Change Academy

This is an approach we developed to help people in our Weighless program create sustainable weight loss but this process can be applied to any change that you want to make in your life. In this episode, we explain how it works.

Key Takeaways:

1. You really need all three of these to make change sustainable. All the awareness in the world doesn't create change until you form a concrete intention. And intentions are nothing without action. And taking action without paying attention tends to fizzle out.
2. When you learn to harness all three of these functions, there's almost nothing you can't do.

Lab Experiment:

If you are trying to change something or develop a new habit and it just won't stick: think about which part of the cycle you might be neglecting and ee if you can close the loop.

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We have come to the final topic on our list of eight things we believe need to be in place in order for real, sustainable change to happen. In this episode, we are tackling the idea that there is no "finish line" to cross. Change is forever.

Key Takeaways:

• We aren't simply reaching a finish line, we are changing ourselves. Fundamentally but also dynamically.
• The great thing about that is you don't have to abandon one to start another.
• This is a great framework to evaluate what you are going to spend your time focussing on - am I willing to do this forever? And if I don't, what will happen if I quit.

Lab Experiment:

Take a look at your biggest focus right now, whether that is contributing to retirement savings, keeping a relationship afloat, losing weight, getting fit, anything and ask yourself - "is this how I want to live my life - forever?" If the answer is no, you have your answer.

But if the answer is yes, then you can ask yourself - "what will happen if I decide to stop this behaviour?" If the answer is, you will lose all your progress and eventually have to start at square one, then you know this isn't a forever behaviour.

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We think that failure shouldn't happen and that if it does, it means that something has gone wrong. But failure is not the opposite of success. It's the path to success.

We do not achieve success when we put sufficient distance between ourselves and our failures. We achieve success when we learn to bring our failures close, examine them with clear-eyed compassion, learn what we can from them, and use them as fuel for future growth.

Don’t fear failure! When a scientist does an experiment, he or she must be open to any result. Some results are good/positive and some are bad/negative but they are all useful data points.

The correct response to failure is to try again. But we don't want to just keep trying the same thing over and over again. We want to try in a slightly different way, informed by the failure.

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In this episode, we are moving down the list to #6 (of our eight key behaviours) and discussing why practice is important ... and also why it may be more nuanced than you might have thought (Hint: it's more than just repetition).

Key takeaways:

1. Practice, practice, practice. Practicing once isn't enough.
2. But it is more than just repetition, it needs to be deliberate practice.
3. Don't just practice the action also practice the thoughts and beliefs behind the action.
4. You can't trick yourself into believing something simply by saying it over and over again.

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Look at your social circles and habitat. Do the groups you belong to have the identity you want? Does your home or office reflect the identity you want? If not, what can you easily change or adapt to make it more aligned with your vision of your Ideal Self?

Key takeaways:

1. Hack your habitat to support your vision of yourself.
2. Spend your time with people who encourage you to become our best self (and avoid the folks who may sabotage you).
3. Remove obstacles or temptations, instead of counting on willpower.

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It’s exhausting to carry around a goal that we never get any closer to. To have a problem that we can’t solve–or that won’t stay solved. To make the same resolution over and over again.

When you identify something that you want to change - and then don't take action or make progress - you start to pay a sort of psychic tax. Not only do you still have this unmet goal/desire, but you also have the added discomfort of realizing that you're not making progress, not converting intention into action.

Not taking action is not a way to "save energy". It's EXHAUSTING to carry around a goal you never get any closer to.

Key takeaways:
1. Unmet goals get heavier and heavier the longer you carry them around. 
2. An unmet goal can be a barrier (or an excuse) to achieving other goals 
3. Sometimes, it's wiser to let a goal go than to continue to pay the "interest"

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Your plan is your map. Without your map, you may make it to your destination but it will take a long time and you will expend a lot more energy and frustration getting there.

Main points in this episode:

• Bridging the Intention/Behavior Gap (It’s not just you; everybody struggles with this).
• Action Planning: Anticipating how, when, where you will perform the steps. What do you need to put in place?
• Coping Planning (just as important but no-one ever talks about it). Anticipating the ways in which things may not go according to plan and being prepared to adapt.

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Well beyond a number on the scale or an amount in your bank account, your objective keeps you moving forward in your journey of change.

Questions we answer during this episode:

1. Why can’t I just have a plan and do it? Why is a goal or objective so important?
2. What is the difference between a goal and an objective?
3. What do I do if I have tried to hit this goal before and failed?
4. How do short term goals help us reach our ultimate objective?

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Both curiosity and openness are essential to creating lasting change. Curiosity goes hand in hand with a willingness and ability to look at thoughts, feelings, actions, outcomes.

Key takeaways in this episode:

1. The right answer is only right for you (keep in personal).
2. Don’t get hung up on what you think you should be doing, try stuff.
3. Ask yourself why this happened so you can learn where the process is breaking down.
4. Don’t reject an idea until you have tried it on for size.

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Last episode, we outlined the 8 things we believe to be essential for creating sustainable change and in this episode we’re going to take a closer look at the first one on our list. A Reason.

Change is hard and uncomfortable. So, your desire to change yourself has to be greater than your desire to keep things the same. That is where a compelling reason comes in handy.

Takeaways:
1. Your desire to change must be more powerful than staying the same 
2. Don’t listen to others, get personal. 
3. Forgive yourself for your past missteps, you can change and you can rewrite your outcomes 
4. Use your why as your anchor or your guide. When you are faced with a decision, remind yourself why this is important.

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Join us for a Nutrition Upgrade on March 18 by going to ChangeAcademyPodcast.com/upgrade