“All you have to do man is change your habits then you will get to your goal!”
“Really, just like that!”
And THAT is where the problem lies. Changing a habit to reach our goals can sometimes be close to impossible.
What is this article going to be about?
Two things
- Point Giving you tools to break the bad habits holding you back.
- Point Giving you skills to face life with all the bad it can throw at you!
And off course, ALL my videos are meant to inspire and lift you up, so set back and buckle up.
Some people cannot even change simple habits like forcing themselves to lock the car doors before they drive off, not even to mention the significantly more difficult habits like forcing themselves to go to the gym, follow their diet correctly, or cut down alcohol consumption.
The big question is, “Do we possess the ability to make a permanent change to a habit that we want to change?”
Can science provide a solution?
Psychology calls the components of habits trigger, behavior, and reward.
Studies determined that certain hard-to-break habits have a reward factor that releases dopamine (the feel-good hormone) in our brain and these types of habits make it much harder to break or change.
Current science studies lean towards doing “brain exercises” over an extended period to change such habits. This I do support and have even made a video about similar brain exercises in the past. So yes, this is a possible avenue you might consider, and might even reach success with it.
Read the following science paper in this regard: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2012/01/breaking-bad-habits
The following Psychology paper will give you the basics of such brain excercises. “Science behind bad habits and how to break them”: CLICK HERE
You got ONE life. ONE chance. ONE dream. WHY! Would you not want to be your best?
The PROBLEM on the table is
There are quite a few high-profile guys out there that have developed in the past GREAT body transformation systems, highly advertised systems, but sadly most of these guys have fallen flat on their faces later in their life, simply because they have not mastered the skills needed for dealing with life on a deeper level and breaking bad habits. And the moment that disaster strikes in their life, they do not have the toolset to deal with it or the know-how to rise again stronger than before.
I am not going to name any of these guys or systems. I do not shame people. My aim is to speak life and hope, not tear down.
The same process that helps us to change deep-seated habits also helps us acquire such tools to deal with the bad stuff life throw at us.
Each one of us WILL face serious deep-seated problems and habits in life that we need to change somewhere down the road, none of us can escape it.
Does the science solution provide us with the right toolset for the future?
Unfortunately, the scientific solutions (iro breaking habits), are superficial solutions. Typical of today’s world, science is trying to package the solution to this habit problem in a simplistic “pill” form. It does not dig down to the core of the problem. We have never acquired the right toolset on how to deal with the deeper side of “life”, that is the problem that science ignores.
devastating setbacks, financial ruin, life-threatening sickness, loss of a loved one, serious depression
We have two opposing forces pulling here against each other, our mind/brain, and our heart/emotions.
Before we do not learn how to align the heart to pull in the same direction as the mind/brain, we will NEVER acquire the right toolset and will forever continue to struggle with breaking habits.
So, what is this right toolset?
Two type of habits exists: emotional and non-emotional habits.
Non-emotional habits
Non-emotional habits are simple habits that do not have any emotional (heart) connection for us, typically things like changing the habit to lock the door before starting to drive off in your car.
These are easy to break. With a month of reprogramming and you will successfully change these habits.
Reprogramming example?
Wanting to force yourself into a new habit to lock the doors before driving off would require you to stick a page to the steering wheel saying “Lock doors” every time you switch off the car. And every time you get into the car, BEFORE taking that paper off the steering wheel, you lock the doors, and when finished driving you stick that paper back up on the steering wheel. Month later, problem solved
Emotional habits
Emotions & feelings rule here.
Let’s look at the habit of training. This requires you to break a much deeper negative cycle of what the “heart” (for lack of a better word) wants. Your heart is pulling against the idea of going to the gym because it sees pain, effort, and having to get out of its comfort zone and it HATES it. The mind knows you must do it, but the hearts see and feels the habit as an intense emotion or feeling. Emotional habits require a rather different approach to be broken.
Typical emotional habits are things like:
- Adhering to regular training sessions
- Diligently following your diet
- Stopping or severely limiting alcohol consumption
- Stopping smoking
Many times, we believe we want to change so strongly, but the sad reality is that the heart is what keeps us in this wrong and sometimes destructive habit. In your mind, you believe you really want to change but your heart is pulling in the opposite direction. It won’t let go because deep down it LOVES that habit. You need to convince and train the heart to WANT to change the habit.
