Make it Sticky

Do you think in black or white? Or maybe you think in terms of Hollywood movies - that whatever conflict, project, or dream will be realized in two hours, nice and neat? Life doesn't work that way, does it? In all honesty, I used to think the day-to-day, non-glamorous stuff we do in between the high mountaintop experiences of life were a sign of mediocrity. Things like getting up on time, arriving at work early, living responsibly... you know, the mundane stuff. I wanted life to be a constant thrill of excitement, like the roller coasters at Six Flags. But even then, the ride is over in 2 minutes and what goes up... Thinking of our vitality journey like a Hollywood movie or thrill ride will always end falling short of the mark. The truth is, when we treat our vitality this way, the healthy lifestyle we are trying to implement won't stick. If the healthy lifestyle doesn't stick, the results don't stick. (click here to tweet this) You know what I'm talking about. Think about your New Year's Resolution. You'll get to the gym this year, you know it. Even though you haven't been going regularly for the past three years, you renew your membership and attend faithfully for an hour a day, every day... for two weeks. Then you slack off and don't do anything for a week. Then you feel guilty. So you renew your vigor and go back to the gym, for an hour, every day. Then something comes up and you miss one day. Instead of returning the next day, your week is shot and you don't go back that day or any other day for the rest of the year. This is called masochistic. And it needs to stop if we truly want to live our true purpose, experience lasting fat loss and vibrant health. It's cool to torture ourselves in our western cultures. Seriously. Think about it. How often have you heard the phrases:

No pain, no gain.

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

Eat less, move more. 

It was really cool when I did that CrossFit WOD, puked, & lay on the floor for 45 minutes afterwards. I'll do it again tomorrow. 

I love carrots, celery, and low fat dressing... really.

Willpower is the way to weight loss.

It's true that stretching and growing involve some level of discomfort, yet why work harder when A) you don't have to, and B) working harder doesn't actually produce added benefit (ROI)? For most of us, too much pain at once is overwhelming and causes us to give up early. And when we're honest with ourselves, we don't really enjoy overwhelming pain, but just think that's what it takes to live healthy.

Well, that's not true folks. And if it's not, what's the solution?

Make it Sticky.

Vitality must be STICKY for it to work! And the sticky-approach isn't all-or-nothing for most of my clients. Instead, it's a gradual implementation of a healthy diet, effective fitness, and smart lifestyle choices that fit IN their current schedule almost seamlessly. The gradual approach gets us through the two weeks of transition, through the four weeks of 'getting started', into the 8-12 weeks of rockin' results, and onto vitality for life! Instead of setting yourself up for failure over and over again with the 'no pain, no gain' deception, think smarter, not harder about your vitality. Sticky things are little positive behaviors that you can do right now, in the day-to-day, that are easy, seamless, and doable for you. Maybe it's drinking a glass of water upon waking, walking to the mailbox instead of rolling down your window on the way in the driveway, or working standing up for 20 minutes during the day that works for you. Whatever it is for you, sticky actions have a few characteristics:

• You think it's easy.
• It fits in your current schedule.
• You can do it consistently.

Instead of focusing on the outcome - to fit in your high school jeans - you've been wanting for fifteen years but never realizing, let's focus on the day-to-day sticky actions and NOTHING ELSE.

Your Get Healthy Assignment:

Think through your current schedule? What's going great in your vitality journey? And what's not so great?

• What are 2-3 small sticky actions you can implement right now that follow the characteristics listed above?
• Commit to those 2-3 things ONLY for the next 2 weeks! Nothing more, nothing less.
• Report your sticky actions in the comments section below & think only of those actions for the next 2 weeks.
• Implement. Implement. Implement!
• For a limited time only, click here to reserve a complimentary "Double Your Energy" Breakthrough Session to set you up for inevitable success!

***************************** Trouble following through? Need some accountability? It's NOT too late to sign up to beta-test the Jump-Start Vitality 30 Day Challenge, free! It's a 30 day food, fitness, and lifestyle challenge that helps you eliminate dieting while getting fit and healthy in less time and effort than you ever dreamed possible. This Challenge is FULLY supported by Gerilyn with the Jump-Start Vitality: 30 Days to the New You ebook, the Jump-Start Journal, weekly vitalityBOOST coaching calls, the dailyDART accountability emails, a private group, and more! [Editor's note: The Jump-Start Challenge beta-test started July 8th. Thank you to everyone who participated!] To get on the Early-Bird List for future Challenges beginning the first of every other month, click here to accelerate your fat loss!