Why is it so hard for us to do the things we know we should be doing?
Eat healthy.
Workout.
The formula is simple yet we drag our feet and make excuses left and right.
And it doesn’t have to be just these three areas either.
It can extend to work, creating positive habits, or anything else we want to do.
Then, we sit and waste time trying to find some other plausible reason why we haven’t reached our goals.
I was too busy at work to stick to an exercise plan so I’ll start next month.
I tried to eat healthy most of the time but there were too many office parties and birthday cakes this month.
Maybe I have insulin resistance and that’s why I’m gaining weight?
The sad truth is the problem is with you.
Not to be nit-picky, but the real issue is that you’re not holding yourself accountable.
Instead of working out consistently, you’ve given in to that little voice inside of your head saying ahh, don’t worry about it. There’s always tomorrow.
It’s also the same voice that says you might as well finish the carton. After all, you can’t just leave crumbs.
Or, you may hear it in the form of I’m already three glasses of wine or beer deep so I’ve already blown my goal for the day, I might as well splurge from here.
The reality is we all have this voice, even I do.
When I know I should be writing for this site, I make excuses along the lines of I already wrote an article or two today and I just don’t have the strength to write another one.
And when it comes to accountability, it’s this voice testing your willpower.
The easiest way to describe this is the old devil and angel on your shoulder.
Your devilish side sends a barrage of excuses for why you don’t need to do something.
It also chooses the easier route and the path of least resistance.
The problem is if you’re constantly giving into this side, you’re letting excuses dictate your decisions, which means it’s no wonder you’re not making progress.
Instead, you’ve got to re-train your brain to shut off this default nature.
After all, taking the easy route is everyone’s natural response. But it’s not going to get you anywhere.
If it was easy, everyone would do it. Right?
Here’s what will:
#1: Eat That Stupid Frog
Brian Tracy wrote a book called Eat That Frog and while I haven’t read the entire thing, I use its main principle quite often: do your hardest task first.
Each day, there’s usually 1-2 things on our to-do list that we dread.
Maybe it’s a big work project that you need to finish or your spring cleaning the entire house is overdue.
Whatever it is, make this your number one priority and don’t do anything else until it’s done.
It’s especially important not to let little tasks get done before this big one is complete.
Here’s the logic behind this: if you don’t knock out the most daunting task first, you’re likely to think about it ALL DAY.
It will consume you and loom over your head.
For example, if you know you should be working out, but you don’t really feel like doing it, you’re going to spend your whole day complaining about it or silently dragging your feet instead of looking forward to it.
On the flipside, when you start your day with exercise, even though you may not always like it, you’ll set yourself up for a much better day.
And, since you ate that frog first thing, everything else will seem trivial and easy to overcome.
To narrow down your frogs, make a list of all the things you know you should be doing and start working on the biggest one first.
And don’t let social media, email, or other chores get in the way of you accomplishing this.
When you tackle smaller wins first, instead of your big frog, you end up losing all of your energy and momentum, which means you won’t have what you need to eat the frog.
And you’ll still be thinking about that big one which only makes it worse.
Eat your big frog early in the day when you have the energy. It’s the best way to create a positive momentum.
This tip is amplified when you combine it with this next one.
#2: Know Your Tendencies
I can’t say this enough: stop working against yourself.
If you know you’re not a morning person, don’t attempt a 5 am workout class without easing into it.
Instead, workout at night so you can get to bed earlier and then you’ll be able to wake up earlier after a few days.
The same approach works with food.
If you can’t just have one cookie or chip, don’t test your willpower. Ditch that stuff so you’re not tempted.
Another tendency you should pay attention to is when you give into excuses.
Are you usually telling yourself you’re too tired when the truth is that you just don’t want to do something because it’s tough or it makes you uncomfortable?
Start paying attention to the excuses you’re giving yourself and think about it in terms of a kid.
Stay with me here.
If your hypothetical kid wanted to eat a whole bag of chips or half a carton of ice cream, would you let them?
Nope.
What if your kid stayed in the house all day and didn’t get any exercise or get off the couch?
Would you tell them to keep doing this?
The obvious answer is no yet we do this exact same thing.
If you wouldn’t want your kid spending an hour or more watching TV and loafing on social media, you shouldn’t want the same for yourself.
By knowing your tendencies, for example, do you like to veg on Facebook after work or are you a weekend Netflix binge watcher?, you can start breaking the bad habits to make room for better ones.
If you are a binge Facebooker or Netflixer, consider setting limits to no more than 30 minutes at a time.
Think in terms of what you would set for your kid and use this as a guide.
And then, make sure you’re doing this:
#3: Show Up Every Day, Even When You Don’t Want To
Using the same kid example, when your hypothetical kid has a big test or a speech coming up, they’re more likely to develop a sudden fever and/or stomach ache.
Even if you don’t have kids yet, you can probably relate.
The problem is that we carry this bad habit over into adulthood.
Whenever we don’t feel like doing something, we suddenly have an illness or ache that prevents us from having to take action.
I would workout but I’m tired and my knee didn’t feel so great today.
Or I’ll meditate tomorrow, my back is killing me.
While some of these reasons could totally be legit, most times it’s just the inner kid taking over.
And it’s important that you realize the difference.
Instead of giving into the excuse, commit to 20-30 minutes of trying.
So if your back hurts and you’re worried about meditating, sit in a chair instead of being unsupported for 20-30 minutes.
And if, after 10 mins, you’re still uncomfortable, you can call it quits.
Because by this point you would have proved that you showed up no matter what and you still would have reaped some positive benefits.
If you’re feeling sore or tired, commit to a 20-30 minute easy walk so that you can keep the consistency habit and stay active.
The point is not to give into your inner kid or the excuses that come up and to:
#4: Stay Consistent For at Least 10 Days
As I mentioned in my Facebook group, it takes at least 10-14 days for you to see the benefits of a new habit.
But, for this to work, you have to be rigid for those 10-14 days.
So you have to show up even when you’re tired and don’t feel like it.
And you can’t quit mid-way or give into excuses.
You have to eat that frog first thing, no matter what.
Do this and you’ll be able to hold yourself accountable in any area of your life.
But, on the flipside, do the opposite and you’re bound to see yourself in the same position year after year, which, if you’ve made it this far, I know you don’t want.
Instead…
Start Holding Yourself Accountable
Now that you know how to hold yourself accountable, the rest is up to you.
Keep the tips in this guide in mind and stay consistent, no matter how many times you fall off the horse, and you’ll start to accomplish anything.
Don’t forget to sign up for my free challenge to get started today!: