How to Coach Yourself and Others Essential Knowledge For Coaching | Page 211

21. Take it one urge at a time. Often we’re told to take it one
day at a time — which is good advice — but really it’s one urge at
a time. Just make it through this urge.
22. Not One Puff Ever (in other words, no exceptions). This
seems harsh, but it’s a necessity: when you’re trying to break the
bonds between an old habit and a trigger, and form a new bond
between the trigger and a new habit, you need to be really
consistent. You can’t do it sometimes, or there will be no new
bond, or at least it will take a really really long time to form. So,
at least for the first 30 days (and preferably 60), you need to
have no exceptions. Each time a trigger happens, you need to do
the new habit and not the old one. No exceptions, or you’ll have a
backslide. If you do mess up, regroup, learn from your mistake,
plan for your success, and try again (see the last item on this list).
23. Get rest. Being tired leaves us vulnerable to relapse. Get a lot
of rest so you can have the energy to overcome urges.
24. Drink lots of water. Similar to the item above, being
dehydrated leaves us open to failure. Stay hydrated!
25. Renew your commitment often. Remind yourself of your
commitment hourly, and at the beginning and end of each day.
Read your plan. Celebrate your success. Prepare yourself for
obstacles and urges.
26. Set up public accountability. Blog about it, post on a forum,
email your commitment and daily progress to friend and family,
post a chart up at your office, write a column for your local
newspaper (I did this when I ran my first marathon). When we
make it public — not just the commitment but the progress
updates — we don’t want to fail.
27. Engineer it so it’s hard to fail. Create a groove that’s harder
to get out of than to stay in: increase positive feedback for
sticking with the habit, and increase negative feedback for not
doing the habit.
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