BY MIFRA SADIKEEN
IN CONVERSATION WITH ANDY ANDREWS
PART II
From our last discussion on the Dangers of a Sedentary Lifestyle, we now know that “sitting is
the new smoking” - where your regressive lifestyle choices can cause a number of alarming conditions that’s putting you at the risk of serious diseases.Contrary to the belief that movement requires motivation, the reverse is true, movement creates motivation. When you move you feel better and that causes a positive impact on your mind and body, making you feel energetic throughout the day which will help you break away from habits that’s pushing you away from becoming a better you! In this week’s article Andy Andrews,
Co-founder CrossFit Ceylon will be discussing “How to Break a Habit Without Breaking Yourself.”
Andy:
Most people don’t fail because they’re lazy. They fail because their habits are working against them. You don’t need more willpower. You need less friction. If your immediate setting is emulating bad choices than good ones, you’ll always feel like you're “falling off track” because the track was rigged to begin with.The solution isn’t motivation. What you need is a design with a spring of positive cues.As James Clear puts it in Atomic Habits:“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
Use the Habit Loop
Here’s a framework that actually works.
Make it obvious
Make it easy
Make it satisfying
Below are few examples on how you can optimize on the habit loop:
Want to walk in the morning? Put your shoes next to your bed the night before. Commit to five minutes. Check it off. Five minutes may seem ridiculous, but it is better than skipping. Create momentum.
Want to sleep better? Plug your phone in outside the bedroom. Dim the lights at 8:30p.m. Use the same wind-down routine each night.
Want to eat better? Pre-cut veggies and fruit and put them at eye level. Hide the junk food.
You don’t need perfect discipline. You need a setup that makes the right choices “automatic.”
Why Willpower Alone Doesn’t Work!
Let’s say you want to move more. You set a goal to “walk every morning.” But the night before,
you don’t prep your clothes. Your shoes are buried under laundry. The morning is rushed. You miss the walk. You feel guilty. It’s not your fault. The system was never set up to win.
Here’s the fix:
change the environment, not just the intention.
03. Your Environment Shapes Your Behaviour
Most people try to out-think bad habits. But your surroundings always win in the end.
Want to snack less? Don’t buy the snacks.
Want to drink more water? Keep a bottle within reach.
Want to work out? Put your gear where you’ll trip over it.
If you want a different result, start by creating an environment which by default supports your
intention.
This week we ask you to add on a 7-Day Habit Swap Challenge to your last week’s challenge!
04.Final Thoughts
- The solution isn’t motivation. What you need is a design with a spring of positive cues.
Habits don’t change because you try harder. They change because you make it easier to succeed, and harder to fail. You don’t need a new life. You need a new design.
Next week, we’ll break down what health actually means beyond workouts and diets, and why most people are chasing the wrong thing. Until then, remember: Don’t fight your habits. Rewire them.
Pick one. Set up the swap. Track it for 7 days. Win once. Then again. Stack it.
