the anxiety and awareness over how illnesses affect them is skyrocketing.
They’re realizing how being overweight and out of shape is making them more susceptible to being sick – “It could be worse if this happens again, so I need to better prepare myself.”
They’re realizing that big pharma prints money based on keeping us overweight, sick, and taking their pills, so they, along with the government, are no help.
So, now that we’re becoming more educated on what’s really going on…as a group, we’ve decided that our health is up to us. And THAT is one of the good things to come out of this nonsense.
Our WHYs have shifted to getting into shape and staying healthy so that we control our own destiny. And it’s super-empowering.
Again, I can’t tell you what your WHY is. That’s up to you. And there’s no wrong answer.
All I can do is help you build your habits.
In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg shows us that there are three parts to a habit:
- Cue – what triggers the habitual behavior
- Routine – the action itself
- Reward – the positive result because of the routine
The bad habits are easy:
You feel tired and have no energy (cue), so you stop at QT and pour a 64oz Mountain Dew (routine), and feel energized because of your sugar high (reward).
You’re bored (cue), so you go to the refrigerator for a snack (routine), then your tummy is happy (reward).
The trick is to take those same principles and build positive habits:
When you wake up (cue), you go for a 30-minute walk (routine) because it gives you time to listen to your favorite podcast (reward).
When you change out of your work clothes (cue), you put on workout clothes (routine), so you’re comfortable when you work out.
So, whether you’re trying to break a bad habit or starting a positive one, it begins by recognizing the cue that triggers the habit.
Once you recognize or pick the cue, you start working on fixing the routine…
…and that’s what we’re going to dominate tomorrow.
Your #1 Fan,
Jeff Pelizzaro
PS – A simple, but powerful habit for golfers to start is the Daily Motion routine already on your calendar in the 18STRONG App.
When I start my morning coffee (cue), I spend 7-ish minutes doing the movements (routine) because it feels great to keep my joints oiled (reward).
Our co-founder Ryan finishes his lunch (cue), does the Daily Motion (routine) because it makes his shoulder feel better and knows it helps him play better golf (reward).
Today, pick a cue. Then do the Daily Motion. You can access it here: