As a personal trainer I am frequently confronted with people who wish to make a change. In most scenarios, the change tends to be physical, a desire to change the outward appearance. I’ve also encountered those who wish to make a more cerebral change by embracing a healthier lifestyle. In all situations, I explain that the key is going to be consistency. Committing to an exercise regime (two, three, or four days a week) will make a positive difference and steer you in the right direction, but even the best executed program can sometimes fall a little short. Every day we perform small minor tasks that make our lives easier in one way but come at a cost in another. This may be the amount of time we spend on our phones, which places us in a poor posture (downward head position), or the time spent binge watching a new streaming series, which adds to our sedentary time, or the consumption of overly processed foods, which can lead to excessive calories. Now, I’m not a monk and have participated in each of the prior mentioned scenarios, but as in all course corrections, I believe the first step is acceptance of a problem. So, what’s the fix? How do you undo the evils of modern society? You allocate time every day to reset.
The immediate response to my suggestion may be, “Add MORE to do in my over-scheduled day? That’s not happening.” The amount of time I’m recommending is ten minutes. You will intentionally spend ten minutes every day making yourself better. Ten minutes to get your mind and body right. A big part of this process is how you mentally approach this task. I’m a firm believer that we make time for what’s important to us. We also tend to shy away from work, remember how the river flows towards the path of least resistance. This is not a workout and is not meant to challenge you. Making a substantial change doesn’t always require you to make a substantial investment in money, time, or in this case, effort. As I mentioned earlier, the key is consistency. The change happens over time from the effects of compounding.
Consider you’re an accountant and you suffer from tightness in your hips and lower back from sitting at your desk. Ten minutes of mobility work performed every morning right when you wake up will go a long way. If you’re a dentist or mechanic who suffers from neck and back problems, due to standing in a compromised position of a forward head position for extended periods of time, 10 minutes of re-aligning your spine on a foam roller can navigate you out of pain over time. You may need ten minutes of quite meditation to calm your mind and lower the anxiety levels that trigger you to make poor eating choices.
Don’t try to fix too much at once. Prioritize and pick one thing you wish to improve. Create the daily habit and then start. Don’t strive for perfection. Accept that there will be missteps along the way, don’t let that deter you. Disregard the “All or nothing mindset” and embrace the process and remember you’re playing the long game. Track and keep a record of everyday you complete the task. That’s how you’ll keep score.