InFluential_Magazine_May_June_2017

EXCLUSIVE FEATURE
of control. Stress, lots of decision-making, low blood sugar,
and being physically tired-all contribute to weakening our
willpower, which is a normal day for most of us.
This is why we are more apt to lose control at night when
it comes to alcohol, our diets, and our good intentions to
exercise. To counter this pattern, consider preempting the
bad decisions that come from fatigue by taking steps like
sneaking in a quick nap and a snack before going out to a
holiday party, where it is easy to overdo it in any number of
ways; or, when you go out to dinner and the waiter asks if
you want bread on the table, say, “No, thanks” right away and
save your prefrontal cortex from having to resist and bargain
for the rest of the meal. Setting up your environment to help
you avoid having to call on willpower (and your prefrontal
cortex) is the smartest way to effect lasting change.
Go For Your Goals
Proper goal setting is another tool to help us stick to
healthy habits: Goal setting is vital if you want to make longterm
changes because it forces you to be clear about what
you want and how to get there. When you set goals, you
make decisions about your behaviors in advance. Studies
show we all overestimate what smart choices we will make
in a situation, so why not set clear goals beforehand about
what to eat, when to exercise, and how to incorporate
other healthy choices so there is no room for debate.
Because my clients come to see me wanting to lose
weight, let’s use that desired outcome as an example
of how best to use a goal-setting strategy. Specifically,
let’s see about being specific, measurable, actionable,
realistic, and time bound. If you tell me you want to lose
ten pounds, I would ask you: “What are the behavior(s)
you will need to be doing in two months that will get you
ten pounds lighter?” If you say, “I need to exercise more,” I
would ask you to be more specific, maybe something like,
“I am running five times a week for at least 45 minutes.”
Then I would ask you, “What are the behaviors you can
do this coming week that will help you get to this twomonth
goal?” An example of a clear goal (which should
be even more specific since it’s for the following week) is,
“On Monday and Thursday right after work, I run on the
treadmill at the gym for 30 minutes.” This goal totally rocks
because you do not have to engage your prefrontal cortex
over this again because you’ve committed beforehand. It
is also measurable (you know how long you are going
to run), actionable (it is something you can do, instead
of something you don’t want to do), and time bound
(scheduled for a certain date and duration).
Our conversation might then turn to food habits. If
you tell me, “I will not eat chocolate,” I will respond by
telling you this is neither actionable nor realistic, it is just
a restriction that leaves you with a void in which you
will obsess about chocolate and then end up eating
more than you originally planned. A more constructive
goal in this area might be, “When I crave something
sweet, I will [insert substitute behavior here] instead.”
As a final step in our goal-setting conversation, I
would encourage you to write down your desired
outcome and the goals we discussed to help you stay
on track. Each week you can revisit your goals and
prioritize them by scheduling them in your calendar.
Success Can Be Yours
In sum, you can break your bad habits by substituting
them with healthier behaviors, and then strengthen
the neural pathways of the new, healthy habit through
repetition. Be aware of the cues that lead you to undesirable
behavior and avoid those triggers. Understand the true
reward you are seeking through your habit and find a
healthier behavior that will still give you the same reward.
Keep in mind at first your embedded neural pathways
will be pulling you strongly toward your old ways, but
persevere and you will create new pathways that lead
you to better behaviors. Protect your prefrontal cortex so
it helps you make smart choices. Finally, commit to clear
goals to get you to the healthy lifestyle you desire.
You have broken habits before, so I am confident you can
do it again with a habit that is challenging you. Follow these
simple rules and you will get to your desired outcome
more easily than if you haphazardly try to change. l
54 FLUENTIAL MAY / JUNE 2017