Hell Week by Erik Bertrand Larssen

Author:Erik Bertrand Larssen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery Books

DOING THE WORK

I talked a lot about emotions in the planning section of this book, specifically about the positive role emotions play in determining our actions. The feel-good factor—or godfølelse, as we call it in Norway—looms large in the formation of positive habits. A key goal of Hell Week is to create a support system that will enable you to develop habits of excellence. Remember Aristotle: excellence is not an act, but a habit.

So how will you actually go about changing your habits? It starts by listening to your feelings. That can be a tough sell for some people, especially hypermasculine types who don’t put a lot of stock in emotions. But trust me when I say that feelings are essential to mental training and they’re one of the best tools in your arsenal for changing habits. That’s because habits of excellence have to do with those aspects of your inner self that you want to draw out for all the world to see: having a positive attitude and belief in your own abilities; taking care of yourself; supporting your friends and building their self-esteem and self-confidence; not taking yourself too seriously; daring to trust your own instincts; working toward your goals and your dreams; developing empathy.

Emotion is the strongest impetus for human change. Often it’s rooted in a painful experience. Imagine you’re passed over for a promotion at work. The feeling can be so painful and degrading that you embark on a better regimen, implementing habits that will lead to other career opportunities. Or if you’re suddenly breathless walking up the stairs at the office and a colleague makes a sarcastic comment, it might hurt your feelings enough to encourage you to start exercising. These types of experiences, and the painful feelings they elicit, can be incredibly effective motivators. As you take stock of your life during Hell Week, and the habits that inform it, I want you to pay close attention to the feelings that surround them. Ask yourself: Am I living the life I always wanted? Where will I be in one year, five years, and ten years? If you don’t like the answers, take the opportunity of Hell Week to shake loose from any bad habits that are getting in the way of your goals.

The second technique for changing habits is less about emotion and more about sheer determination. If you can’t summon up any of the deep feelings needed for immediate change, you’ll have to take the long route, making small adjustments that ultimately lead to transformation. I call this the one-minute plan.

Let’s say that you want to exercise more but can’t find the motivation—you haven’t had the snide comment from a coworker as you struggle up the stairs or a grave health report from your doctor. One minute can be enough to get you on the path. Think about it: for just one minute out of the 1,440 minutes in a twenty-four-hour period, you’ll devote yourself to exercise. How many push-ups can you manage in that time? How many stairs can you climb? One minute is the start.

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