Beat Temptation and Achieve Your Goals!

I absolutely adore chocolate, which as anyone who knows me will know is an understatement!  It’s my biggest temptation, the one thing that can see me tumble from the diet/healthy eating wagon if I’m feeling even just a little bit wobbly.  So you could say for me that chocolate poses a major temptation to achieving my health goals.

I know for certain that I’m not alone in feeling this way, we all have our pet temptations, things that will tempt us away from the unfamiliar or challenging goal path we are trying to negotiate.  But, as we know, overcoming our temptations can be a difficult task.  However, keeping on the straight and narrow will have the effect of strengthening our resolve to continue, whereas slipping away from our planned path tends to make us feel guilty and sometimes also a bit devil-may-care, resulting in us giving up on our goals altogether.

We think of temptation as something observable: that (delicious) bar of chocolate; that extra half an hour in bed so it’s too late for our morning jog; that extra cigarette, but, it’s the less tangible things that can really mess up our attempts to improve our lives.

Edward Zwick’s quote sums up my thoughts on this:

I look at modern life and I see people not taking responsibility for their lives.  The temptation to blame, to find external causes to one’s own issues is something that is particularly modern. 

Whether this really is just a modern issue, I don’t know, but as I look around, I can’t find any reason to doubt Zwick’s view on temptation and lack of personal responsibility.  There are examples of this kind of lifestyle and behaviour all around us.

But I wonder why this is the case?  Are we taught that other people or the government are responsible for our results in life?  I guess the answer to this is “not directly”, but in many ways we are lulled into the belief that someone else will provide for us; that we deserve a job for life; that we can eat and drink and fail to exercise appropriately, but it’s McDonald’s fault that we then suffer a myriad of health issues!

We are the ‘buy now, pay later’ generation and we are paying a very high price for our lack of personal responsibility.

The temptation is to give up when things get a little too hard, or a problem emerges, or we are being discouraged and we somehow start to believe the doubters.  Our confidence begins to diminish, maybe we slow down, rather than just stop, but the effect is basically the same as lack of progress or slow progress will convince us that our efforts aren’t actually making any difference.

The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.  Thomas Merton

And so we settle, for less than we really are and less than we really want.  Think carefully about Merton’s quote in the context of the things you’ve settled for.  Are you truly satisfied with your finances, health, hobbies, travel aspirations, job, fitness, relationships?  Or would a concerted effort give you what you actually want?

Whatever your outcome of this little exercise in introspection, it’s important to remember the relationship between taking action, the negative effects of temptation and the importance of accepting that ‘if it’s going to be, it has to be me’.  By being mindful of the likelihood of temptation turning up, you can at least prepare yourself for the inevitable predicaments that will arise.  So, with this in mind, consider using one or more of these techniques to help see you past the cookie jar!

Plan ahead

Only you know what your temptations (weaknesses) are likely to be.  Having this knowledge gives you the tools to plan ahead to reduce your exposure to the temptation.  So, don’t buy chocolate with the grocery shop so there’s none in the home; make sure you plan all your runs with a running partner so you’ll be less inclined to let him/her down; set up an automatic savings plan; agree to eat dinner with your family on certain evenings, with no tv.

Share your plans

When you start out on your new goal, share it with those you know will be supportive and ask them to keep you accountable.  They may feel a little uncomfortable with this idea, but impress upon them that they will be helping you.  Ask them to comment if they see you deviate from your plan!

Keep busy

When you’re giving something up, you generally need to fill the time that has been freed up in order to keep temptation at bay.  So if it’s giving up smoking you may need to replace it with chewing gum or doing the tea round or cleaning the windows!  It doesn’t really matter what you choose to do instead of the thing you’re giving up, it’s just important to do it.

Change your routine

You may also need to change your routine.  If you regularly meet with friends on a Friday evening for drinks after work, but have decided to cut down your alcohol intake, then you will need to be prepared to say that you have other plans and then stick to them.  Perhaps this could be going to the gym, or meeting a friend to go to the cinema or just taking a walk.  The important thing here again is not what you do, but instead it’s about making the change and following through on the new habit.

Share your ‘fail’ and ask for encouragement

If everything fails and you succumb to the temptation, then confess!  Let your friends know that you defaulted on the agreement.  They are very likely to offer sympathy and encouragement which will help to keep you motivated.  In any event, don’t let a disappointment interrupt your efforts any longer.  Put it down to experience, recharge your motivation and dive back in again!

So what are your personal temptations and what are your best tips to overcome them?  Please share your tips in the comments!

Photo: Tim Sackton