The Habit Launchpad

the habit

launchpad JAMES MCSORLEY PT Â

SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT

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JUNE 2020

03 5 THINGS THIS GUIDE WILL TEACH YOU 1 HOW TO REVERSE BAD HABITS & STICK TO GOOD ONES

2 HOW YOUR BRAIN RECOGNISES HABITS & HOW WE CAN HACK THIS

3 HOW TO DEVELOP A STRONGER IDENTITY & BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

4 OVERRIDING WILLPOWER AND MOTIVATION

5 HOW TO GET BACK ON TRACK AFTER A SCREW UP

HABIT LAUNCHPAD

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

WHY CAN'T WE STICK TO GOOD HABITS? It seems to be far too easy to fall into unhealthy ruts...

• Fuelling ourselves with junk food.

• Binge watching Netflix instead of going to the gym.

• Thumbing Insta instead of getting an early night Overeating, even when we're full..

Smoking Alcohol abuse.

There's no shortage of unproductive behaviors we all struggle with from time to time. But why?

You obviously want to look and feel awesome. And every now and then you probably get really amped up to make a change, yeah?

So how come it is more likely that this time last year you were doing the same thing, wishing on the same outcomes? Why is it so hard to stick to good habits?

I think a large part of this is down to how we goabout implementing habits! And in this guide, I'm going to share a blend of science and real-world experiences to open your mind and start to put you on the right path again. Let's get started!

HABIT LAUNCHPAD

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

HOW TO FAIL FASTER ONE COMMON TRAP WE ALL FALL INTO

Transformations get a lot of hype in our industry, and rightly so... who wouldn't want the result in lesser time?

But when we hear about somebody losing 30lbs, or tripling their back squat- all we know is the actual event itself.

We then convince ourselves that massive results requires massive action.

Even though we don't hear anything about the process that came before it or about the habits that led to the eventual result.

It's very easy to overestimate the importance of these defining results, and underestimate the value of the small improvements that they made daily that compounded enormously and delivered over time, not just in the moment.

The slow pace of transformation makes it very easy for us to let bad habits slide back into our routine when we focus on the results.

Success therefore isn't the result of crazy interventions, rather the product of your daily habits.

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

WINNERS AND LOSERS HAVE THE SAME GOALS THE ONLY THING THAT DIFFERENTIATES THEM IS THE SYSTEM OF CONTINUOUS, SMALL IMPROVEMENTS THEY IMPLEMENTED.

Goals are only good for setting a direction, but systems and habits are ultimately what gets you there.

I couldn't begin to count how many people come to me saying "they'll be happy when they're X stone, or lifting Y amount of weights."

The problem with this goal-first mentality is that, they're constantly pushing back their happiness and creating this "either-or" conflict amongst themselves, where if they fail they'll beat themselves up and only decrease their self-esteem.

The truth is, when you learn to fall in love with your process rather than the outcome, you don't have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy.

You can be happy so long as your systems are in play.

HABIT LAUNCHPAD

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

HOW TO ACTUALLY STICK TO YOUR HABITS WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT HABITS ARE THE COMPOUND INTEREST OF LIFE-CHANGING RESULTS, BUT HOW DO WE MAKE THESE STICK?

Our first mistake when we try to change a habit/behaviour is we normally go about changing the wrong things.

To understand fully what I mean you will have to consider first that change can occur on three levels, imagine them like an onion.

THE ONION OF HABIT CHANGE

OUTCOMES

PROCESSES IDENTITY

The first layer is changing your outcomes. This is associated with changing a result; losing fat, building muscle, performing better. This is typically where your goals will be.

The second layer is changing your process. This is associated with changing your habits, your routine, following a new workout, planning your meals etc. This is typically where your habits will be.

The third layer is changing your identity. This is associated with changing your judgements about yourself, your beliefs, your self-image and your interpretation of yourself.

THE ONION OF HABIT CHANGE There is no dispute that this is how change occurs, and there's no specific template for what works for each person, each layer provides it's own unique benefits.

Where the issue lies is the direction of change.

Most people will begin the process of changing their habits by honing in on what they want to achieve, rather than who they want to become...

OUTCOME FOCUSED HABITS

1 2 3

OUTCOME FOCUSED HABITS

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Long-term behavior change is identity change. You may be amped up to start on a new goal, but the only way you'll see it through is if it becomes part of your identity.

