Thoughts about Habits and Effecting Positive Change
By: Vito Valentini
Tags: Health, Cycling, Coaching, Personal Development, Positive Thinking

Thoughts about Habits and Effecting Positive Change

It has been said that a sure sign of insanity is to continuously embrace a specific pattern of behavior with the expectation of achieving a different result. Let me help with some examples (some of which have come from my vast library of personal experiences):

Not investing the time required to study and learn but instead choosing to cram at the last minute and/or hoping beyond hope that the exam would be easy, then being surprised when the grade is far short of what we hoped for

Being diligent with a nutrition program whose main ingredients are large helpings of KFC (extra crispy, of course), French fries, beer, soda and other similarly “high quality” foods and expecting that you will feel energetic and achieve your optimal level of health.

Realizing that one’s waistline increases in direct proportion to the amount of time spent with the television remote but convincing ourselves that we simply cannot miss this particular episode of __________ (fill in the blank).

Spending whatever money is required to have the fastest possible internet speed along with an abundance of tv channels and the newest, fanciest cell phone but balking at the cost of a bicycle and/or indoor trainer or the investment in a personal coaching program and then wondering why your index finger and jaw are the fittest parts of your body.

No doubt we can go on and on. These are all habits, behavior learned over time that has now become part of our everyday life, a routine that exists without any further thought.

One really great habit to develop in order to continually effect positive change in our lives and have some control over the results we achieve is to set aside an hour or two on a specific day each month — perhaps it is the second Saturday of the month — in order to examine the habits of our routines and simply ask ourselves whether or not these (perhaps old) habits are serving our lives?

We stay in bad relationships, we continue in bad patterns of behavior, we don’t take the time to explore the opportunity to develop new habits or learn new skills even when simply thinking about it strikes a chord deep down inside of us that says “I can do better than this!” These habits aren’t part of our subconscious nor are they embedded in our DNA.

The ability to make personal choices, as well as the capacity to follow through once we make those choices, is inherent in each of us its just that doing nothing is just easier!

What is the catalyst — what will help us or cause us to make the change?

I remember reading that people make conscious changes out of inspiration or desperation but what about those of us who remain in a state of numb satisfaction combined with a quiet desperation and just not knowing how to get started.

There was a time, perhaps several times, during my life when I weighed in at 125 kilos (approximately 275 pounds) and had a 50” waist. I didn’t take the time to say “hmmm, am I inspired or am I desperate?” (Actually, I was probably too busy eating, drinking or watching tv!). The catalyst for me was a postcard that came in the mail with a picture of someone’s shredded midsection and the words “you too can look like this”. Thankfully I never got it in my head to look exactly like that however this was one of the times in my life when there was value in being someone who believes everything people tell me! (If you are interested in the specific details of the impact this had on my life please feel free to email me at vito.valentini@gaviacycling.com; I would be more than happy to tell them to you. Please don’t worry, I am not selling anything and this is not by any means a sly way to collect your email address).

There are a variety of “change your habit” timelines. While it is important to take it day by day in my opinion, giving yourself a fair start in the right direction requires a month. Why a month? Perhaps it is because I was an accountant, my nickname when I was younger was “Spock” and therefore logical sequences work well for me — who knows! I do know that a week or two is not enough and if I were to say three months it will seem like a lifetime and you simply won’t get started.

Outlined below are ten specific ideas that will help you get started if you are interested in developing a higher level of personal well-being, irrespective of your starting point. Please consider that this applies to increasing your level of health and wellness, improving your personal fitness, developing your cycling skills and abilities, and/or becoming a better student. I believe this framework applies irrespective of the subject or endeavor.

The Ten Thoughts

Set the intention — be SMART. In order for a goal to be a goal and not a gamble or something left up to chance you must include these five key elements. Your goal must be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-constrained.

Prioritize — things at the bottom of the pile usually remain there and become moldy — if someone or something is really important to you then treat them or it accordingly; they or it has to be more than just an after-thought.

Assess — you need an objective measurement of your starting point — to get to point B, you need to know where point A is so that you can commit the proper resources of time as well as mental and emotional effort.

Plan — the old saying is “if you fail to plan you are planning to fail”. The back of a napkin is ok — just do the best you can. Getting caught in the trap of elaborateness and complication is the best way for you to NOT get started!

Execution — keep it simple in order to be able to follow through with your plan.

Measure your progress and elicit feedback — are you getting the results you expected; why or why not? Adjustments are always required — as you improve over time you will need to adjust your plan and your level of effort. Base these adjustments on your personal progress and feedback.

Persist — it is impossible to develop, change, learn and grow without some level of discomfort. Stick with it. If you fall off the plan don’t let that stop you — it happens to all of us; start again from wherever you are now!

People count — surround yourself with people that encourage you, support your efforts, and are good role models. Utilize the skills and education of the right coaches and teachers.

Celebrate your successes — progress toward your goal is success and should be celebrated. Be proud of yourself for participating in a Monday morning 5:45AM walk or class!! Celebrate the bike ride you did in cold weather!! Be happy about the hill you conquered, forget the speed, you conquered the hill!

I know it isn’t easy but stick with it and see how positively it affects the rest of your life!!

“One day in retrospect the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.”

— Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), Austrian Psychoanalyst

“I’d gone through life believing in the strength and competence of others; never on my own. Now, dazzled, I discovered that my capacities were real. It was like finding a fortune in the lining of an old coat.”

— Joan Mills