One chop a day.
I’ve been intermittent fasting for 3 years. I’ve been taking cold showers for 2 years. I’ve been monitoring my Vitamin D levels for 1 year. I’ve been grounding consistently for over a year (not in the winter obviously, although you can). I’ve been getting up at 6:40am and getting morning light into my eyes almost everyday for about 3 months. I’ve been meditating daily for like 4-5 years. I haven’t worn sunglasses outside in about 2 years. I workout regularly. I stretch regularly. I read regularly.
These are just some of the things that I actively do to support my physiological and cognitive function while simultaneously engineering longevity, health and wellness.
Now the point I’m trying to make here has nothing to do with telling you how healthy I am or come across like I’m bragging as if I’m sooo cool and soooo much healthier. That’s stupid and meaningless.
The point I want to make here is about habits, and how breaking things down into chunks that work FOR YOU will always lead to more beneficial and long-lasting changes. If you go back to the first paragraph you’ll notice I didn’t start doing all of these things at the same time, I introduced them at different points - often stopping and starting on and off for months before I eventually fell into rhythm and they became part of my routine. I no longer have to think about doing these things or find time for them, I just do them.
Now in order to get to this point, it’s important to acknowledge and touch on the concept of the “hierarchy of competence”, which basically describes the learning process where, through habitual repetition, you gradually take small steps until you become “unconsciously competent”, meaning you don’t have to think about it, you just do it.
The first step in this process is where we are “unconsciously incompetent”. We don’t even know that we don’t know. It’s like being in kindergarten when you didn’t know that you didn’t know how to tie your shoes.
The second step is when we become “consciously imcompetent”. This is when you looked over at your classmate tying his shoe and realize “oh shit, I don’t know how to do that!”. At this point you are aware and conscious of your incompetence.
The third step is when your classmate teaches you how to do it and now everyday at recess you focus on tying your own shoes. You can do it, but you really have to concentrate and take your time…you’re “consciously competent”.
Eventually, through repetition and performing the same actions habitually, you become “unconsciously competent”, meaning you can now tie your shoes without even thinking about it or paying attention to what you're doing.
The only way to get to this point is through repetition and habit, and that’s why it’s important to take on new tasks in a manner that is sustainable. While I do recommend that you get morning sunlight into your eyes…and ground…and exercise…and meditate…and stretch…and get your Vitamin D…and take cold showers…there is no way I expect anybody to bite off all of this at once and succeed. It’s impossible.
Start small. One chop a day.
If you want to try intermittent fasting for example, maybe just start with 12/12’s or 14/10’s for a month and see how you feel. If you notice that you’re feeling pretty good and that you’re less tired and thinking a little sharper then maybe you want to stretch that to 16/8’s. Maybe this is your sweet spot and you stay here indefinitely…or maybe after a couple months (or years) you stretch it even further to 18/6’s…there’s no right or wrong or absolutes here, there is only what works for you - but you’re only going to arrive at your sweet spot through habit.
One chop a day will eventually bring an entire tree down - you don’t need to exhaust yourself trying to do it all at once. Just one chop a day is all it takes.
One chop a day, one chop a day, one chop a day…
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