If you want to make improvements to your life the best way that I have found to do that is to take on some LCDs. What this stands for is Lowest Common Denominators. This is an idea that I got from a researcher at Stanford, B. Fogg. I had already been doing this but did not have language to describe it. His work, which he labeled, Tiny Habits, is basically this. You will form a good habit when you figure out the workload that you will actually perform on a regular interval. The lowest common denominator is what I call it. For example, you want to work out at the gym everyday? Then do not go there and take on a whole new, large scale program. Do what I did.
I decided to start working out at the gym on a regular basis again. Today was day #1. Instead of going in with a program like – 6 Weeks to Sexy Abs, I went in and worked out for 90 seconds. Now that may sound crazy, but here is the deal. That 90 seconds was intense, time under load and I did that work to complete muscle failure. However, it took only 90 seconds. You may not realize it, but whatever it takes to get your muscle to failure is what you need to do. If you do a bunch of small repetitions at smaller weights then you can get to that point, it just takes a lot longer. So I figured out a weight that I could safely lift and hold under pressure and did so until my muscle group that I was working out failed. My gym trip took 5 minutes. That is my LCD. I know that a 5 minute trip to the gym is something that I can do, am willing to do, and it is easy to do. This means that I can make it a habit. Sure, I could go into the gym and spend an hour or two working out all sorts of different ways. However, would I repeat that everyday? Nope.
Ask yourself this question – what is more important? Building a long lasting beneficial habit or having 1 or 2 great workouts? If you kept a habit for 90 days in a row, with small incremental exercises you would FAR out exceed the health benefits of 1 day of doing everything you can just to fail and not go back. So if you want to make a life improvement, start with the smallest thing you can do and will do repeatedly.
Want to get better at math? At music? Speaking a new language? Then just do a little bit everyday until it becomes a habit. That is life changing. BTW, 90 days in a row is a habit.
Guy Reams
