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When you're trying to lose weight, quit smoking, or fight off procrastination, the number one killer is temptation. If you're one that gives in to those temptations, the usual advice of "just tough it out" probably isn't helpful. Let's take a look at a different strategy.
Don't Avoid Temptations
Alright, I know this is counter-intuitive. Bear with me. If your first instinct is to avoid all temptations like the black plague, I can bet that you will succeed. At first. But what happens when you come across an unavoidable one? Like a cake at your child's birthday party (if you're trying to lose weight). You can't not go to the birthday party. Better yet, you might even be the one that has to cut the cake! I mean, that's just torture.
...or is it?
Here's the thing: avoiding won't solve your problems. Not for long, at least. You have to live your life, and you can't do that if you're constantly running away from the things that give you problems. So, this leads me into my next point, which is, again, a bit against-the-grain for most people.
Seek Out Temptations
Come on guy, you're really going to tell me to look for temptations?
Yep. I am. But before you go crazy and dive right into a pool of delicious, let me tell you how to do it.
The method is simple:
First, pick out a few things or situations that you know might tempt you (about 5-10 should do).
Second, go easy on yourself - pick things you know you can overcome with minimal willpower.
Third, take the easiest on the list and confront it. Right away.
Fourth, repeat. One temptation per day, until your list is done.
This slow approach is very important. If you get too ambitious in the early stages, you'll more than likely fall apart. You might find that one of the temptations on your list is a lot harder than the others. Just get rid of it - for now. No worries. Because once you're through with your first list, guess what? It's time to...
Ramp it Up
Okay, you've made it through your first list. Good job! And even if you faltered, don't worry. This is a growing process, and it's not always going to be smooth. Don't look back. Make another list. This one should have things that you know will be a little tougher for you. Things that will challenge you and put you closer to the edge of falling off the wagon. But not too close.
Balance on the edge of that cliff
The point is to resist, so if you're going too hard on yourself, you're defeating the purpose of the exercise. This is probably the toughest part of this whole thing: self-regulation. Not just with resisting temptation, but deciding the right level of difficulty for your chosen temptations.
If you find yourself giving in to your temptations too often, then take a step back and reset. Try a few days of easier ones to get yourself back on track. But ultimately, you always want to be moving forward. Every time you finish a list, start a new one that's going to be even harder.
By now, you might've figured out what we're doing here.
Building a Tolerance against Temptation
Just like it is with drugs, you can form a tolerance for temptation. That's where we're going with this method. It's not easy at first, but boy can it be incredibly powerful. By slowly introducing yourself to temptations that get just a little bit harder each time, you're building up your tolerance.
You want to get to the highest tolerance possible, to the point where you laugh at temptations that would've taken you down in a heartbeat before. No matter what yours are, you can get to this spot. It applies to everything.
If you climb slowly enough, you can get to a point where not only are you happily cutting your kid's cake, but after you've passed out every last piece (except for that one corner piece that's been eyeing you), you can sit in a roomful of people mashing that cake down their gullets, and you won't even care.
Okay, you might care a little.
So, what do you think? Is this terrible advice, or are you going to give it a shot? Comment and let me know!