Change Academy

Monica and Brock are taking a brief Spring Break but we will be back in May with brand new episodes. In the meantime, this is the perfect time to go back and relisten to some of our previous episodes - in particular, the series about the "Eight Things to Make Changes that Last."You may also find it helpful to download the Lab Notebook at https://changeacademypodcast.com/notebookSee you all soon! Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

A year ago, virtually every aspect of our lives changed profoundly: How we eat, shop, work, socialize, exercise, etc. These weren’t changes we chose but changes that were forced on us.  Now that we are beginning to imagine life returning to something more similar to pre-pandemic, we have some decisions to make. Are there new habits that we’ve adopted that we might want to keep? Old habits that we don’t want to return to.What’s clear is that we DON’T want to do is miss this opportunity to make a conscious choice. Takeaways: For better or worse, the pandemic forced us to reassess/reinvent virtually every aspect of our lives.There may be things that we adopted over the last year that actually worked better for us.It’s worth pausing before we rush back into our pre-pandemic patterns to consider how we might want to return.No matter what we choose, we are likely to be happier and more fulfilled if we make those choices consciously.Lab Experiment: Select an area of your life that you were forced to reinvent during the pandemic and will now have an opportunity to either revert to the previous stays quo or not.Make a list of all of the ways that the change benefited you all the ways in which the change did not benefit you.Think about those pros and cons in the context of your values. (Is convenience more important to you than consistency for example? Is quality more important than quantity? Is supporting local business more important than getting the cheapest price?)Decide what you’d like to do once your options are open. Will you go back to your original status quo, stay with your current status quo, or design a third option that works best of all? Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

Behavioralist Schlomo Benartzi defines a default as “what happens if you do nothing.“ If we’re too busy, distracted, or fatigued to make a choice or decision, the default wins the day. And because we’re often busy, distracted, or fatigued we want to be careful and intentional about which defaults are operating on our lives. In this episode, we’ll show you how to do that. Takeaways Some default mechanisms are imposed on us by society, employers, software, etc. Others we create and implement for our own benefit.Like habits, default mechanisms can be very powerful--both in ways that serve us and ways that don’t.Because defaults are often somewhat invisible, we may not always notice them. But it’s important to be aware when a default is operating in our lives.Defaults represent the path of least resistance. But does that path (still) lead where we want to go? Lab Experiment  Option 1:Step 1: Identify a default mechanism that is currently in place in your life (whether it’s one that you designed or one that was put in place by someone else).Step 2: Ask yourself: does this path of least resistance lead somewhere that I want to go?Step 3: If not, how can you disable that default mechanism?Option 2:Step 1: Identify a goal or outcome you want to create. (For example, saving a certain percentage of your income, not reading emails during certain hours, eating more vegetables). Step 2: Ask yourself: What default mechanism can I put in place to make that happen? (For example, setting up an automatic savings plan, changing the settings on your email client, or subscribing to a produce delivery). Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this extracurricular episode, we invite you to listen in to a group coaching session that we held recently with members of our year-long Weighless Program. The strategies and insights that came up in this session can be applied to any change you are working on.  And if you think you might like to work with us in the Weighless Program, details are here https://weighless.life/enroll.) Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

In the last episode, we talked about deciding which thoughts deserve our energy. But once we've decided that a situation deserves our attention, we need to decide how we want to engage with it. The words we use to describe (even to ourselves) what’s going on in our lives or our heads can make a big difference. Takeaways: The language that we use when we think or talk about a situation can affect how we engage with itWe may want to approach different situations with different language or attitude.Just because it works for someone else doesn’t mean it's right for you. Make sure you are choosing an approach that suits you.Trying on different approaches to the same thought or situation can help you find one that works best. So don’t give up after just one try. Lab Experiment: Choose a situation or thought that you’ve decided deserves your attention and write a few sentences about it. Then, see if you can pick up a tone by asking yourself:What verbs are you choosing?What metaphors are you using?How do these make you feel?Can you think of other language or metaphors that create a different feeling? Does that feel better or worse?Decide what way of engaging serves you best and start to use that language in relation to this situation. Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

