Have you ever struggled to create change in your life?
How many times did I get excited and enthusiastic about changing a bad habit? I started making new plans, wrote it on my calendar knowing that today is the day I am turning a new leaf. Then suddenly, BAM! I hit a point of resistance where it starts to hurt, or it doesn’t feel right anymore. Then I start asking myself why should I bother with this anyway? This inward dialogue starts to creep on, and now my enthusiasm turns into doubt and doubt leads me to give up altogether.
I heard someone say, the best time to start working out at the gym is in March. Because that’s when the “New Year’s Resolutions” crowd is quitting and there are no longer lines at the equipment machines.
Can you relate with this? Well, if your answer is “Yes, that happens to me too!” then I have some good news 
Todd Herman, a Global Leader in High Performance, speaks on the concept of what actually happens inside our bodies on a cellular level when we consciously work to form new positive habits.
He shares how important it is to know that our cells are constantly receiving information and are constantly recreating themselves. As we go through the process of change, through the process of learning a new skill or changing a bad habit, we are sending some good vibes to our body, like a positive emotion. It comes in the performance of Dopamine, Serotonin and Endorphins (the release of good brain chemicals).
For example, knowing that our cells are receivers of information, they might be used to be constantly bombarded with Cortisol (release of a bad brain chemical). And like hungry hypos, they want to be fed more of that Cortisol. They are sending information up to the brain that they want more Cortisol, more stress. If you wonder why you are always stressed out, it’s because of what you are used to feed your cells.
When we stick to change good habits, and are constantly feeding them with Dopamine, Endorphins and Serotonin, they are going to want more of it. Cells replicate based on the last information that happens to them. When our cells begin to be bombarded with these new good chemicals/hormones, they are shaking, vibrating, replicating, and start going into a new direction. They are vibrating because they are not used to receive this new information.
What tricks us up is this vibration. It causes self-sabotage and resistance. Our old cells do not automatically want the good stuff right away, because they are still elements for the need of Cortisol, so we are still going to experience some stress in your body. But over time if we stick with it, there will be massive change. That’s why our greatest breakthroughs seem to always happen when we want to quit the most when doing something really positive.
Wow, what a concept! So in simple words we have to persevere through the transition period of resistance as we build these new receptors that want the Dopamine and the Serotonin until they become hungry hypos for that good stuff.
5 steps to overcome the point of resistance and shut down the inward negative dialogue
- Keep the goal in the forefront of your mind. Remember why you want to make this change. How important is to your welfare or the welfare of others? Revisiting your why is very crucial for the outcome.
- Plan the night before. Preparing and setting yourself up for what will take place tomorrow gives you a better chance to succeed. For example, if you are trying to exercise first thing in the morning, get your gears ready next to your bed the night before.
- Overrule your emotions and feelings. Yield to your commitment first before listening to your feelings. Say NO, I will keep my decision to …exercise, eat healthy, save money, pay my debt, build this relationship, learn this skill… I desperately need this change.
- Push through the pain. Remember what is going on in your body on a cellular level. Like the saying goes, “no pain, no gain”.
- Celebrate each time you accomplished your goal. It will fuel your motivation to continue until that good habit is formed.
Now which step resonates the most with you? Than go and put it to practice. If you have other steps that worked for you, please share it with us in the comment below.
Let us overcome together!