TGIM: Happy Five Years

Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!

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tl;dr One of the greatest misconceptions about a “healthy” lifestyle is that it requires extraordinary efforts. On the contrary, it takes an extremely ordinary amount of effort exerted over a very long amount of time. The key to big change is often to find the least effortful action you are capable of and repeat it over and over (and over) again.

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In July 2020, we were four months into a life-altering pandemic, and I was one month into PA school, just beginning to grasp how relentlessly tired I would be for the next two years. Among the chaos, I had a nagging voice in my head urging me to share what I was learning, not necessarily the physiology lessons of PA school, but the life lessons from years of coaching, podcasts, and books. So, after one of my early morning makeshift bedroom workouts, I sat on my workout bench and created the first edition of TGIM. (check it out here: https://walshwellness.weebly.com/tgim/why-things-will-never-be-the-same-and-why-that-could-be-good)

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Five years later, I’m enjoying the life I’ve been building as a PA and coach, writing the 260th edition of TGIM. It fills me with pride to say I’ve worked that hard on something. For 260 consecutive weeks, I have written a few pages about a topic that has helped me (and hopefully others) continue to grow into the best version of ourselves. A handful of editions have been published after midnight, but I have never missed a week despite the studying, working, traveling, and living life.
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This does not require some kind of extraordinary effort. I have no special training in writing (I took one English class in college, completely dedicated to Dante’s Inferno), and I don’t have any particular reward for doing this besides the enjoyment of the process. The compilation of work is a result of an ordinary amount of effort (about 60-90 minutes of dedicated focus per week) over a long period of time.

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The same rules go for any other goal you set for yourself (remember, everything in life is the same). Your desired outcome probably cannot come from one massive burst of effort. Instead, it is likely going to be born from repeatable, simple actions over time.
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Take, for example, a “healthy” lifestyle. You want to be energized to enjoy your life and feel good about the body you live in. That is not going to come from one high-intensity workout and a big salad. That will only be possible from making small, sustainable decisions over months and years (making sure you get your steps in, eating vegetables and protein, getting good quality sleep).
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Similarly, if you want to become “rich,” unless you win the lottery, you’re not going to have millions of dollars appear out of nowhere. Your wealth will grow as a result of investing your money over the years in various assets and resources.
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There are always exceptions to the rule, but that’s why they’re exceptions (and not the rule!). Worthwhile results are built over time. Additionally, if you create a sturdy foundation, you’re more likely to build resilience because you’ve failed and learned during the process. Compared to those who get quick results, you will be able to pivot because you have learned alternatives and fallbacks during your process.

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Obviously, the challenging part about this is doing the thing over a long period of time. We’re humans living in a culture of instant results and quick dopamine fixes. Anything that’s going to take a lot of time is not an attractive sell, because we’re promised there’s always a quicker alternative. But if we want resilient and extraordinary results, we have to sell ourselves on committing to the long haul.

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Two tactics that have helped me write this newsletter for five years, and that can help you commit to a long-term process, are taking impossibly small actions and doing it in a way that makes you love the process.

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When you have a big goal, you have to break it down into an action that seems so easy it feels silly to do it. An oversimplified example is literally placing one foot in front of the other to walk a mile. If you’ve never intentionally walked a mile before, that seems like a daunting task. Breaking it down into walking out the door one day, down one block the next, and around the block the next day will help you keep repeating the action of putting your shoes on and getting moving. Ask yourself what action you could take over and over again that 1) you’re confident you can repeat and 2) will move you closer to your goal.
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The second tactic is doing it in a way that will help you enjoy the process. You will never stick to anything that you hate for a long period of time, nevertheless forever. So, how can you make it enjoyable?

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One way would be to reward yourself (reasonably) when you start taking the action. If you’re trying to start resistance training but don’t enjoy it, let yourself watch an episode of your favorite TV show after you’re done or hold off on going on social media until after the workout is complete. This will associate a reward with the process and make getting the workout done enticing.
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Make the action as enjoyable as humanly possible. If you’re trying to increase your movement, go on a run with a friend or watch a movie you enjoy on the treadmill. If you want to eat better, make a delicious sounding healthy alternative recipe, or cook with a loved one. If you want to save more money, every $100 you save, celebrate with your spouse with some ice cream. If you want to write more, practice writing about a topic you enjoy, or buy a notebook you like writing in. You’ll stick to the process if you enjoy the process.

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How do you want to see your life change in the next year (or give or ten years)? What process would you have to stick to over that course of time to see those results?

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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.

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This week, my podcast recommendation is new from Mark Manson’s Solved, “How to Manage Your Emotions.”

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With that, thank you all for being a part of this process with me. You are all part of the reason I’ve been able to commit to this process for the long haul, and I hope I can do the same for you.
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Until next time,

Shannon