Your behaviours usually reflect your identity. For e.g, if you believe your horrible at maths, you're going to avoid doing maths. If you think you're bad with directions, you'll pass the maps.

The story you repeat to yourself will play out, so you best make it the story you want to hear.

THE ONION OF HABIT CHANGE There is no dispute that this is how change occurs, and there's no specific template for what works for each person, each layer provides it's own unique benefits.

Where the issue lies is the direction of change.

Most people will begin the process of changing their habits by honing in on what they want to achieve, rather than who they want to become...

OUTCOME FOCUSED HABITS

1 2 3

OUTCOME FOCUSED HABITS

3 2 1

Long-term behavior change is identity change. You may be amped up to start on a new goal, but the only way you'll see it through is if it becomes part of your identity.

Your behaviours usually reflect your identity. For e.g, if you believe your horrible at maths, you're going to avoid doing maths. If you think you're bad with directions, you'll pass the maps.

The story you repeat to yourself will eventually play out, so you best make it the story you want to hear.

HABIT LAUNCHPAD

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

IDENTITY CHANGE IN TWO SIMPLE STEPS 1. DECIDE THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU WANT TO BE 2. PROVE IT TO YOURSELF WITH SMALL WINS

Your identity is born out of your habits. It's not a preset script made for you at birth...

The more you repeat a behaviour, the more proof you have that that's the type of person you are.

If you go to mass every Sunday, you have evidence that your faith is strong.

If you go to the gym, even when you don't feel like it, you have evidence that you're committed to training. The more evidence you compile for a particular belief, the more you merge that belief into your identity.

This doesn't mean you can just click your fingers and decide to be Arnold Schwarzenegger. We change action by action, day by day, and habit by habit.

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

Author James Clear, and whom which most of these tips are inspired by once stated-

"EACH ACTION YOU TAKE IS A VOTE FOR THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU WANT TO BECOME, NO SINGLE INSTANCE WILL TRANSFORM YOUR BELIEFS, BUT AS THE VOTES BUILD UP, SO WILL THE EVIDENCE OF YOUR NEW IDENTITY."

You don't need an unanimous vote to win, you just need a majority...

Each habit not only brings you closer to your goals but teaches you an important lesson: you are worthy of success. You start to believe you can accomplish great things, you get momentum on your side and you become unstoppable in your pursuit of outcomes.

BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER DECIDE WHO YOU WANT TO BE This is a pretty deep rooted question so an easier way to go about it is to ask yourself, "who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?" What are their principles? Do they believe in themselves? Feel worthy of success? What do they stand for?

Most people know what they want (the six pack abs, the curvy body etc.), but they don't know who they want to become.

IMPORT THE NECESSARY HABITS TO BECOME THAT PERSON Again, if you're struggling to comprehend the habits of a person with your said outcome- imagine this.

Imagine I clicked my fingers and instantly granted you your goals, perfect physique, flawless energy, whatever outcome you pleased...

What habits would you be required to implement to prevent that body slipping away from you?

Start small and start there.

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

KEYSTONE DECISIONS MASTERING THE TWO MINUTE RULE

Even though our habits can occur and finish within seconds, they can continue to shape the actions you take for minutes or even hours afterwards.

They're like entrance ramps for the motorway, they lead you down a particular route and before you know it, you're speeding towards the next behaviour. And it seems easier to continue where you're going than to try and change paths.

Every weekend I go over to see the missus at her house, and around about 1pm we make a decision to either get out of the house- go to the shops, go to the beach, climb a mountain etc- or stay in, watch Netflix and order a chinese.

Whenever I recognised that this was a behaviour I didn't really want, I decided to apply something Twyla Tharp phrased the 'Two Minute Rule.'

Before leaving for her house, I would change into my workout gear- it's a simple act, which made it easily repeatable, and I knew if I showed up in my workouts clothes, the workout would happen. Driving to the park and doing the exercise was easy once I'd taken the first step.

Everyday there are a handful of moments that shape the options that are available for your future self. They act as forks in the road.

Mastering these little, decisive moments throughout your day is so important as they will indefinitely stack up and each one will make making the right decision a hell of a lot easier for you.

However, like we talked about- when we dream of change it's very easy to get amped up and do too much so it's important we counteract this tendency with our own Two Minute Rules.

