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Change your brain to bring joy

There’s not a lot we can do overnight to change our life situation. We can’t lose thirty pounds. Or change our finances in a day. But we can change our thinking. That we can definitely start overnight. But why would we want to do that? Change your brain to bring joy.

We’re all thinking about goals to set, where we want to be in three months, a year, or five years. First, though, let’s start a little smaller and bring ourselves a little joy. With that little joy can come more optimism, more happiness, more resilience, and a real chance to set goals that will matter to us.

Take some action

The first thing to do is to take some action. Remind yourself that you have power over your actions. You also have the power to adjust how you react to outside forces. You can see what might be considered a problem, instead as an opportunity. Change how you view things and learn. And when faced with that opportunity, know that even though you might be uncomfortable with it at first, remember that discomfort means growth.

Take a small step first

Don’t scare yourself so much that you’re paralyzed, though. Take the small step first. Learn and understand the challenge. Find out about the opportunities you’re presented with. Take a walk and don’t immediately respond. Let the idea swim around in your brain. Decide what that first step might be.

Then you’ll be a little more comfortable with taking the step. And then you’ll find out more, get a little uncomfortable, think about things, and become more comfortable. Learning and growing are all part of achieving the big things that you want. You’ll change your brain to bring joy, one small step at a time. You’re growing your resilience, opening yourself up to new things. And you’ll be able to weather the storms you know are coming.

Big step for an introvert

For me, I’m on a journey to find more young readers for the children’s books I wrote. I’ll be contacting schools and public libraries, perhaps to do in-person story time events. You think that’s not scary? For me, a dedicated introvert, it’s terrifying. But I’m changing my brain one small step at a time. And by changing my brain, I’m seeing that I’m capable of stepping outside my comfort zone. And that brings me joy.

If you’re quest involves becoming more fit, you know that the most important thing is to get your nutrition right. Play around with flavors. Try some new veggies. It’s easy to find recipes on the internet for vegetables you’re not familiar with. Stroll down the produce aisle and find something exciting. Your small experiment may find a lasting spot in your recipe repertoire. That new recipe can change your brain and bring joy when you weren’t expecting it.

2 weeks left – stay calm

Are you feeling just the slightest bit panicked about all the stuff you have left to do before the end of the year? Here are some strategies to stay calm and at least get some stuff done before it’s time to ring in the New Year. There are about 2 weeks left – stay calm.

Stay in control

Easier said than done, right? Be more free with the “No’s.” If you’re typically a person who says Yes to everything, stop it. Right now. Unless it’s something you really want. Saying no to adding more things on your plate will help your peace of mind, help your resilience, and keep you healthier. You won’t be worried about extra stuff you have to get done. You’ll be able to stay more focused on the things that really matter.

Prioritize

Make sure the stuff that’s most important gets done. Once you’ve cleared those, then you can worry about the smaller stuff. But be sure you’re able to prioritize your tasks with a clear mind and really understand the value of finishing the tasks you set the highest priority to.

Spend time with the people you care about most

Too often the holidays are lonely for people our age. Don’t let that happen. Reach out to your community and make sure you’re sharing your time with people who are important to you.

Manage your habits

Now is not the time to neglect the healthy habits you’ve worked so hard to gain. Eat a healthy snack before you go to a party where you know there will be lots of yummy stuff that you’ll pay for later. (That’s not to say you have to forego that yummy stuff – be discerning.) If you don’t have time for your usual workout, take a walk with a friend. You’re still moving and catching up. And don’t neglect your sleep.

Focus on gratitude

Every day, focus on gratitude. Recognize things and people you’re grateful for. Your happiness and optimism grow, and so does your ability to look to the future.

Focus on these 5 strategies to stay calm, and you’ll head into next year with a bright outlook.

Do we need to age gracefully?

Should our goal be to age gracefully or be as loud and forceful as possible? I read an interview with Sofia Vergara who comes at the discussion by setting aside the traditional Latina point of view. Latinas have held high standards for traditional beauty, that women should do whatever they can to achieve those standards for themselves.

The actress is into her 50’s now, and acknowledges the double standards that women face. Women are expected to look beautiful and not appear to age, but are criticized for having cosmetic procedures done. Vergara says, “Beauty has evolved so much over time, and it’s no longer about fitting a mold or a standard; it’s about feeling confident, empowered, and authentic — whatever that means to you,” she says. “When we remove this stigma, we get the freedom of our own choices and celebrate the idea that beauty isn’t one size fits all, it’s personal.”

I’ve said before that fitness is an individual thing. What one person considers fit may not be another’s idea of fitness. The same for beauty. If a woman is feeling good about herself, then it doesn’t matter what anyone else says about them.

That’s easier said than done. Words hurt. And we live in the golden age of bullies. Bullying is rampant in social media. Everyone is the target.

