Behavior Curve
I think that people in these times that we live in are so informed that they start to realize that it is not enough to know what they have to do and if they want to change something in their life they really need to do, to implement what learned in different courses.
We seem to know more and more about the theory, and sometimes we even refuse to listen to anything, because we seem to know, but I want to tell you something I learned in too many years that I was “in the mind,” as Peter Sage says. : “knowing and not doing = not knowing”.
So, because it is the beginning of the year and we are all in one form or another, we intend to make a change, but especially if you are a leader and you want to influence your team, please listen to the end, 10 minutes will be allocated efficient from your agenda! I promise!
The change is made at the cellular level. How does that sound to you?
I wondered why it’s so hard to change habits that we don’t like or that don’t support us into habits that support us. In other words, negative behaviors into positive behaviors?
I want to share with you today, something that will help you understand your behavior, how your brain and body work when you want to make a change.
If you do something repeatedly, you end up doing that thing automatically, without using your prefrontal neocortex, critical thinking, decisional analysis, the autopilot part being taken over by the other side of the brain, which is very useful, that we don’t need to learn to walk, drive, read, etc. every day.
But, as we get to do it repeatedly, with discipline, given that we want to rewrite a neural circuit already well imprinted in our brain and body.
I invite you to think that automatically, when you wake up, you take the same steps every day, in the same order, go the same way to work, check your emails and social media, drink coffee, etc. You know best to answer yourself, what I don’t know is whether those repeated behaviors support you or not every morning, and that’s what you decide again.
I want to tell you about the two curves of positive and negative behaviors.
We have two lines, one of positive behaviors and the other of negative behaviors.
Let’s say we aim for health and exercise and lose weight, given that this is the case at the beginning of the year after the holidays. That’s why we plan to go to the gym or exercise at home every morning, to energize ourselves. Does it sound familiar to you?
But, let’s see how the two curves of positive and negative behaviors begin and evolve?
Let’s say that the first day comes to start the program and you have to move, to move your body in the proposed direction: to go to the gym or to wake up and do the exercises after the program.
The first time you go to the gym or you want to wake up in the morning to do the set of exercises after the program bought online, what happens? You do a mile of tape, a few exercises and everything hurts.
When you finish, you don’t feel much benefit, you don’t feel fit, on the contrary.
That would be a positive decision.
What can happen in the negative curve? The mind justifies what the body feels. What would the decisions in the negative curve sound like? “Mmmmm I don’t think I go to the gym today or when the clock strikes (you’re already scheduled to sleep late)” Mmmmm I don’t wake up today. ” In fact, during the day you think, “I haven’t eaten KFC or McDonald’s in a long time, I could go eat.”
Here’s the big challenge when it comes to making decisions …
Do a cheeseburger or a few dumplings make you fatter or unhealthier? Does a cigarette make you sick? NO, of course not.
So on the curve of negative behaviors you have an immediate satisfaction and no negative consequences visible immediately, while on the curve of positive behaviors, you do not see any change on your body and everything hurts.
So, considering your neural pathways already written with your comfort zone, as well as the manifestation, the body’s response to the implementation of the conscious decision, pain, you understand why most people even though they consciously intend to make a change are driven by their body and their well-being now and they end up not making the change, but most of the time they reinforce their old behaviors?
Why? Because naturally we tend to grow in what we practice, do, focus on.
But, let’s do fast forward / future paste and see the curves further.
After a month on the curve of positive behavior, from 1 km per lane we reach 2 km per lane, from waking up with the clock forcibly we get to wake up our biological clock, from 5 exercises per series, we reach 10/15/20 series exercises.
What happens on the negative curve? You don’t wake up, you don’t go to the gym, you maintain comfort, you eat more, you gain 1-2 kg more.
What happens over time?
The results differ exponentially, they can get extraordinarily good or at the opposite pole it becomes more and more difficult to get to where you actually set out at the beginning of the year.
We all have the same 24 hours, what we do with them differentiates us.
What do I suggest at the end?
Do you want to make a change? It doesn’t set you unrealistic goals. You commit so much to do something that you end up doing nothing, being overwhelmed, not because you can’t, but because you have a conditioned body at the cellular level to respond like that.
Start with a goal, in small steps. In the case of the movement example, if you want to move, start with one minute a day, increase to 5 minutes a day, then 10 minutes and so on, but don’t have a day when you don’t move.
If you want to read, start with one page a day or even less, but don’t let that day go by without reading that half page.
I remind you, our natural tendency is to grow in the behaviors and actions we do. What we focus on increases. Eliminate the NO from the vocabulary because our brain does not notice it. So don’t focus on NOT being fat anymore, focus on being healthy. Don’t focus on NOT watching TV anymore, focus on reading, walking, doing other activities that bring you value. Don’t focus on saying NO to negative behaviors, focus on saying YES to positive behaviors.
Positive behaviors will increase your self-confidence and self-esteem, negative ones will bring you down in many ways.
Some people want everything to be perfect before they start doing anything, to have the condition, but commitment and action are always before any achievements. We cannot speak of leaders without this characteristic of commitment primarily to themselves. And commitment is always tested by the actions you take. You also need leadership when you interact with people, but you need it especially in your relationship.
It is easy to justify when the distance between the two curves is small, but it is much harder to correct, change a behavior when the distance between the two curves of positive / negative behaviors increases.
When it comes to engagement, there are several types of people:
People who do not have goals, do not want change and therefore have no reason to make a commitment. People who don’t trust themselves can achieve their goals and then they don’t make a commitment again. People who want change, but give up when life gets tough. People who set goals, commit to meet them, and pay the price of change by stepping out of their comfort zone.
I suggest you think about the conjectures that you have to give up and what you need to redefine at the level of mindset in 2022 so that you can make the change that you have proposed. Declare your commitment to 2022.
If what I shared helps you, write down what happened to you, what you take with you and you can pass on the message, if you find it useful for other people. And if you are a leader and you want a different kind of growth, write LIDER below and we will meet you in private to tell you how I can support you
From my heart to your heart❤️
Managing Partner – Powerfull Deeds
For 10 years doing Powerfull Deeds, serving individuals and companies in their own journey of growth with my knowledge, experience, tools and shortcuts, enjoying each step. I would love to contribute in yours too. How can I serve you?
Send me an email and tell me how can I add value to you?
