Down & out, no just down

Welcome to Tanaka in 3 where I bring to you my thoughts on life and leadership focused down to 3 practical points in under 3 minutes.

Down & out, no just down

Whenever we try to develop new habits or break bad ones like getting on a diet or an exercise regimen we tend to take an “out” approach. A common example is we cut “out” our favorite foods in our new diet. And if experience is any measure, it fails. Instead, we should take the “down” approach.

Number 1: Cutting out our favorite foods is doomed for failure. We will cheat when looking the other way little by little to the point where we fail miserably to follow the set rules. This is not sustainable. I love carbs: rice (I’m Japanese), pasta and bread. Certain diets forbid carbs. I may be able to do it for a few weeks or even few months, but eventually I will succumb. The bigger question though is Why take out your life something you really enjoy? That to me doesn’t make sense. “Out” is neither wise nor sustainable.

Number 2: Think about it, life is about degrees, not 0 or 100%. “Down” is about making changes in degrees, smaller steps. For example if you love having 2 slices of toast for breakfast, “down” suggests maybe you cut it down to 1 slice. That’s a 50% reduction, but you still get to enjoy a favorite item. Or instead of toast every morning, have it every other morning, again a 50% reduction. As you build this habit, you can add to it. 1 slice every other morning is a 75% reduction. This reduction over time adds up to significance. The bigger picture victory is you are succeeding in gaining control and creating a new lifestyle.

Number 3: Gaining control does create a new lifestyle. Diets, fitness and many other habits need to be built into your long term way of living. Many years ago I set a habit of exercising 3 times a week. After years of doing it, I increased it to 5 times, now it’s 7 days. I don’t even think about it. It is a sustained habit, it’s my everyday lifestyle. That’s the goal to happiness.

So don’t be down & out, just down. 

Take action, make a difference.