But it’s important that we grow a thicker skin about things that we feel are important. If we’re confident in ourselves, and feeling empowered in our choices, we can face those bullies head on and tell them to mind their own business. Or say to ourselves that people are going to say whatever they’re going to say. There’s nothing we can do about that, but be true to our own ideas and values.

We’re being strong in our commitment to ourselves. And that can reveal itself in the choices we make in our diet, our exercise program, in our mindset. We’re strong in our beliefs and that carries through to our everyday lives. Our optimism grows, and so does our resilience.

And that makes us beautiful. That’s how we age gracefully. By holding true to what we believe.

Unleash your creativity and boost your cognition

It’s the time of year when we see people’s creativity all around us. They decorate their homes with lights, colorful figures and greenery. Who wants to get all techie and ruin the mood? I say, embrace your creative side these last weeks of the year and get more done than ever. Unleash your creativity and boost your cognition. We already know that exercising helps boost your memory power. But we can also solve more problems as we get more artsy. And I’m not the only one saying this.

Your brain becomes more flexible

Fostering your creativity trains your brain to be more adaptable and flexible in dealing with all sorts of problems. Not just how to get that pot completely balanced and smooth, for example, but how to solve that problem with a work project or a relationship or a career issue. As I work on a knitting project, for example, my stitches start out uneven and the yarn tension is unbalanced. But as I work through my knitting issues, other problems are also being worked on in the back of my brain.

Being creative takes you out of the linear thinking mode and the confines of regular logic. Options stop being only black and white. Your mind can look at problems from many different angles and see potential solutions that you otherwise might miss.

All parts of the brain are involved

We used to think that creativity came from just one part of the brain. But scientists have debunked that theory. Multiple parts of the brain are involved, along with neurotransmitters and other cognitive processes. The temporal lobe which is used for processing memories and emotions, the parietal lobe which is mostly for sensory processing, and even the prefrontal cortex, used mostly for high-level cognitive tasks, gets involved when you’re doing some creative thinking.

Cognition involves many mental processes we use to learn and understand things. Processes like attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving. Creative thinking uses all of these processes as well.

So, get smart and get creative. Go take up a new hobby. Or dust off that scarf you started knitting last year.

By the way, getting creative can also boost your healthy aging. Creative hobbies can reduce stress and help us be more optimistic. Finishing a creative project will also boost our confidence and our resilience.

AI is great – to a point

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere, all the time. And it definitely has its uses. It can spark thoughts and ideas, schedule meetings, even write things for you. But take AI’s contributions with multiple grains of salt. AI is great – to a point. I even had input from AI to illustrate my children’s book. Be aware, though, that AI has limitations. At the bottom of AI generation screens, there’s even a statement telling the user to, basically, beware. AI has been known to make mistakes even when the output seems like fact.

But I wondered if AI could design a workout plan. Personal trainer Cori Ritchey wondered the same thing for himself and wrote in Men’s Health how the plan it came up with worked. He entered some basic information about himself, his experience, and his goals. And the bot came back with an extensive month-long workout plan. Ritchey followed it, complimenting the bot on some things as well as noting where it was deficient.

Ritchey’s conclusion was that if the user was a trainer themselves, and understood how exercises work together, a workout plan developed by AI could work. But he also warned that the user must know their own body. I know that I can’t do a lot of shoulder work due to dislocations years ago. (Yes, ouch.) So, if a workout plan recommends shoulder work, I’d have to modify it to suit my body. And AI may not correlate workout time and the effort needed. If you tell the bot that you only have 15 minutes, it may suggest something ridiculously difficult.

He also warned that an AI-generated workout plan is not a great motivator. If you can self-motivate, then you might be able to follow through on a month-long plan successfully. But, if you’re more tempted by the living room couch or the latest trend streaming online, you’d probably do better with something else.

I’ve talked about ways to start an exercise program, and if you decide walking or dancing as a great way to move your body, AI can probably suggest a great playlist.

Alternatively, there are now AI-supported applications that act as personal trainers. I admit, I didn’t check the cost, but found it interesting that they exist now. In fact, I just read about one personal trainer AI app that was actually built on AI. Its creator became a certified trainer to ensure authenticity and insert some of the human motivational element. But, as always, caveat emptor. Remember that AI is great – to a point. And also remember that AI is the first to admit that it can make mistakes.

No need to panic – yet

Have you been seeing ads and posts about Black Friday the last few days? Isn’t it a little early? There are still 2 weeks until Thanksgiving here in the U.S., for Pete’s sake! There’s no need to panic – yet. Let’s take a breath and think about the current push. Retailers are seeing that no one is spending anything now. People are clutching their wallets to them and are reluctant to part with their hard-earned cash. Those retailers want to be top-of-mind when people start laying out the holiday moolah. And all the influencers want their recommendations to be what followers think of, so that they can earn their affiliate bucks.

