11 Jun Oh, what the heck

‘Oh, what the heck. I’ve earned it; today was a tough day.’ You had resolved not to eat any more chocolate in the evening, but this is going to be an exception. There’s a chunky bar with nuts in the cupboard. ‘I’ll just have a small piece—up to that point there.’ Halfway through the show, your hand reaches for the bar again. ‘Well, I might as well have that bit too,’ you think. By the time you go to bed, only a measly scrap is left. ‘I really let myself go,’ you think. ‘Tomorrow, I’ll just eat that tiny piece.’
‘Oh, I might as well eat it now. What’s the point of such a tiny leftover bit?’

That is how good intentions fall by the wayside before reaching the finish line. You had made a serious resolution and were firmly committed to sticking to it, but you hadn’t factored in that setback during the day—the one that drained all your energy and left you with less willpower by the evening.

Start small
If this pattern repeats itself often, something else happens: it undermines your roots. It is as if you are losing belief in yourself without even realizing it. When you make a resolution, you usually sense deep down that there is a good chance you will succeed. If you want to maintain or regain belief in yourself, the best advice is: start small. Start so small that you are certain you can stick with it. For instance, you could ensure there is only a specific amount of chocolate in the cupboard—but allow yourself to eat all of it. You can gradually reduce this amount over time until you reach a quantity that is acceptable to you. After all, giving it up completely isn’t strictly necessary.

The plan to exercise twice a week can start with doing a fitness exercise for five minutes, twice, after getting up. Once you are sure you can stick to this, you can extend the duration.
Over time, the gym becomes a natural next step. At first, you attend one class a week, and eventually, you’ll want to take a second class now and then as well.

The major added benefit is that, in the process, you have started believing in yourself again. When you set your mind to something, you choose the right approach and know you’re going to do it!

*This post has been automatically translated from Dutch