And therefore, people try repeatedly to change, and they fail time and time again because without the heart pulling in the same direction it is near impossible.
Getting your heart to change its desire
This, guys, is where the boys get separated from the men.
I chose the word “heart” for a reason. Because the only way to change a heart’s desire is to dig deep, very deep. Why do you guys think I regularly talk about becoming a man of integrity, having respect for yourself, and a journey of serious soul searching? Because that is the key to unlocking and successfully changing a heart’s desire.
Step 1 Accept and realize that the mind and heart are two opposing forces
Success will only come when they pull together.
Step 2 Find a deeper reason for change
To change the heart’s desire means you must find a much deeper meaning for your reason to want to change. You must find meaning on a spiritual level, undertake a journey to become a man of integrity, and finding respect for yourself again.
You need to like the person in the mirror looking back at you, the inside and outside.
Step 3 Find the key to make STEP 2 possible
That key my friend is a journey of the heart, a soul journey or simply put, a journey in faith.
You don’t wanna hear it? You tell me, dude I am an atheist! I tell you, brother, you have no idea what you are saying. Unless you possess all the knowledge in the known and unknown universe and the beyond, only then can you proclaim there is no God. The amount of knowledge you have in the grand scheme of things is so small the screen is not big enough for all the zero’s! All you can say is you do not know if God exist. Look around you, we have been programmed to believe. More than 90% of the world believe in something higher. I am not talking about religion or becoming a bible-thumping Christian. I am talking about a personal growth journey with God addressing your heart, soul, and character on every level.
You can say what you want, but THIS journey is the only journey to get the heart to change its core desire and get it aligned in the same direction as the mind.
My journey was and is with Jesus Christ. That made it possible for me.
You tell me to keep this out of fitness. Impossible mate. That, and nothing else made me what and where I am today. Not sharing this key aspect means I am misguiding you.
- I was a jerk not anymore.
- I was unkind not anymore.
- I was superficial not anymore.
- I could not stick to any decision to change, not anymore.
- I could not push through with anything, not anymore.
Without this journey, chances are you will NOT get the right toolset to make the serious changes required in life and to stand steadfast when disaster strikes.
Nothing inspires the heart to change so successfully, then an intense journey in faith. Find your own path and journey but make it a serious quest. Being superficial about this will have zero effect.
There are few things more beautiful in life than an attractive healthy-looking muscled guy who stands steadfast in this sick world with his integrity and character and kindness.
Step 4 Visualize the future you.
I say the following to many of my clients and followers, “God’s plan for us is so much more than we can ever imagine for ourselves”. Going on this journey will not just help you change your heart’s desire but will bring you to a point where you cannot even recognize the old you. I never ever want to be the same person again from the time before I started this journey. I now dislike nearly every aspect of the old me, except my hair.
This route can have surprising success to change your heart’s desire and your habits in terms of training and dieting. When the desire of the heart is turned and in line with the mind’s desire THAT is when things start happening. HAPPENING
Habits that require MORE intervention
Obviously, when there is an addiction aspect to a habit it can be more complicated. Then the body itself has formed a dependence. But having said that, I have seen guys successfully deal with addiction via this route, it is not impossible.
Conclusion
Our aim should be to become the best version of ourselves via breaking bad habits and successfully and diligently following our diet and training regime. This my friends are VERY possible if you go on a successful journey as described above.
This journey is never-ending because you will find perfection is always out of your reach. We can become great indeed and a hero and even someone that people idolize, but we live in a broken world. One day that will change…but for now it takes hard, hard work to change and a journey of the heart.
NOTHING. NOTHING worth having in life ever comes easy. You can continue sitting on the sofa watching tv and drinking beer while chowing on the potato crisps while your mind thinks “darn I have to stop” OR you can take the step to go on this journey of becoming a guy with a healthy muscled physique, who has integrity, is kind, and have a character people aspire to. Be THAT guy! Be THAT guy!
Help me help other people
Guys, please help me support a local charity called ONEWAY SOBERLIVING. They pick up drug-addicted kids from the streets, clean them up, give them a place to stay and help them get off the drugs, and give them new hope and meaning for their lives again. CLICK HERE to find out more about them or to donate.
Lastly, guys, interested in my older body life and body transformation system? Click here: THE ADVANCED SYSTEM II
Choose wisely and train hard!
Gert Louw