Think about what’s worthwhile

Similarly, there’s pressure to start working – and make significant progress – on your New Year’s goals. I’ve started talking about that lately, so I guess I’m guilty of pushing too. But I want you to start thinking about – not rushing into – what you might find worthwhile in the next few months. But there’s no need to panic and rush into anything you’ll regret later.

List everything

The first step, as we talked about last week, is to set down everything you’ve been thinking of. Everything you want in the next year, or quarter, or month, or week. Prioritize them. And then break them down and put them on your calendar. You’ll be a step ahead, and not have to worry about fitting everything into your schedule. And that will give you peace of mind, boost your confidence, and increase your resilience. If you can master your wish list, you can tackle anything.

This means all the things from every aspect of your life. Fitness, definitely – if you think you could be eating a more nutritious diet and cut out some supplements, do your research. If you think you could be getting stronger or gain more endurance, figure out the kind of movement you like to do the most. Think about your relationships with friends and family. Is there work to be done there? And how about your home – are you happy there? If something strikes you as important, even just a little, add it to the list. Now’s the time to include everything. You can week out the unimportant stuff later.

Set priorities

Even celebrities like Megan Thee Stallion takes the time to set her priorities. “Right now, I’m just focused on staying disciplined in the gym, continuing to eat healthy, spending time with my loved ones, working on new music, and setting time for myself to reset and recharge.”

While we’re talking about the future, there’s no reason to abandon your current goals. If your goals still serve you, if you’re almost to the finish line, or even partway there, keep going. Incorporate them into your future thoughts too. And don’t forget to make regular contributions to your Amazing Box! You’re still doing great things.

Now is not the time to panic. But it is time to think.

Nurture your motivation

Setting goals is an inspiring activity. You’re fired up in anticipation of what you’ll accomplish. But then time goes by and you’re less motivated than you were. You still may want to achieve that goal but it’s not exciting. Your motivation just isn’t what it used to be. Professor of Behavioral Science Ayelet Fishbach says, “to be motivated, you either change the situation or the way you think about the situation. This is the science in one sentence.” Your goal is still there, but if you’re not still enthused about it, you have to nurture your motivation.

Change your mindset

You have to change the circumstances or the way you think about it. If you can’t change the situation, change your mindset. Professor Fishbach gives her own example. She wanted to be more active. But instead of telling herself to walk more, she got a puppy. While that shouldn’t be the only reason to get a puppy, the puppy has certainly increased the professor’s activity. Telling yourself to do something you don’t really want to do is a recipe for failing that goal. I used to have the goal of keeping an orderly desk. That didn’t work – I failed miserably. I just don’t see the point, and having a messy desk doesn’t bother me enough to change. So I dropped that goal. My motivation to achieve it did not deserve nurturing.

Goals are abandoned because the pursuit is not enjoyable

On the other hand, Fishbach’s research found that most goals are abandoned because people don’t enjoy pursuing them. If you set the goal of losing 10 pounds by the end of the year but don’t have a good enough reason to find motivation for it, you’ll probably abandon that goal. But if you receive an invitation for a party you really want to go to, and know the outfit you want to wear, and that there will be a great band to dance to, you have a better chance at maintaining your momentum.

Sustain your momentum when you nurture your motivation

But you’ll only sustain your momentum if you nurture your motivation. Fishbach found that the reason people don’t enjoy pursuing their goals is because they take too long. People are excited when they set goals and closer to the end, they can see the finish line and are excited to get there. But in the middle, their motivation is lacking.

In our example, you’ve got 2 months to get party-ready. And if you call your goal “party-ready,” that sounds more fun than “lose weight.” 2 months isn’t a lot of time in the long term, but it’s 8 weeks. 60 days. A long stretch of chocolate withdrawal. So, here’s how to nurture your motivation: set those intermediate goals. Make sure you have a goal for every week that makes sense. For the first week, eat an extra serving of veggies every day for a week. Or walk 10 more minutes every day. And at the end of the week, perhaps a slice of cheese on the veggies. Or read an extra chapter in the book you want to devour.

Nurturing your motivation helps you to achieve important goals. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. When you achieve goals that are important to you, you’ll feel like you can take on the world. You did it!

By understanding yourself, you can understand how to achieve the goals that are important to you. You’ll be able to nurture your motivation from the start to the finish of a project.

Stack your wins

Every time you show up for something important, it’s a win. And when you stack your wins, you can’t help but show up again and again. That’s better than external motivation, because it feeds your soul. When you can nudge that pointer a little more to where you want it to be – whether it’s your scale, your bank account, your sense of purpose – you keep on doing, and you keep on succeeding.

