Decisions ahead of time



Why is it important to make decisions ahead of time?  
So you can achieve your goals
So you know what you will or won't do in a future situation where your Primitive brain wants you to do the same old thing.

As was discussed in the last post, your Primitive brain wants to seek pleasure, avoid pain and conserve energy. That was great when we lived in caves and had to hunt for our food, our Primitive brains were working to keep us alive.

Today the Motivational Triad of seeking pleasure, avoiding pain and conserving energy is keeping us from reaching our goals.  Weight Loss goals, Exercise goals, Work goals, Relationship goals, no matter what your goals are, you have to be prepared to deal with your Primitive brain.

What happens when we decide to make a change that goes against our habits is our Primitive brain freaks out and think we are going to die if we don't eat something RIGHT NOW!!!

It tells us not to try something new, it's safer to sit on the couch and watch Netflix, don't go to the network meeting to meet new people, that is scary - STAY IN THE CAVE!!

Our Primitive brain likes our old habits, they are easy, they don't require any effort, they are comfortable, they are safe, but it's our old habits that are keeping us stuck.

To reach new goals we have to do new things and that is why you need to plan ahead.  If you have a weight loss goal, write down what you are going to eat for the week and commit to yourself you will stick to it no matter what!  

Even if something comes up, like an unplanned invitation to a party where there will be tempting food & drink, you need to plan ahead to stay true to your commitment to yourself and the actions you need to take to achieve your goal.  Your Primitive brain will tell you things like:

I've been good all week...
This one time won't hurt...
I will start again tomorrow…
No one will know…
 ...and other thoughts to get you to forget about your goal and seek that momentary pleasure and avoid the pain of the emotions like desire & deprivation.  

This is why you need to plan ahead, be ready to recognize what is happening and say 'NO' to yourself, or your Primitive Brain will win every time and you will never get to your goals.

If you would like to learn more about the tools I teach to help you deal with the Motivational Triad and your Primitive brain, click this link to schedule a Free Mini Session and let's talk.  LifeCoachingWithHeidi.com




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