Hack the Holidays | Hack #8 - Willpower is for Amateurs

This hack is true all over the place. You don’t want to want to eat the cinnamon knot? Don’t leave it on a silver platter basking in the soft glow of twinkling lights in the middle of your kitchen. You want to withstand the pull, but your brain is not meant to do that. Willpower is a dwindling asset. 

How to Apply

People who get real results proactively shape their environment. They give the cinnamon knots away, freeze them, or set them on fire. They have their teenage son lick every piece of leftover cheesecake (this really works). They put apples and spinach at the front of their fridge.

To get yourself to eat well when you really don’t want to, shape your environment to make 90% of the decision for you. Want to stick to your regimen even at the party? Eat before you go, and bring your own party snack - of course we recommend ERND chocolate. Want to run in the morning? Sleep in your leggings. Put your phone alarm inside the socks you plan to wear.  

All of these much tinier decisions, which are easy to make beforehand, add up to an easier decision later. When you’re dressed to run before you wake up, you’ve made 90% of the hard decision before most people even consider “pumping themselves up” to get out the door. 

Don’t be an amateur. Plan and execute without the need for willpower.