What the hell…

Herman and Mack, a couple research psychologists whose research is found in the book, Willpower coined a phrase that describes many of us. When we’ve blown a commitment that we’ve made to ourselves whether it’s a diet, a drink, a drug, or a dirty deed of any sort, we tend to say to ourselves, “What the hell.” Herman and Mack, not surprisingly, coined this the “What the hell effect.” Once you say this in your head,the gluttony, the 6th drink, and the affair all transpire as your unrestrained impulses run wild. Virtue, you tell yourself, will jumpstart in the morning.

Not good.

Want to stick to your disciplines, whatever they are? Set up “bright boundries” that your mind cannot miss. Nothing to eat after 8pm and one cheat meal, is a bright boundry. Set yourself up to be monitored. Weighing yourself every morning is monitoring. Texting me a cheat is too. Dealing with my questions, is another. And, realize we don’t break old habits. We wire up new ones that are better. And, this always take time.

The most disciplined people on the planet spend very little time exercising their willpower. They’ve come to understand exercising their willpower takes too much energy. So, they invest their willpower in building bright boundries so they don’t have to think, at least not as much when the chocolate little Debbie Cakes start talking late at night. Funny, huh.

Where do you crave more discipline in your life? Why do you want this? What are the patterns to your problem? What are their roots? How are you establishing bright boundries for yourself? How are you monitoring yourself? Who is holding you accountable? Tell me more my little Debbie. Tell me more…