Not all of our thoughts deserve our attention or energy. Some can safely be dismissed without further examination. But we often allow unworthy or unhelpful thoughts to take up a lot of real estate in our brains--and this can negatively impact how we feel, what we do, and ultimately what we accomplish. In this episode, we talk about why it’s so important to choose which thoughts you give your energy to. Takeaways With all the thousands of thoughts going through our head, we are bound to have some that stick in our craw and that is OK. Thoughts on their own are harmless. It is what we choose to do with them that creates negative feelings and emotions. When we feel strong emotions like regret or shame over our thoughts we give those thoughts more energy and power over us. Managing our thoughts takes time (like most meaningful change) but taking that time can free our mental energy to make progress on our goals instead of just thinking about them. Lab Experiment Next time you notice that a thought is causing you stress or discomfort, write that thought down.Step 1: Ask yourself: Is this thought verifiably true? (If you said it in public, would everyone agree that it is true?Step 2: Ask yourself: Do I have anything to gain from continuing to entertain this thought? Is continuing to think about this going to make me feel better or help me make a better decision? Step 3: If you decide that a thought does not deserve your energy, make a conscious decision to put it down. Use whatever imagery works best for you: pick up the remote control and change the channel, pluck it out of your mental garden and throw it in the compost, pick up the cosmic scissors and cut the string, or make up your own. But whatever image you choose, take a moment to really act it out in your imagination. Step 4: Decide what you want to think about instead and spend some time cultivating that thought. Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

We often feel like we have to make a decision, make a change, make a difference, or achieve a goal quickly. But if we want the benefits to be meaningful and lasting, shouldn’t we be willing to take our time? In this episode, we consider the downside of rushing into a decision to change without considering the realities of trying to create change in too much of a hurry. Then, we'll explore some alternatives. Takeaways: Knowing or understanding how to do something isn’t the same as actually doing it and experiencing it. Better to gather less information and apply it than to gather lots of information but never to put anything into action.Sometimes, learning how to slow down and be more deliberate is part of what we need to learn to do in order to get to the result we’re seeking.Before deciding to commit to a new goal or challenge, be sure you understand what it will involve and whether you’re actually willing to do what it will take. Things we acquire or develop through slow steady work have a better chance of becoming long-term habits.Lab Experiment: Think of an area of your life where you feel like you are in a hurry to finish or achieve something. And ask yourself:Is trying to get there more quickly actually serving you or just causing you to cut corners?How could slowing down actually enhance either the process or the result (or both)?What do you need to adjust about either your actions, beliefs, or self-talk to allow yourself to slow down?What parts of the process (rather than the outcome) can you focus on that will bring you pleasure and satisfaction? Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

FREE WORKSHOP: Learn From Two of The Top Health Experts Online, Board-Certified Nutritionist Monica Reinagel and Certified Fitness Coach Brock Armstrong!https://weighless.life/toolkitFREE WORKSHOP: Saturday, Feb. 27th at 4pm ETBuilding Your Transformation Toolkit (The 5 things you need to achieve lasting weight loss)Plus: 6 things you think you need (but don't)SIGN UP at https://weighless.life/toolkit TO JOIN US LIVEYou'll Learn:How to create the right kind of habitsThe secret to getting (and staying) motivatedHow to clear away excuses and obstacles Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

Our current actions are creating our future reality. Sometimes, we have to choose between what we want right now and what we want for our future selves. Research shows that the more emotionally connected we feel to our future selves, the more likely we are to make choices that benefit that future self. In this episode, we explore ways to form a more intimate connection with your future self. Takeaways: People who can picture their future selves with great clarity make choices that are more likely to support that vision. One way to picture that future self is to follow what is likely to happen if you continue to practice your most consistent behaviors and imagine what the outcome will be.Alternatively, picture how you'd like your future to look and ask yourself what (if anything) needs to change now in order to make that picture a reality.Don’t fret if every single choice you make is not in alignment with this vision, just make sure that the majority are. Lab Experiment: Step 1: Pick a specific date at least 3 but no more than 10 years in the future.Step 2: Bring the future you that will wake up on that date into focus: Look into the mirror. What do you see? What will your day look like? What’s going on with your health? Your work life? Your home life? Your finances? What will the world look like?Step 3: Now, write your future self a letter.Tell your future self about things you are doing today that you hope they will be benefiting from by the time they read this letter. If you have concerns about the way some of the things you are doing right now might cause pain to your future self, you might want to talk about those as well.What would you like future you to know (remember) about present you? What questions do you have now that future you will know the answer to? How will knowing those answers change you?  Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

Having a plan allows us to convert our intentions into action. But having a contingency plan may be just as important. They allow us to recover when things don’t go according to plan. In this episode, we help you create your own customized contingency plan so that when life goes sideways, you can land on your feet instead of getting derailed. Takeaways No matter how well we plan, things will sometimes go sideways. We can either use that as an excuse to abandon our goals or we can pivot to a contingency. Having a contingency plan (and the ingredients to make that plan work) already in place can mitigate the stress rather than add to it. Viewing a misstep as an opportunity to develop a contingency plan allows us to learn and develop more and more resilience. In order for resilience to become a habit, we need to practice it - and that means creating and using your contingency plans again and again.Lab Experiment Identify which of your plans get derailed most frequently. Come up with 3 possible contingency plans that will help you minimize the damage instead of adding to the stress.Gather whatever information, ingredients, or materials you’d need to execute that contingency plan. Keep your contingency plan in written form somewhere where you can easily access it when necessary. Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★