Day 2

Week 0 – Day 2

Congratulations! You made it to Day Two! Half the battle with making lasting changes is showing up. Remember what we said yesterday: repetition is mastery. You just need to show up.

One of my favorite books that we will constantly refer to is James Clear’s *Atomic Habits*. If you have not had the pleasure of reading this book, it is worth every second.

James outlines the idea of repetition beautifully: 1% better each day for 1 year will make you 37 times better by the end of the year. Conversely, 1% worse each day will get you close to zero.

If you are thinking, "How can I actually get better each day? What about days I miss or fail to achieve my goals? Will there even be enough to make any substantial change?" Let’s put the math to the test. Even if you achieve 5 days per week for 46 out of the 52 weeks per year (this is 6 weeks off), you will still be working 232 days per year.

This is still 10 times better than you previously were. The math is just an expression of the idea to show up. It’s not about becoming a new person overnight; it’s about working on becoming better every day, and that person will be there at the end.

Missed Days and the NEVER TWO Rule

This brings us to our first item to address about the coming weeks: What do I do if I miss a day? **Leave it! We are working on forward progress, not perfection. Move forward and get onto the next day. Don’t try to make up the day and overload yourself the next day. I want you to adopt the mindset of NEVER TWO! It's okay to miss one day, but not two.**

It’s so common to beat yourself up after missing a day of a program. That feeling of "all is lost" and "this has been a waste" starts to set in, or you tell yourself you need to start over. NO, YOU DON’T. You need to finish. I would much rather you move through the program and hit 50 percent and then do the program over, than to get to week two and stop. Just keep moving. Don’t look back; look forward.

Remember, we are not in this for the short term. No goals, just Lifestyle Systems. The goal is not an individual day or item. It’s about making lasting lifelong changes. One singular day will not make a large impact on your life. Giving up and missing the opportunity to complete and learn during the remainder of the challenge might. Don’t let this be the case; keep going.

Celebrate the Small Wins

I also want you to get into the habit of celebrating your wins. Each day you make a positive impact on your body and your health is a day to celebrate. This is so important when building a new you. If you reward yourself with some positivity towards yourself, you are much more likely to continue doing this task. Avoid telling yourself, “It’s only one day” or “That didn’t make a big difference” and so on. Positive self-talk is a topic we will dive into during the challenge, and it’s crucial to building your new identity.

Remember not to celebrate the small wins with something negative. No trading good for bad. For example, we can’t have a salad and then decide to celebrate with a cake. This might require you to think about what makes you feel rewarded and happy. Spending time with friends, getting a new item of clothing once you hit a milestone – think about this today. How can you reward yourself without doing something negative that will counteract your progress?

Your New Identity

This brings us to our next topic: your new identity.

Take as much time as you need, but use today to really dig into these next two sections. We want to build a new you. The old you isn’t working. The old you with bad and unhealthy habits is like the significant other that needs to be let go. We are focused on the future: the you that eats healthy and can actually enjoy a cheat meal occasionally without getting angry at yourself; the you that falls in love with exercising because it makes you feel confident and strong; the you that smiles and is happy with the person you see in the mirror.

All easier said than done. This is what Lifestyle Systems will do, but it first needs to come with a vision of who you want to be at the end. Visualize this fit, healthy, and happy person being YOU. Let go of the old you. Tell yourself the following OUT LOUD (I know it will seem really strange at first, but trust me):

I am an athlete! I eat healthy! I love myself!

Part of developing a new you is saying who you are. If you are a smoker and trying to quit, but someone comes up and asks if you want a cigarette, are you going to reply:

“No thank you, I’m trying to quit.”

Or

“No thank you, I’m not a smoker.”

The second choice! In the second option, you are identifying as a NON-SMOKER. The first option means you are trying something. WE ARE NOT TRYING ANYMORE; WE ARE DOING! This starts with internal conviction. You ARE an athlete, you ARE a healthy eater, and you DO love yourself.

Developing Your WHY

The last and most important topic to address today is we need to develop your WHY.

The excitement of starting the challenge will only last so long and get you so far. You will inevitably get to a point where you want to give up, you are tired, life hits you hard that day or week, and you just don’t want to act. To get past these days, we need two things: an accountability partner (we will get into this tomorrow!) and a really strong why. Answer this question and take as much time as you need:

Why have you embarked on this journey?

We need something strong here to get you through those days when you want to quit. The days you don’t want to get up and get out of bed. The days that are easier to grab fast food on the way home from work rather than cooking. The day where you are sore and don’t want to exercise.

We want to avoid something like, “I want to be healthy.” Of course you do, but why? Dig deeper and be specific. I want to be healthy because I want to live long enough to watch my kids grow up, and my doctor is saying that’s unlikely at the moment. I want to be healthy so I can dance with my daughter at her wedding, and right now, this is not an option.

This is maybe the most important thing you will do during this System because it will keep you moving on the hard days. It also requires brutal honesty with yourself and a true look in the mirror. But remember, you can do this. You will do this. You will get to your vision of yourself in the end.

Final Thoughts

We covered some key items today, so let’s recap. The idea of becoming 1% better – we need to keep this in mind during our journey. Remember, we are not looking at the end; we are looking at the process. The daily changes we make and are consistent with will create the new you. We also covered the NEVER TWO rule. We will all have those days: we are sick, the kids are sick, work holds us late. Just remember to move on, don’t look back, and never make it two! Get back at it the next day.

We covered celebrating our small wins, not with something bad or unhealthy but something that makes you feel rewarded for your positive actions.

Homework: Building your new identity and developing your why are perhaps the two most important items to address on your journey. Start saying, “I am an athlete! I eat healthy! I love myself!” Think of this as your new mantra. You are identifying as these; you are not trying anymore – you are. This becomes more and more powerful after you develop your why. We can then put them together to create: “I am an athlete because I want to play sports with my kids as they are growing up. I am healthy because I need to be so I can dance with my daughter at her wedding.” Build and develop your strong why and your identity, then combine them together and say it out loud. Be confident when people ask you these questions if they come up.

I’m so proud of you! Week 0, Day 2 is checked off. I’m fired up, and we haven’t even started the system. Tomorrow we will discuss your social contract. Get excited! It’s game time, and I know you are ready to play!

I’m so proud of you and will talk to you tomorrow!

Dr. Brock Brady, PhD