Kristjan Port: The 5 gram resolution

Some observations made by scientists that You can try on yourself.

First. If you're over 25 years old, about five grams of fat is added to your adipose tissue daily. That's about the weight of a €0.10 coin. It's a fairly natural process. It is also natural that women are more costly and therefore get €0.20 added daily. Moreover, these 5-10 cents are so small, they don't really concern us. Until one day we observe them as extra kilograms on our bodies. Five grams a day adds up to a few kilograms a year. Ten grams a day is twice that.

Second. People like to set ambitious goals. They won't be bothered over a few grams. That’s why they wait for the problem to escalate. This problem becomes holy, it earns respect, it becomes a beacon of hope, something to celebrate on a special day. Likewise, the bigger the problem, the easier (or more justified) it is to postpone dealing with it. Until New Year's, for example.

Third. Humans are characterized by letting things that go against their interests happen just as they are. Taking steps useful for us, though, is a matter of great debate and formal agreements with oneself. About half of the post-kindergarten population makes New Year's resolutions. A lot of these have to do with our own bodies.

The problem is, that by the beginning of the next year, only one in ten people have fulfilled their promises. Not achieving our goals can be traced to many obstacles: we're not used to doing it, we set unreal goals, we do more than is good for us - including overstraining. We invest in resources, mostly money as a down payment for filling our dreams; we turn our goals into new problems, we start to see the effort is not worth the cost. And that's how we get to the 90%, who...

 

What to learn from the 10% that do make it?

Don't plan large leaps, but take small steps. Take them now and continue taking them.

Collect information. People are not too rational, they tend to be emotional.

Act!

Work on concrete steps, not abstract goals.

Processes that run slow, like accumulating body weight, endurance, loss of health and strength, do not obey urgent orders. Use your own body's strategy to combat them - do little, but do it steadily.

Work on five grams, not on five kilograms!

Do something physically straining for 10-15 minutes a day. Do exercises you dislike, they will show you your weak spots. As they say, the first class of school is more useful than the last course at university!