Can't I just wake up skinny?

Did you know that the average length of time of a diet is…TWO days! That’s humorous evidence to me that we have magical expectations about being transformed from a beginner to an expert almost while sleeping. Consequently, after a brief effort, when we don’t quickly and easily achieve our goal, we turn to our self-talk library of judgement and blame to find the justification for quitting, defeated once more. This cycle of false starts is the result of grossly underestimating the price and process of mastery.

What if learning new skills or changing a behavior came with a mastery price tag so you knew before you started whether you had the needed resources? For example, here is the “cost “of eating more fruits and vegetables.

The price of eating more fruits & vegetables

Taste 10 different fruits and 30 different vegetables to learn what you enjoy

Discover what fruits and vegetables your family will enjoy

Shop regularly for fresh fruits/vegetables or used canned and frozen

Learn how to pick good produce from the store

Learn how to prepare and cook fruits and vegetables

Learn how to store them so they don’t spoil

Learn how to buy affordable fruits and vegetables

Learning new skills and changing behaviors is not quick, easy, or free from failures. Creating any habit like eating more fruits and vegetables could take months, and probably more, because life happens. Failures could include complaining kids, overcooked broccoli, mushy bananas and a strong desire to replace anything green with Cheetos.

By having realistic expectations about the price and process of change, we can relax into the journey. We can laugh and learn from our mistakes. We can let go of the pressure to be perfect and increase our patience with practice. Remember: It takes courage to be bad at something new, but you’re way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.