By RHETT POWER

We often try to make massive change once we realize something isn’t right and this doesn’t normally go so well. 

Being self-motivated is a trait that very few can confidently say they have. This is largely because as humans, we often try to make massive change once we realize something isn’t right.  After you become aware of what needs to be changed, the mind has a way of overreacting and using the “cold turkey” approach . In actuality, this often leads to being overwhelmed and frustrated with the sheer magnitude of energy that it takes to accomplish these changes and we often fail as a result. 

Think of your body as a source of energy to be directed elsewhere

As a living being, our body carries a great deal of energy and force that can be projected onto the world and used in instrumental ways. This energy is largely consumed by our brain and organs, in order to keep bodily processes moving and ensure we stay alive. However, if you have ever experienced the “fight or flight” response, you are familiar with the fact that we have an overwhelming amount of energy available to us at any given time. When you start to picture your body as an energy source, you realize that investing too much energy into one given task is a major misuse. Rather, it is consistent and incremental improvement that harnesses this energy in the correct way and allows you to take a calm and rational approach to changing your habits.

Focusing on change in increments is ideal because it consumes much less energy. Being consistent with daily improvement takes a small amount of daily energy. On the contrary, trying to make a massive change in one day will consume your body’s energy entirely and leave little for the following days.

Consistent improvement encourages new habits

One example of this is when you try to start going to the gym on a regular basis. If you spend 2-3 hours in the gym the first day, you might even make it a few more days after that and you will be feeling great. However, since your body isn’t used to using its energy on a such a physical task everyday, you will eventually experience burnout. Had you spent just one hour at the gym and taken a few planned days off during the week, you wouldn’t feel nearly as drained and keeping that habit up would be considerably easier. Eventually, it could lead to 2-3 hour sessions at the gym if that is what you were striving for and it would be much easier to accomplish that because of consistent and incremental improvements.

Read More https://www.inc.com/rhett-power/the-power-of-consistent-amp;-incremental-improvement.html