The next time you try to start a new habit, it should take no more than two minutes. Running 5k turns into tying your running shoes. Doing 20 minutes stretching turns into taking out your yoga mat.

Instead of trying to engineer the most perfect habits, do the easy things more consistently and cast votes your new identity.

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

PUTTING IT INTO ACTION The important thing to understand now is that the best strategy isn't to avoid failure, it's to plan for it. Follow the 4 strategies below, so that you can plan for mayhem, deal with the stress in a much more resilient way and develop a strategy for getting back on track before you go off course.

1. GIVE YOUR HABITS AND TIME AND PLACE TO EXIST IN YOUR LIFE...

It's nice to tell yourself that you want to accomplish a vague goals (i.e. “I want to eat healthier”), but that doesn't give your mind a clear schedule to operate by.

Your habits really need a time and place to breathe in your life.

Want to exercise? Give yourself a time and place that it needs to happen. 6pm. On your way home from work. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

I’ll see you there.

Open your phone notes, or your Google calendar and lock it in. When and where, exactly, are you going to train this week? What exactly are you going to do?

Open up the weekly meal planner, follow the same process, and lock in your commitment.

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

2. FIND YOUR 'BARE MINIMUM'

Have days where you don't feel motivated? Guess what, so do I. So does everybody else who's on this challenge. What's going to keep you on track however is finding your 'Bare Minimum.'

The bare minimum amount of things you need to tick off daily to ensure you continue to progress towards your long-term goal.

Can't be bothered to train? No worries, just hit your step count and get back on track tomorrow.

Feel stressed out with dieting? All good, just bump your calories up to a maintenance amount and unwind.

You can't expect to be motivated everyday, but if you're prepared for that you can deal with the stress in a much more resilient way.

So right underneath where you gave your habits a place to breathe, write out your bare minimumAnd watch how you no longer beat yourself up, feel guilty or frustrated for not having the motivation of a crossbreed between Tony Robbins and Gary Vee. It's not about motivation, it's about consistency.

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

3. JUST DON'T MISS TWICE

Life doesn't always go according to plan and that's okay. Slipping up once never hurt anyone, and it certainly didn't make anyone a failure.

The majority of the time, if you could zoom out and look at actual damage that's been done- say you've had a massive binge- in terms of weekly calories in vs weekly calories out, it would often be very, very minimal, if at all. What's important in times like these is that you don't dwell on it and let it derail you.

Everytime you find yourself in these situations, just have a little word with yourself and say "I just won't miss twice..."

It's only when you miss the second time, that's when you start to forge a new habit.

So, if you miss a workout? That's okay- just don't miss two.

Do the full tub of ice-cream? Nobody dies, just try and find out what triggered you.

Slipping up will never fail you, but not having a strategy to quickly get back on track when things go up the left might...

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JAMES MCSORLEY PT

4. CHOOSE YOUR SUFFERING

As mentioned, every person reading this right now has a goal. You have a dream body, a dream lifestyle, a dream outcome that you WANT- a better question to ask yourself though is, what do you WANT to suffer for?

Reward lives on the other side of sacrifice, so if you want to eat impulsively, exercise inconsistently, use food purely for pleasure and disregard your body’s nourishment- that’s 100% cool if that’s what you valueHowever, don’t expect that to come without the suffering of poor physical health, negative body image, excess body fat and tarnished mental performance in the long-run.

And by the same measure, if you choose to delay instant gratification and adopt a functional approach, hone in on your body’s NEEDS primarily and pleasure secondarily, eat through a majority of REAL foods, exercise consistently, and think in the long-runBy all means you will look, feel and perform awesome- however, don’t expect that to come without having to discipline yourself to sacrifice short-term satisfaction for the result of long-term success.

Everybody wants something. We all want a certain outcome. But we just need to be aware of what we want enough.

If you want the outcome, you’re going to have to want the habits as well. Not just the result.

So if you have a goal that is important to you, then use these ideas in this booklet, and the many resources you've been given on this challenge to make it a reality.

Go out and get after it with your new perspective, layer small changes grain by grain that topple the scales of life in the direction you want them to move and don't settle for less.

I'm walking this journey with you, I haven't got this figured out yet either, but if there's anything more I can do don't hesitate to contact me.

JAMES MCSORLEY @james.mcsorley @spark.strength.lifestyle