Did You Do the Thing?

When we’re looking to improve ourselves, humans have a tendency to look for clues and secrets.

“One weird trick!”

“You won’t believe the gains!”

“Doctor’s hate her!”

You know the drill. We assume that because we’re not where we want to be, we must be missing some important piece of information. Even well intentioned clients ask questions as if they don’t already have the answer. They ask me, “What do I need to do to see my abs, squat more, feel better etc?” Well surprise surprise, I DO have a weird trick that can help you, and it’s easier than you might think.

When we look for clues and secrets, we are looking for information that we don’t already have. There must be something that I don’t know that’s holding me back, right? Humans are good at problem solving, so we look to those who have solved the problem already, or a professional to help guide the process.

This is great, however, we are inevitably disappointed when the advice we get is to DO MORE OF WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW. 90% of my time as a coach is not educating clients (although that’s certainly part of it). Most of my time is convincing clients that they already know most of the steps they need to take, and simply need to get better at DOING these things more frequently. 

“Everything you were looking for was right there with you all along.” -Wizard of Oz

Now don’t get me wrong, I know this is an unsatisfying answer. That’s why kids go and ask the other parent when they don’t get what they want. If we don’t get the answer we want we keep looking for a different answer. Want to see your abs? Begin an uncomfortable process of self deprivation. Sounds great doesn’t it? Simple advice is boring, and the real answer just has to be more complicated, doesn’t it? Simple is boring, sure, but this is the way actual change happens and effective is not boring at all. 

So how do you do it? How do you do more of what you already know? Here’s the secret that’s not a secret:

Think of ONE thing that would improve your fitness, get you closer to your goals, and that you have a hard time doing. Really give it some thought. What’s the thing you do, and then feel guilty about? What’s the thing that you fight to resist, but sometimes do anyway? It could be eating more vegetables, lifting weights consistently 3X a week, staying up too late, not drinking enough water, you get the idea.

Now resolve yourself to DO THE THING. Put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror and mark off each day if you are successful or come up short. It doesn’t matter your success rate at first, you’re just looking for improvement. Now I promise you, if you can hit 5 out of 7 days, you’ll feel better already.

If you can hit 5/7 days for 4 weeks in a row, I bet you’ve made a new habit. If you can hit 5/7 days for 12 weeks in a row, you’ve earned the right to pick a new thing. 5 out of 7 is all it takes, it doesn’t even have to be perfect. It just has to be a little better and more consistent each week.

I use this with clients all the time. I don’t even ask what THE THING is, because it doesn’t matter. I simply ask them to pick one, and track whether they do it or not. When I check in, I ask, did you do the thing? My clients who say yes see successes in their training, those who say no need to stop looking for different answers.

So that’s the secret that’s not a secret. Do more of what you already know to really unlock your progress. So get out a sticky note and ask yourself, did you do the thing?