Why the will was not enough

Photo by Kyle may

By kerry patterson, co-author of the New York Times bestseller change anything

A few months ago I gave a speech on personal change based on research in my last bestseller change anything: the new Science of personal achievement. At the end of my presentation, member approached me and said, "you can use this on yourself, couldn't you?". Then, he bites me in my fairly large stomach and laughs.

In short, "physician, heal thyself."

Therefore, I decided it was time to put the principles to change anything to work on myself. Sixty pounds lighter, that I can now say with great personal resolve if you understand the principles behind personal influence, you can change anything. Here's what I learned.

Escape the trap of desire

The error more common we do when you try to change our unhealthy habits is to assume that if we apply just enough will, we can change.

My co-authors and I have studied 5 000 people overcome personal challenges and concluded that only will rarely help us to overcome bad work habits. In fact, there are in fact six sources of influence that shape our choice. According to our research, those which apply to all six sources of influence in combination are ten times more likely to change.

Create six sources of influence

I started my shift from relying on its willingness to exploit the sources of influence by creating a statement of personal motivation. This statement reminded me why I wanted to get healthy. When I was tempted to eat unhealthy food or slack off in my exercise regime, I thought about my grandchildren and how I wanted to be in good health, so I could spend time with them for years to come.

Second, I had the skills that I did not. It proved I knew much less about nutrition and exercise than I thought. Thus, I became a student of the year of food and preparation methods.

Third, I moved to the social field. I transformed accomplices asking to those friends who I attempted with snack or dessert to cease. I have even asked to encourage me when I made healthy choices.

Fourth, I have worked with a personal trainer who taught me how to exercise and to prepare healthy food.

Then, I've reversed the existing economy. I have placed the money in an envelope, gave to a friend and send money to an organization that I despised whenever I missed a weekly goal. That helped keep me on the trail!

And finally, I took control of the space around me. Brian Wansink of Cornell University, found that people eat 92% of everything on their plate - what is. The difference between the plates of 12 inches and 9 inches total more than 33% of calories! I decided to put my kitchen on a diet by exchanging my large plates and bowls for children.

The scientist and the subject

Person has designed a change program that perfectly suits your needs, temperament, and the situation. Instead of adopting a program on shelf, begin by studying you and your weak moments. Changers of success transforming bad days in good data by learning their setbacks and adjust accordingly in order to plan evolves in a direction deliberate on the path to success.

I finally had success when I leave in relying on my will alone for change me and instead created a plan custom, multifaceted with strategies in each of the six sources of influence.

Comments by Kerry Patterson

Kerry Patterson is the author success four times New York Times Change anything: the new Science of personal achievement (Affairs, April 2011). It is also a cofounder of VitalSmarts, an innovator in corporate training and organizational performance. VitalSmarts has consulted with more than 300 of the Fortune 500 companies and trained more than 650 000 people worldwide. www.changeanythingbook.com

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