Thousands of years ago we lived in an immediate reward environment. We foraged for food and we ate it. We found a safe place and we slept. Our brain is wired to look for instant gratification.
Nowadays, we live in a delayed return environment. We go to work today and get paid in a few weeks. We work out for three months to see progress. The human brain didn’t evolve for this environment.
In the past, immediate rewards were necessary for survival. Humans weren’t thinking about their retirement portfolio thousands of years ago. As society has progressed our brain still prioritizes the immediate reward.
Think about it – there’s a global pandemic that has people worried about getting sick right now, yet people are still smoking knowing that will increase their chance of lung cancer. Fast food and alcohol are still being consumed in huge quantities even though there’s a high chance of diabetes and obesity.
That instant reward is too great. The brain prioritizes the relief from a cigarette or the taste of a Big Mac rather than worrying about the delayed response these actions have.
Building good habits is often difficult because the immediate outcome often feels unenjoyable or is difficult in the moment but a bad habit usually feels good in the moment.
It isn’t until later on in the future where the results of the good habit feel good and the consequences of the bad habit feel bad.
When looking to start a new fitness regime it can often be very difficult to take your body to that difficult place. Heavy breathing and high heart rates can be distressing. The pain in your muscles for days after may make you not want to do it again.
Making smart nutrition choices will stop you from tasting some of your favorite foods. You may also have to cook more often.
Everyone knows what they should be doing or what they should be eating but the brain is wired to get that instant reward. This is where you need to hack your brain to give yourself some kind of reward for sticking with the habits that will make you the person you want to be.
Be careful though, this is often done really badly. The reward usually goes against the identity we are trying to create. Just because you did well on a 30 day nutrition challenge doesn’t mean you should reward yourself with pizza and beers. Why would you end 30 days of hard work like that?
Instead, reward yourself with things that are going to boost the identity you’re trying to create with the habits. If fitness and health are the focus then reward yourself with a massage or a new pair of gym shoes. This will reinforce who you are wanting to be.
Some people have success with willpower alone. The problem is that willpower and motivation are spurred by success and rewards. The rewards of training aren’t going to show immediately (aesthetically anyway) so there becomes a conflict.
If we can choose the path least traveled we will reap the benefits from the delayed response of our good habits which are often far greater than the instant rewards of our bad habits.