We all strive to make healthy life changes, but often find they are challenging to maintain. 

Did you know that it only takes three seconds for conscious self-sabotage to happen? Think about it. If you want to make a change, how quickly do you default to the original, unhealthy habit? You have a conscious awareness that you want to make a change, but it takes work and self-awareness to be successful.

 I developed the “Three Second Rule.” If you are already struggling to implement a healthy change, and you think about the unhealthy habit for longer than three seconds, you will do to the unhealthy habit.

 For example, I’ve worked with some clients who want to improve their health and fitness. The below example is typically how the scenario unfolds:

 John wants to strengthen his body. He is tired of carrying around the extra weight, and it negatively affects his self-esteem. He has decided he is going to wake up at 5 AM and go to the gym – extremely ambitious. However, at 5 AM when his alarm sounds, he lies in bed and thinks about how comfortable or how tired he is for longer than three seconds. John rolls over and goes back to sleep.

 John finally gets up and commits to going to the gym for at least thirty minutes on his lunch hour. Lunchtime arrives, and the thought of rushing to the gym, doing thirty minutes of cardio, and quickly showering doesn’t appeal to John, so he decides to go after work.

 Just as John is about to leave work, his coworkers ask him if he wants to go for a quick happy hour. John deliberates on this longer than three seconds. He decides to go to happy hour. John justifies this by thinking that it’d be smarter to stick to his original goal of getting up at 5 AM to go to the gym. He is confident he will be successful the following morning.

 What was supposed to be a quick happy hour turned into a 6-hour bar crawl. John stayed out until midnight with his coworkers and immediately crashed in bed. 5 AM rolls around…

 Does this sound familiar?

 This rule is universal. If you have not prepared yourself for what you are going to do within those three seconds, then you will more than likely not succeed at the moment.

This rule applies to all things. For example, you know you should avoid certain foods, but you overhear your coworker talking about a new burger joint that is on your way home. As you drive home, you think about it longer than three seconds, and the next thing you know, you have ordered a burger. 

Another example is you are at the grocery store, and you are avoiding certain aisles, proud of yourself until you see your favorite candy on a shelf. If you entertain the thought of how delicious it would taste for longer than three seconds, you will buy it.

In everything we do, we must be proactive. When you can prepare for potential relapses, your likelihood of success significantly increases.

Using the previous examples, let’s create workarounds. Have your gym clothes laid out the night before, and your coffee ready to be made. As soon as the alarm sounds, you immediately get up instead of lying in bed for longer than three seconds. When you think about certain foods or impulse buys, it’s crucial to ask yourself, “Will this food help me attain my weight loss goal?” You can’t justify a behavior if you hold yourself accountable.

When you have no excuses, you will be more successful. You may be surprised that once you deny yourself the impulse, it typically leaves within the next thirty minutes. However, the more you think about the negative, unwanted behavior, the more it consumes you.

When you decide not to engage in the behavior, you must immediately fill your mind with images of how you will look and feel when you achieve your goal. Retraining yourself to focus on the long-term goal instead of the short-term impulse will guarantee your success.

Be mindful of the goals you set. When you create a plan, remember to always set yourself up for success. Have everything prepared or put in place so when it’s time for you to do the new, healthy behavior you won’t have to think about it. You simply do it. 

www.JamesMillerLIFEOLOGY.com