Turning This Negative Thing Into A Positive Is Totally In Your Control

I was demoralized.I was sitting on my front porch, looking into my hands.I was holding a cigarette.I had just smoked a cigarette for the first time in 2 weeks.What made it worse was that I had just gotten home from the gym.I had gone 2 weeks without a cigarette, was eating healthy, was exercising, and now--this.I crushed it into the bowl with the others.Regret.Self-loathing.Anger.But it was the last one . . . anger.That was what offered me the energy to try again.I walked inside, reset my focus, and headed out for the day.I've quit smoking many times, but that time was one of the last.I've now been completely smoke-free for 4 years.It wasn't the patch--I tried that.It wasn't the gum--I tried that, too.It definitely wasn't dieting or exercise, either.It was all of this, together with the people around me, and an eagerness to convert anger into fuel.That was my first experience being relentless-- and it's paying off.After you crash and after you feel the wave of emotions that inevitably strike--remember that you have a choice.The rest is up to you.

2 Minute Action

Choose 1 of these things to accomplish, today.

• 15 Pushups
• 10 Sales Calls
• 1 Difficult conversation
• Call a parent, mentor, or role model and ask for support

You don't have to do everything, that's impossible.You just have to do something. Make it small--that part doesn't matter.Just start.

Finally . . . Proof That It's Possible

I'm proud to say that I have officially been an ex-smoker for 3 years, 2 months, and about 3 weeks.

That translates into 5,859 cigarettes NOT smoked, for a savings of $2,050.72!

At 5 minutes per cigarette, I have increased my life expectancy by about 3 weeks.

Whoa. The power of small, daily actions is real--and it's evidenced right here.

20 minutes after quitting . . .

My heart rate and blood pressure dropped to normal. (Effect of smoking on arterial stiffness and pulse pressure amplification, Mahmud A, Feely J. 2003. Hypertension:41:183)

12 hours after quitting . . .

The carbon monoxide level in my blood dropped to normal. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1988)

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting . . .

My circulation improved, meaning my blood was oxygenated and circulated at normal levels. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990)

1 to 9 months after quitting . . .

Coughing and shortness of breath decreased; Lung function improved increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990)

1 year after quitting . . .

The excess risk of coronary heart disease dropped to half that of a smoker's. (US Surgeon General's Report, 2010)

$$ Savings from Quitting:

Not buying cigarettes: $1,820/year

Health Insurance savings: $1,455/year

TOTAL: $9,825 (over 3 years)

**Upcoming landmarks I’m heading toward:**

5 years after quitting

My risk of stroke will reduce to that of a non-smoker 2-5 years after quitting. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder will be cut in half after 5 years. (US Surgeon General's Report, 2010)

10 years after quitting

My lung cancer death rate will about half that of a person who is still smoking. (US Surgeon General's Report, 2010)

15 years after quitting

My risk of coronary heart disease will be that of a non-smoker's. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990)

2 Minute Action

What's something you've done that you haven't given yourself credit for?What's a small win that has accumulated over time without you realizing it? A savings account? Playing an instrument? Writing?Take a second today to congratulate yourself on the absolute MOUNTAIN of work you've done to get here. You couldn't have done it without yourself. :) 

Why You Might Never Actually Take Action

You’ve been trained to NOT take action since the beginning.

Procrastinating on school projects. Cramming for exams. Sound familiar?How about pushing the meeting back until next week? Telling yourself you'll start working out once x, y, or z happens first?Well, these habits are also related to the way your mind and body work. By not practicing a habit of action, we are practicing a habit of inaction.This is critical.Your brain adapts to new environments, situations, and stimuli. It’s called neuro-plasticity. (citation: Hebbian Theory) It’s how you can stink at playing piano on day 1, but become proficient after a few years. You’ve literally rewired your brain to perform a new task that you couldn’t do before.THIS, is learning.Which means that no matter what, everyday, every second, you’re learning. When you’re out there practicing, and when you’re inside watching TV. Your brain’s only job is to adapt to what’s in front of it. The less you do with it, the better your brain gets at doing less. The more you do with it, well, you get the picture.Obviously, this means that building a habit of taking action takes time, intentional effort, and consistency. It also means you’ve got to unlearn a bunch of nasty habits (behavior habits and thought habits) that you picked up in school and from the office.

Tools and strategies for battling non-gen and other psychological barriers

The hardest part of changing your mindset is habit.The mind is good at doing what it’s always done, so you’ve got a lifetime of habits to relearn! Don’t expect this to happen quickly. Unrealistic expectations can lead to unnecessary anxiety, guilt, and depression.We’ve spent a lot of time and intentional effort building tools and strategies that will empower you to create a habit of action with small, consistent actions (and accountability partners).

***Side note: if you'd like to join a community of folks who are like-minded and are looking for accountability partners like you, you can join the Private Relentless Community Facebook Group.***

So how do we change our brains?You guessed it. Small, daily, consistent actions. Slowly pushing the flywheel, one revolution at a time until the momentum begins to push the flywheel for us.

Habits require 3 things to work:

A stimulus, a behavior, and a reward.

• Smell smoke, light a cigarette, get a nicotine hit.
• Clean your house, spray Febreeze, get a pleasant smell.
• The sound of your alarm clock, getting out of bed, grogginess.

Starting to make sense?

Here's one of the most undervalued keys to changing a habit:

Kicking habits is easier when you replace one or more pieces of the puzzle.You've been trained by school, work, and social norms NOT to take action. It's this reason that most people never do.  But not you. 

2 Minute Action:

What's a habit you want to kick?What is your current stimulus, behavior, and reward?What might you change to alter your behavior?Increase the reward? Take it away? Change the time you wake up? Plug your phone in on the other side of the room, away from your bed? Would love to hear your thoughts on this, especially on the specific habits you're trying to start or break right now. 

“You have everything you need to build something far bigger than yourself.”- Seth Godin