We have all done it. Whether it's a boozy night out or an overindulgent lunch, we have given into the temptations of now and paid for it the next day. We have a society that is based around short-term pleasure. Be it our quest for instant pain relief, crash dieting or fast food, we are constantly trying to do things easier and faster. But what are the long-term consequences?
For instance, why is it that according to one UCLA study, over two-thirds of dieters regain more weight than they lost? Or that inevitably, those people taking pain relief for their aches and pains need to keep reaching for that bottle to keep the pain away, until eventually even that doesn't give relief? And why is it that we go out for a boozy Friday night, swear in the morning that it just isn't worth it and that we will never, ever do it again, only to repeat the dose next Friday?
The reason is our short-term focus. According to life coach Anthony Robbins, we tend to make life choices around how much pleasure a certain action gives us versus how much pain that same action causes us. The problem comes when we use instant pain and pleasure as our guide. For instance, we will often make food choices based around cost, convenience and taste. These are all instant pleasures, but continually making choices based purely on these criteria will make you sick in the long term.
The solution is to make your lifestyle choices based around future pain and pleasure. When you are making a decision around anything in your life, ask yourself, ‘What sort of pain will this choice potentially cause me in the future?', ‘What are the long term consequences of continually doing this activity?' and ‘How will this make me feel tomorrow?'.
One great way to link your food choices to long-term consequences is to eat your favourite junk food naked in front of the mirror. Unless you are 100 per cent happy with what you see, this can be a great reality check as to the long-term effects of what you are putting into your body! On the other hand, everyone knows that if they eat more fruits and vegetables it will mean that in the long term they will be more energetic, healthier and fitter looking.
So make your lifestyle choices based around the pleasure and pain they will cause you in the future, rather than the instant moment. You will not only be much happier and healthier but you might even start to enjoy Sunday mornings.
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