Have you experienced the trap of your unconscious lifestyle loop?
Yes you have! Everyone has at some point in their lives. You might be in the midst of one right now.
The Unconscious Lifestyle Loop is a spiraling downward loop into unconscious habits, rituals, and patterns influenced by powerful internal and external forces. These act to knock you off track with your health and lifestyle, leading to NO SUSTAINED RESULTS, a constant struggle, or worse…a health train wreck!
Follow along on the diagram below as I use an excerpt from Carol’s story from my ebook Make It Stick to illustrate the Unconscious Lifestyle Loop.
Carol came to me wanting to lose weight. As we talked she described an all-too-familiar pattern with her own unique twists. It went like this.
Carol described trying just about every weight loss program out there over the past couple of decades (new actions). None of them had led to lasting results. She enjoyed some success with some of them, but inevitably when she stopped she regained the weight – and then some. She was frustrated but wanted to try once again so joined another program. She was excited because some friends had told her they loved it. Anxious to get started she followed all the startup steps, engaged in conversation with their staff, devised her plan, attended the meetings and began to experience RESULTS (early results). Hallelujah! Let’s keep this rolling, she thought (motivation). Finally, something that works. Success went on for weeks then, boom! Life happened and began to take over.
Her son was about to start school (life happens). New clothes, school supplies, fears of a child heading to new surroundings, a new teacher, and new kids, and all of the other little things that happen at this time of year require focus, time, and energy. Are they important? Absolutely. Carol fully intended to maintain her good nutritional plan (the frame) but forgot to plan and prepare for meals for the days ahead with everything happening (non-action).
“Okay, I’ll just swing by the grocery store on my way home and grab something” was the framing in her mind. Seems harmless, right? Once there her inner voice took over. The one controlled by her cravings. In that hungry moment she unconsciously opted for an unhealthy choice from the deli instead of the initial plan of keeping on track with her program goals (improper action). It was quick and easy and likely tied to an inner limiting belief too. That’s life’s influence taking hold. As she described this scenario to me, she connected with her feelings of guilt about the decision and her fear of judgement by those she reported to in the program (negative self talk). She told me that in her mind she promised herself that once her son was back at school, things would return to normal and she’d be back on track (the promise). During those few days she spun a few more times around the loop each time framing the life external influence in a way that led to unsupportive actions, further negative self talk, and a repeat of her promise.
“Once this week is over things will be back to normal. I will get back on track.”
From that experience she did get back on track and became re-motivated and re-engaged with her program (for another turn around the loop). Life continues as it always will and unfortunately another external influence popped up.
Until you awaken to see yourself in your unconscious lifestyle loop (wake up call) you cannot break the cycle, the habit, the pattern. Hopefully your wake up call happens from simply seeing your habitual patterns and not from a more significant wake up call such as a traumatic health episode like a heart attack.
In either instance, though, your wake up call is an incredible opportunity to break free from your unconscious lifestyle loop forever.
Make the time to have a look at your life and see the patterns that are leading you to a potential crash with your health.
Then break free.
Choose to make your health your #1 priority.
Choose conscious action that can prioritize your health along with other priorities like Carol and her son.
There is a way.
It’s up to you to find it… before it’s too late!
Remember…
“Life is meant to be embraced, enjoyed and fully lived, not merely endured!”
To your health,
Brent
Be an advocate of Thriving Health. Please share this to anyone you feel would appreciate receiving this message. Thanks for your support. I appreciate it.
Beginning with a degree in exercise science and kinesiology, Brent Haydey has evolved over thirty years as an entrepreneur; building four businesses, and as a health, executive, and life coach.