I will clear up one thing:

I never said it’s not possible to change a whole lot of things at once. What I DID say is that for most of the people, most of the time, that particular approach does not prove to be effective over the long term.

Yes, I’m all for people doing the exceptional and the extraordinary, but I’ve also been watching people work through the change process for twenty seven years, so I know the difference between what’s possible and what’s likely… which is why I don’t try to sell people on the idea of dramatic and large-scale change in a short period of time..

Thanks for all your input today Guys; I appreciate ALL of it.

I’ll give you an example. I swore off pizzas. In the past 4 weeks I’ve had severa . What do I do? Well, I don’t punish myself but rather look at the pizza and go, well it would be better not to. It is that simple, it is wussy and fluffy, but that is what works. Just keep the three cheeses trio pizza away from me

So I do see Pip’s point, I just have a higher tolerance for the setbacks and boredom then some people offline I know, but you do get little signposts. E.g. you have been on a diet for months and no one gives a rats, but you turn up to meet an old friend and they say ‘my you have lost weight’. That’s rare, but priceless.

So Craig yeah it seems Tortoise steps are the way to go but in this fast society, poor Sydneysiders probably feel this the most in Australia, we need the rewards now. But the change does not become forever.

From little things, big things grow.

At least that’s what I’ve found. Back sliding usually occurs when we have started to become a little too self critical (without realising it) and then perhaps also a little impatient with our slower than we would like it to be, change.

Recognising and celebrating every little change or goal achieved is also another really helpful thing to do. Sometimes we can get in the mindset (if we don’t stop to consciously become aware of it) of building up others (who may seem to be making bigger steps than us) and talking ourselves down.

Celebrate and give yourself a pat on the back I say for each and every positive change you make, Then make some more.

Thanks for letting me share….hope the surf is still good up in Noosa (if you’re still there).

Mon
xo

Totally agree, I use to think extreme and quick was good however on honest reflection at age 33 I see I have gained more in the past 3 years of my life than ever and the different, slow gradual changes… although in my head they are of course fast, massive events;)

Gradual lasts. .. but as always speed always wins.. even the tortise beat the hare! (my fav RPM saying)

This slow and steady approach that you are advocating seems very sensible and logical. However I think this approach is way too logical. It sounds as exciting as watching paint dry. I love your blog but your message today came across as very bland and ho hum – no energy no excitement. Are you a bit tired/ lacking energy today Craig?

You could probably sell ice to the Eskimos Craig but today you have been very convincing to the logical part of the brain only. You left out the magical ingredient – remember that human beings are a wonderful mix of emotional and logical, and in many cases more emotional than logical.

What about the other side of the coin? – a topic you have raised many times on this blog Craig where people are faced with extraordinary circumstances (eg diagnosed with a severe or terminal illness) and all of a sudden they are able to make huge and very sudden positive changes in their life – there are no gradual changes in those cases.

So what I think you have missed here Craig is pulling the logical and the emotional together – yes most people do need to make gradual changes but in order for this to work there needs to be a big emotional investment in the process. We need to get EXCITED about change.

Lets throw some emotion in there, celebrate every positive change no matter how small. Every pore of our emotional being needs to be along for the ride or we will leave part of ourselves behind.

Stands down from soap box……
Thank you for listening

You hit the nail on the head.. I was looking back over the past five years recently feeling like a failure .. but then it hit me how far I had gradually come and where I need to go…

Unfotrunately I had such high expectations when I set out on this and whislt there is nothing wrong with that my timeframes where so unrealistic..

I now need to know where I am at, what the best route is and how long it will take for me to be where I want to be.

Cheers
Kate

Perhaps the formula for me (and maybe Pip) is to go all out to actually REACH the first goal(s), but then to make some gentle but permanent changes to lifestyle .. and commit to those changes.

Hmmm… didn’t initially expect to get anything new out of this post when I read it, but I mostly certainly have! Thanks heaps, O-Ye-Wise-One!

And at the risk of trumping Christina in the Long Comment Department, something I read this morning really resonated with me – and ties in with what you’re always saying, Craig. From Dan Millman’s “No Ordinary Moments”:

” “Participants in my training sometimes ask, “I know what I need to do, but where do I find the discipline? How do I motivate myself?” When people ask me how to do something, I remind them that they already know how; they are really asking, “What’s the easy way?”
On planet Earth, ‘easy’ is hard to find. Any accomplishment require effort, courage and will…
Those of us who master change, or at least accept it, recognise the cold, clear realities. ”

Have an awesome Hump Day!

Suz
xx

Being slim scares me and yet i want it. I have a conflict of interest going on inside me, the negative voice is very powerfull and drowns out the positive voice struggling to be heard. I dont want the day i die to be the only day i finally feel good about myself. I couldnt make it to Noosa and Im sort of glad because Craig i would of poured my heart out to you and we would of been there for ages.
Im hurting Craig big time this conflict inside me is slowly killing me, I laugh on the outside cause i dont show the tears Im crying inside and the self loathing and hatred of my body i feel. I can give to others but there is nothing for me, i feel i dont deserve it.
sorry for the long comment.

Daily in fact.