The Framework 🧠

The purpose of the framework is to accomplish a goal through the following ideas:

1. Establish control over your decision-making.
2. Once you have full control over your choices, you can change those choices.
3. Start off at an overestimated point.
4. Gradually change your choices toward the ideal scenario.

An Example: Cutting Down on Soda 🥤

For example, say you’re currently drinking an average of 5 cans of sodas a day, and you want to cut soda out of your life altogether. A common approaches is to go cold turkey, or to take a big leap (say limit yourself to 1 soda a day right away).

The problem, at least in my experience, with these kinds of approaches is that you’ll start strong (due to an initial wave of motivation), but soon relapse from not being able to maintain this habit due to expectations that were too high for what you could realistically handle long-term. Conversely, using the approach outlined above, here’s how it may go:

1. Initially, you tell yourself, “I will drink 6 cans of soda today. That is my goal.”
   1. First, you’re overcompensating (6 cans, as opposed to the usual 5).
   2. Second, you’re changing how the situation is framed. While it’s still a ton of soda, the goal at this step is to make this situation be a result of conscious, deliberate choice rather than the usual impulse, slippage, or habit. Be patient! The point here isn’t to see immediate results, but to set up a good foundation for later.
2. Once you’ve acclimated to having control over the fact that you’re drinking 6 a day, the goal is to generalize this mindset to having control over the number of sodas you drink in a day. The goal here is to slowly decrease the number of sodas, but ensuring you’re only advancing once you are 100% sure you’re in control of the amount at which you are currently.
   1. It’s easy to slip up here. If you catch yourself thinking “maybe an extra one, just as a reward,” or some other excuse, then you’re likely going too fast. Make sure you have full control over your choices before moving on.
   2. I.e. 6 cans w/ control → 5 cans w/ control → 4 cans w/ control → (etc.) → 0 cans with control.

Counterpoint 🤨

Now, I acknowledge that it seems strange that you initially allow yourself to drink a copious amount of soda, and that it would be best, health-wise, to cut it out right away. If you are able to cut it out right away and keep it that way, then go for it. However, with this framework, I'm trying to compensate for the likely event that one relapses and go back to 5 cans/day for the next few months. Instead, I'd rather take the L for the first few days in order to (in theory) make lasting change.

Finally...

Stay tuned for posts on my plan and my journey. 😊

Let me know what you think, if you'll follow my journey, and if you'll start your own - with or without controlled motion! 💬