The "Just Tell Me What To Do And I'll Do It" Approach Isn't Working!
Many of us need a MOMENT that causes change!
Writing a blog post inspired by another blog post feels so meta, but I’m going to do it anyway!
I love this post from Tim Ferriss's blog!
He talks about the concept of the “Harajuku Moment” and I think it can be so powerful!
The idea is that we have a moment that "turns a nice-to-have into a must-have. It applies to fat loss, to getting your finances in order, to getting your relationships in order, and to getting your life in order. No matter how many bullet points and recipes experts provide, most folks will need a Harajuku Moment to fuel the change itself.”
His point is that most of us find it difficult to actually make changes unless we have a MOMENT where the NEED to change is thrown in our faces. Ferriss references people asking him for weight loss or financial tips. They say, “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it” and then don’t do any of it. I can’t tell you how many times people have said that to me about their nutrition as well.
In many cases, we likely don't need more self-help resources or people telling us what to do. (Though, as a nutrition coach, I do see the merit in a level of accountability and guidance, especially around food!)
We need to have a moment where things click... where change feels required.
Maybe it’s the moment when you realize that you’ve made the same New Year’s Resolution for 8 straight years and you haven’t achieved it yet.
Or like when I shared an “Oh Shit Moment” that caused me to start tracking my food again.
Or when you’re playing with your kids and get so winded and can’t keep up.
Those moments can hit you hard. Hard enough to cause you to finally make changes.
The guy in the blog post that Tim wrote about was out shopping with friends and realizing that he didn’t want to participate in trying on clothes because none of them would fit him. He felt forced to distance himself from the fun the friends were having and that, understandably, felt bad. That was his moment when he decided to make changes. (Though the path to success for the individual in this blog post isn't one I'd recommend to everyone, he found what worked for him and was CONSISTENT with it!)
Let’s talk more about these “Moments of Change.”
On the one hand, these moments can be powerful catalysts for change. They often serve as wake-up calls, forcing us to confront the reality of our habits and prompting a reevaluation of our goals or strategies.
On the other hand, some people may not experience such dramatic moments, and may not need to, in order to make changes. Change is a gradual process, and sometimes it doesn't require a single, impactful event. It can be a series of small realizations or a growing awareness of the need for improvement.
What rarely works, however, is being handed a path with no real reason to take it. Why should you change your eating habits (or fill in the blank with whatever your thing is) without any significant reason to? Sometimes the invisible idea of health isn’t enough.
If you’re “lucky” enough to get one of these moments that causes real positive change, RIDE THAT WAVE. Safely, of course.
If you’re not, maybe you can create one for yourself.
Hear me out.
If there’s something in your life that you do want to change, I encourage you to ask yourself WHY that’s important to you 2-5 times. We’re looking for enough WHYs to get to something really significant, that can become the real reason for seeking change. This allows people to dig in a bit about why they want certain things and why that want is significant to their life.
It’s much easier to focus on reaching a goal when your why is something like: “I want to walk my daughter down the aisle someday, and desire to be healthy, fit, and active enough to do that” compared with trying to look like the cover of Men’s Health, just because that’s what’s thrown in your face.
Here’s another example…
Sample Goal 1: I want to lose 10 pounds.
(This in itself may not be enough to move the needle to action.)
Why is that important to you?: Because I want to feel comfortable in my bikini on my scheduled vacation.
(That’s nice, we’re getting closer but likely not enough yet…)
Why is that important to you?: Because I have always struggled with confidence and self-love for as long as I can remember and I imagine feeling good about myself in a bathing suit will help that.
(Okay, woah!, this connection to struggles with confidence is a big deal and might be enough of a reason!)
Give this exercise a try! You can ask yourself WHY as many times as you needed to get to the nitty gritty and possibly create your own Moment of Change.
Regardless of if you’ve experienced one of those “Harajuku Moment” moments that Tim Ferriss discussed on his blog, or simply decide to commit to change, if you need support with your food or reaching body composition goals, I’m here for you and would love to chat! Please reach out!
I also want to know what you think! Do you need a moment? Or, can you simply decide to change and actually do it? Please share in the comments or send me an email at sara@nutritionforlifeproject.com and share your thoughts!
As always, thank you for reading!
xoxo,
Sara