I'm a Neophiliac
Yep, you read that right. Nope, it’s not what you think.
It is in our human nature to be attracted to what we don’t have or can’t have. Our focus and passion on these must-haves can be surprisingly fleeting. Once we have it, game over and our attention quickly turns to the next new shiny object. This happens over and over from the beginning of our existence through old age. It has been termed Neophilia, “the love of or enthusiasm for what is new or novel.” This in large is what has led us to our massive consumerism problem, that and having some entity willing to capitalize on the notion.
Worthwhile Goals take Grit
Often one must find the motivation in themselves to obtain these new shiny objects. The easiest to obtain will intermittently fill the need for new and release dopamine to instantly gratify your goal-directed pursuit. Often the more difficult wants or needs will take grit to achieve success. For most in today’s fast food society, this idea of having grit and determination is far too difficult. It is especially difficult when another new shiny object is just around the corner and much easier to obtain. We have become a world that gravitates towards instant gratification and those who exploit it.
The Pursuit of Happiness and Health
For many visiting this blog, they are after health. Health or well-being is unfortunately not a shiny object to obtain. It is a set of practices and routines that we juggle in order to achieve a perpetuity of well-being. For many in our society, the absence of sickness or symptoms defines their health. Health as we know it is a juggling act of routines between physical, chemical and emotional well-being. Health, like happiness, is more about the journey rather than the destination. Thus, your daily routine is needed to stay on track and maintain health. Routines like the ones described here as the 12 Innate Essentials are crucial for your journey. Never stop the pursuit
100% Lifestyle to Achieve your Goal
The 90/10 lifestyle should not exist without reaching 100% of your lifestyle goals for a nominal period of time. A great example of this would be a person on a calorie restrictive diet who sticks to their plan at 100% until they reach their target weight loss goal. At this point, a maintenance plan and routine lifestyle modifications should be the focus. Switching from a 100% focused lifestyle plan to something more forgiving, like the 90/10 lifestyle plan will help to avoid burnout and guilt. Essentially, celebrate the success of reaching your goal and enjoy a cheat meal, chocolate cake perhaps. This is a lifestyle that should be led for those with lifestyle goals such as reducing their weight, gaining muscle, fighting their Multiple Sclerosis flare up, battling depression and anxiety, achieving their business goals, setting up financial goals, etc.
90/10 Lifestyle for Maintenance
The 90/10 lifestyle is meant for someone in a maintenance stage of their lifestyle goals. It is essentially being strict with your lifestyle plan at 90% of the time and 10% of the time allowing for some deviation from your lifestyle plan. As with the example used earlier, when the weight loss goal was met, the person should allow themselves a moratorium and enjoy a cheat meal. That means 1 cheat meal, not 2, not 3… This can lead to a slippery slope, so being strict with your 90/10 lifestyle is also crucial to maintaining your success.
All or Nothing or maybe not...
I tend to have a pretty strict, conservative personality. Black or White, with some instances of gray. This has more than once led me to burn out from trying to live a 100% lifestyle. I have learned that being 100% strict leads to self-sabotage. This part of human nature has been proven stronger than my individual personality trait of being Type A. Thankfully, I have also learned that the human body is amazing at adapting to and removing toxicities from the 3 stressors mentioned earlier. Chemical, Physical and Emotional stress. The body’s ability to detox is amazing but not infallible. It can and will become overloaded, thus rendering its abilities useless. As I shared earlier in the 20 toxins blog post, we are surrounded by damaging chemicals every day. Our goal as stated in that blog post was to reduce or eliminate as many as possible so that our body can work as it was designed.
You Must Celebrate!
Goals big or small should be celebrated. Often time we meet our goal and barely acknowledge the success. The journey, after all, is the only way to remain engaged in your lifestyle choices.
Set your goals, make a plan stick to your plan at 100%, reach your goal, relax and have a beer, take a chill pill, enjoy the moment. Enjoy the moment and then return to your lifestyle plan at a minimum of 90%. Take the responsibility necessary to know which goals are worth achieving and keeping as part of your lifestyle.
The Pursuit and Maintenance of your Well-Being
Return and maintain the lifestyle plan you set forth with the 90/10 rule in mind. For me, and hopefully, for you and many of my patients, this is maintaining the 12 Innate Essentials. This lifestyle allows you to keep juggling your health goals and shift your focus to another new shiny object.
The pursuit begins again…
One Adjustment action step.
- Read the 12 Innate Essentials
- Set your goals and plans
- Commit to the OATH (One Adjustment Towards Health)
- Master these goals
- Celebrate your success
- Live by the 90/10 Rule to maintain your success while adding some nonessential goals to your life.
-Nick the DC
What will you plan next?
Disclaimer: The One Adjustment website and blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any type. One Adjustment uses affiliate links as a means to support the content provided at no extra cost to you. Please see disclaimer link for more details.
