2789: For Better Habits, Just Don’t Fail Twice In A Row by Tyler Tervooren of Riskology on Building Routines

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[00:00:30] This is Optimal Health Daily. For Better Habits, Just Dont Fail Twice In A Row by Tyler Tervooren of Riskology.co. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik.

[00:00:41] Hey there, happy Saturday. Thank you so much for being here and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I act as your narrator of the best health and fitness blogs all for free.

[00:00:51] Alright, and with that, let's get right to today's post and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:00] For Better Habits, Just Don't Fail Twice In A Row by Tyler Tervooren of Riskology.co.

[00:01:08] Building a new habit is hard work. You set out with the best of intentions, you make a plan, and you try to set yourself up for success.

[00:01:17] At first, everything is great. You feel like you're on top of the world. You're motivated. You're succeeding.

[00:01:23] And you can see how this new endeavor will change the way you live.

[00:01:27] Then, without fail, something gets in the way. Work gets busy. You have a family emergency.

[00:01:34] You have to take your dog to the vet.

[00:01:36] You reach a breaking point and make a mistake.

[00:01:39] You slip.

[00:01:40] The fact you've slipped is not important.

[00:01:43] But what happens next is.

[00:01:46] After looking at dozens of cases of my own and those close to me,

[00:01:50] I've learned that people who succeed at building habits, and people who don't,

[00:01:54] experience the same failures and disappointments along the way.

[00:01:57] The difference seems to be what they do immediately after a setback.

[00:02:04] Inconsistent Consistency.

[00:02:05] How I Built the Habit of Running

[00:02:07] I'm always on the hunt for small changes to my routine.

[00:02:11] Changes that will help me stick to the things I say are important to me.

[00:02:14] Over the years, I've failed at many new habits and routines.

[00:02:18] But, somehow, the habit of running has stuck.

[00:02:22] After many years, and even a marathon on every continent,

[00:02:26] it's easier for me to get up in the morning and go for a run than it is to plop down on the couch.

[00:02:31] The habit is deeply ingrained.

[00:02:33] When I try to start a new habit, building better relationships was a recent one,

[00:02:39] I look to my running habit for inspiration and ask,

[00:02:42] how can I copy that formula for this new routine?

[00:02:46] And, of course, the answer is always,

[00:02:48] do it for years and it'll become easy.

[00:02:51] But the truth is, I haven't been perfectly faithful to my running routine.

[00:02:55] Since 2008, my goal has been to run 5 miles each day for 3 days each week.

[00:03:02] Adding up the mileage from my running logs, I'm pretty close to the goal.

[00:03:06] But I've missed plenty of days.

[00:03:08] But what's curious is that I've rarely missed 2 running days in a row.

[00:03:13] Habits are a complex thing, and I don't aim to have all the answers.

[00:03:17] But I believe this is a big part of what accounts for success.

[00:03:21] Never failing twice in a row.

[00:03:24] Forget perfection, just don't fail twice in a row.

[00:03:27] If you compare your successful habits to the ones you've struggled with,

[00:03:31] you'll likely find the times you've stumbled and veered off track are about the same.

[00:03:36] The big difference will be in how those stumbles line up over time.

[00:03:40] If you commit to trying something new and forgiving yourself when you make a mistake,

[00:03:44] you'll see that when you mess up, you get right back to work.

[00:03:48] When it happens again, you do the same.

[00:03:51] Over time, your failures become fewer and further between.

[00:03:55] But when you force yourself to be perfect from the outset,

[00:03:59] it's easy to lose motivation after just one stumble.

[00:04:02] One stumble leads to two.

[00:04:05] Two leads to three.

[00:04:06] Pretty soon, you've given up entirely.

[00:04:09] The longer you veer off track, the easier it becomes to stay there.

[00:04:14] It's not just getting up when you get knocked down.

[00:04:16] It's how fast you get back up.

[00:04:21] One you really want to stick to.

[00:04:23] You should concern yourself less with screwing up a lot.

[00:04:27] You're allowed to screw up, and it's bound to happen.

[00:04:29] What you really should concern yourself with is not screwing up twice in a row.

[00:04:34] Want to learn a new instrument?

[00:04:36] Commit to practicing three times each week,

[00:04:39] and never miss two sessions in a row.

[00:04:41] Want to actually go to the gym?

[00:04:44] Set a schedule and actually go.

[00:04:46] Don't beat yourself up when you miss a day.

[00:04:49] Just get up and go again.

[00:04:51] Want to eat healthy?

[00:04:53] Create a new meal plan for yourself.

[00:04:55] Enjoy the nachos and beer when you slip.

[00:04:57] Just don't have them for lunch and dinner.

[00:05:00] The path to failure is littered with small stumbles,

[00:05:03] but so is the path to success.

[00:05:05] The difference is how many you allow to stack up in the same place.

[00:05:13] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:05:15] For Better Habits, Just Don't Fail Twice in a Row,

[00:05:18] by Tyler Tervorin of Riskology.co,

[00:05:21] and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:05:24] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:05:27] As today's author, Tyler, described,

[00:05:29] how we respond after we've had a setback

[00:05:32] is one of the most important steps we can take.

[00:05:34] Think of your new habit as a destination,

[00:05:37] a place on the map you want to get to.

[00:05:39] We may have started our trip on time

[00:05:42] and with everything prepared, packed, and ready to go.

[00:05:46] As we're moving along toward our destination,

[00:05:48] things might start off easy enough.

[00:05:51] But after a while, we may make a wrong turn.

[00:05:54] It's okay, it happens.

[00:05:55] We find our way back to the correct road

[00:05:58] and are on our way again.

[00:06:00] We don't give up and go back home.

[00:06:02] Instead, we get back on track and keep going.

[00:06:05] We need to think of creating new habits in this same way.

[00:06:08] We're allowed to make wrong turns.

[00:06:11] We just need to stay persistent and keep going.

[00:06:15] All right, that'll do it for today.

[00:06:16] I hope you're having a great weekend

[00:06:18] if you're listening in real time,

[00:06:19] and I'll see you back here tomorrow as usual

[00:06:21] where your optimal life awaits.