Quick fixes don’t work in the body. Most of us don’t want to hear this, but; there really are no quick fixes or short cuts to optimal health and movement (or to anything else worthwhile, for that matter).
The road to bettering ourselves is a long continous one that requires time, commitment and self discipline. I always ask clients how long did it take you get here? So if it took a few years your not going to be better in 12 weeks.
As we have yet another hot sunny weekend, my enquiries go through the roof of people wanting to move, feel better and get rid of pain. The reality is that there are 168 hours in the week and it’s what we do outside our class hours that is crucial. If you are only attend one hour in a week I am going to say that is maintenance, if you attend two hours a week its more likely to be fast results. Signing up for a course too you are more likely to get results and make a commitment to an appointment with the self.
Of course, it’s human nature to look for the quickest, easiest way to get what we want. We tend to look for the one size fits all solution to our problems. We want to find the book, the DVD, or program that will fix us and make everything all right – overnight – and we want it pronto!
Well here’s the reality – apart from being improbable and unrealistic, most things just don’t work that way. One of the reasons they don’t, is that quick fixes are neither lasting, nor sustainable. A quick fix for any problem is only meant to hold things together until an effective long-term solution is found. It’s merely the proverbial band aid.
Making positive lasting change in your life takes time and this is why:
- A new habit takes at least 21 days of consistent effort to set in – When we try to change a behavior/habit or implement a new one, it takes at least 21 days of consistent repetative behavior for it to set in. If it happens to be an addiction, it could take as long as 35 days, or more. No quick fix is designed to change the body ad sustain it in 12 weeks.
- Habituation and homeostasis factors – Habituation refers to the things we do daily without having to think about doing them. Another way to put it is ‘getting used to things’. Homeostasis, a term used mostly in the context of biology, is a regulatory function that keeps an organism stable. An example would be when temperatures outdoors fall or raise significantly, our body temperature remains stable. Psychological homeostasis works similarly in that it keeps you fixed in the same habits or mindsets whether they are working for you or not. That is why it’s so hard to change a habit. Habituation and homeostasis, while they are necessary mechanisms so that you don’t have to rethink how to do everything every single time you go to do it, they make it very difficult for quick fixes or behavior changes to take hold permanently.
- Certain endeavors rely on ongoing repetitious strategies in order to take effect – If you want to lose weight permanently, or if you intend on having successful relationships, plan to work on it for the long haul. For instance, if you want to lose 20 pounds of weight, you cannot do it by eating little and well for only one day. Instead, you would have to implement a plan whereby you consume and expend a set amount of calories consistently over a given period of time. Then the weight would come off slowly and steadily.Likewise, to maintain a good relationship you couldn’t be pleasant and agreeable with someone for one or two days and then expect to have an understanding or connection. It would take days, months, sometimes even years to build a trusting, mutually fulfilling relationship. It cannot happen overnight.Only by working on goals slowly and steadily can you achieve lasting and rewarding results. By contrast crash dieting, blitzing, cramming, or bombarding (quick fixes) will derail your efforts.
- It takes hard work and commitment – How many times have we started a new project, exercise routine, or diet plan bursting with energy and enthusiasm only to see wane and wither away? Too many, I’m sorry to say. The truth is, it isn’t easy to stay focused and committed, which is why, once again, we look for the quick fix instead of buckling down and getting on with it. If we recognize that it will take time, hard work and continued dedication to develop and improve ourselves, we would save a lot of time and heartache.