Let’s say you want to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year. It’s the beginning (sort of) of October, so that’s totally doable. Every day that you meet your dietary goals, that you eat enough protein and short the carbs is a win. Every day that you eat the vegetables, especially those dark leafy ones, that your body needs to feel full, is a win. And every day that you don’t eat a second piece of chocolate is a win.

And when you track what you eat every day, you’ll know when you win. The FO50 Fitness Journal and Tracker has a dedicated page for writing down what you eat every day. There are also little water droplets you can fill in so you can track your hydration, which is also crucial for your health.

Of course, every day you exercise and move your body is also a win. You know that your diet is most important, but following a close second is exercise for your healthy aging.

When you show up every day to the fitness party and track your nutrition and exercise, every day is a gold medal performance.

To top that, track your outlook. When you’re feeling optimistic, you’re more likely to go outside yourself and not devolve into negativity. You’ll start thinking about others, your gratitude for them, and things you can do to help them.

Every day that you take a step toward your goal is a win. Stack your wins, and you’ll be unbeatable.

Every workout counts

Something to remember as you procrastinate, as we all do: every workout counts. When you lace up your sneakers, or hit the mat or the pool, you’re doing yourself a huge service. It means that you love yourself. You care about yourself. And you want to have the very best future possible.

Switch your schedule and move your body

When you’re not feeling it, when you just don’t have it in you to do the workout you had planned, that’s okay – do a different one. Or take a walk. Put on your favorite playlist and dance. You’re moving your body and that’s a start. You can switch your schedule and do your strength workout tomorrow. Every workout counts. If you don’t feel like doing a particular workout, chances are you wouldn’t give it the focus it – and you – deserve.

I was disgusting

I have to tell you that I skipped yesterday’s planned workout. I caught a cold, and while I knew that I’ll be fine, the mat work just was not going to be good yesterday. It was the sneezing, drippy, messy, totally disgusting day of the cold. And while the experts all say that if a cold is just in your head, you’re fine to exercise, I did not want to drip all over myself and my mat. So I rested. And today I feel better, so I did my scheduled workout.

Your resilience shows

When you exercise regularly, especially as you get older, your body gets used to moving. It enables you to do the things you want to do. And when you switch up your workouts for your healthy aging, your body adapts to the different requirements you place on it. You’re resilient – you know that your body is strong and you can withstand the trials and tribulations you’re sure to face.

So, do yourself a favor and make sure that every workout counts.

That virtuous feeling

When you really don’t want to do something that you know you should, it weighs on you. Like cleaning out that junk drawer or your closet. Or exercising. Nothing earth-shattering, just something that’s on your list for today but you really don’t want to do it. I can waste lots of time doing things other than the thing I’m supposed to do, until there’s no more time. Did you ever feel that way? And then I feel guilty the rest of the day. But when I do that thing, afterwards I get that virtuous feeling.

You know, that “I did it! I exercised. And I’ll bet you didn’t!” kind of feeling. And that deserves a celebration. One of those mini-rewards I’ve talked about that keeps you doing the things you should be doing.

I know – if it’s stuff we should be doing anyway, why reward it?

A little push

Knowing that a celebration is coming can give us the little push we need to start. I’ve talked about this before, but knowing that I get to listen to an exciting audiobook helps to get me on the treadmill. I am not a fan of running, but I don’t actively despise it like I used to. That’s mostly because of the audiobooks. It takes a while to finish a book, but listening to them keeps me coming back.

But why do we put off doing things

Most of us have a tendency to procrastinate doing things we should do. But why? Psychology Today has identified a few factors that lead to putting things off. A lack of motivation is one. I remain completely unmotivated to clean off my desk, despite numerous attempts at it. I just don’t feel the need. No one has to look at it but me. And as long as I can find the things I’m looking for, and don’t spill my water, I can’t see that it matters. If someone can persuade me otherwise, I’ll be happy to listen to them.

On the other hand, for people who are unmotivated to exercise, there are plenty of reasons for them to do so. But if they don’t see the benefits of exercise, nothing anyone can say will persuade them. It could be that they’ll need a bigger push to lace up their sneakers.

The rumination spiral

Another reason people put off doing things is that they’re caught in the rumination spiral. If they believe they need to lose weight but have been unsuccessful in the past, they’ll be stuck in that dark spiral of “I can’t stick with a diet.” “I had a piece of chocolate. I’m done.” If they’re caught in the web of negative thoughts, of course it’s awful, and the only way out is for that person to change things up.

One small change can make a big difference

It’s easy to say, of course, but very difficult to accomplish. But just one small change of thought can make a big difference. Smile at yourself in the mirror in the morning. You made it to your feet! It’s a good thing. And that can spark more changes. Just a little optimism can put a different spin on your day. Plus, it can boost your happiness and resilience.

Go ahead and do something positive. Something small. Throw out a scrap of paper I don’t need. Smile in the mirror. Take a walk. And you’ll get that virtuous feeling.