Setting the bar as low as possible and building momentum
This past year has been a different and difficult year for many of us. The old routines have been shattered and new ones have (hopefully) been adapted.
We as individuals are the sum of our routines and habits—we go through the motions of our days, barely aware of what we’re doing. This is why the present time is so valuable, from a behavioral perspective. Our old routines have been set on pause and this gives us the time and mental clarity to evaluate our daily habits, general values and exactly what is meaningful to us. Normally we have busy schedules that numb our reflective capacity and long-term view of life, but since normal life has been set on pause—this is the perfect time to figure out what is important, and how you can steer your life and habits in that direction.
There are many angles and strategies concerning this matter, and many self-help gurus make their living solely off this topic. But we want to give you an easy perspective and strategy to get started—and we’re confident that you will figure out the rest as you go.
The strategy is to focus on building momentum—that’s it! Here’s how to get started…
Setting the bar low
This is not only about goal setting, but also about the quality of life. When you’re down in a rut, even the smallest tasks can be daunting, and life can seem unfair. But how do you get started and where do you start? This has been the subject of many Coffee Talks lately, and our conclusion so far is that it doesn’t matter where you start, because everything in life seems to be connected—getting the ball rolling is the most important thing.
Find something that you find worthwhile and set the bar as low as possible. Make a to-do list that contains one thing and do that thing. We all have different starting points and goals, so just find a thing that you’re willing to do and do it. What we’ve seen so far is when people get started in one domain, it tends to influence other parts of their lives and general self-esteem. Getting shit done and feeling capable is a great feeling and often starts a positive feedback loop.
Building momentum
This is where the magic happens. One of our key takeaways in almost all of our articles is:
High frequency and
Consistency
These are key concepts in the Microworkout training program, but has lately begun to develop into a general philosophy of life and pivotal point in our Coffee Talks. If you’re in a rut—start with baby steps and complete small tasks that are manageable and worthwhile. This may not seem like much, but there is a compounding effect to it. Over time the small tasks that you do add up. And doing this for weeks, months and years makes a huge difference. We’ve seen this play out firsthand…
You start with a little thing and do it consistently and over time it evolves. Finding the courage and energy to go for a morning walk can, over the span of a year or two, make you unrecognizable to the person you once were. The morning walks affect your mood, fitness and body composition. This will affect your self-awareness and self-esteem, which will give you the momentum to do other things. We’ve seen this process take place many times and it’s so fascinating to us how a small change today can build to an entirely different life a month from now.
Our recommendation is therefore to set the bar as low as possible, stay there until you find it so easy that you need to do more and build from there.
Take a break once in a while and get back at it. Over time you’ll see great results—we promise.
Until next time
Scott and Lennart