Do You Have Your Own Back?

Do you have your own back? When you promise yourself you will do something, can you trust yourself to follow through?  

If you have ever promised yourself that you would start on Monday or that tomorrow would be different, you had good intentions, but deep inside, you knew you probably wouldn’t do it.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Your habit brain is kicking in, doing what it does best: the easy, the comfortable, the familiar.    

At that moment, you get immediate relief by pushing that action to the next day or the next week. At that moment, you don’t have to be uncomfortable. You choose immediate pleasure, comfort, and ease at that moment over what you said you wanted for your future. You got immediate relief and gratification, but was it gratifying?

No, because the next day or the next week, you probably beat yourself up for falling into old habits. For never losing the weight. For always giving up before you reach your goal. 

But what if, at that moment, you had your own back? You were your own best friend. What would you say to yourself then? You would probably remind yourself that this – pleasure, comfort, ease – is not what you truly want. It is not your dream or the goal that you set for yourself when you were planning with the pre-frontal cortex, your highest brain. You would remind yourself that the temporary discomfort, fear, or doubt are a small price to pay to achieve your dreams and goals.

You would be encouraged to stay the course and not give up. You wouldn’t berate or belittle yourself; you would offer support, new ideas, and tips.

So next time, try being your own best friend and having your own back.

If you would like to explore how working with a coach can help you build the habits of following through and having your own back, schedule a consultation call with me.