Knowledge v. Behavior

Famous Financial Author, Speaker and Radio Host Dave Ramsey says that "winning with money is 20% knowledge and 80% behavior."  I believe that the same ratio holds true for winning with your health.  Pretty much everyone knows that smoking, alcohol in excess, a lack of sleep and other unhealthy behaviors are damaging, but still millions of people make these choices everyday.  Cigarettes even come with a warning label.  We have all experienced the "fogginess" of a day after a night with little sleep.  We have book knowledge and experiential knowledge.  Knowledge is not the problem.  It is our behaviors.

So how can you consistently make the right choice when it comes to your health?  Two suggestions.  1.)  Have a goal that is bigger than your current cravings.  Be passionate about your health and happiness in the long-term.  Your health goals (whether to live a longer life, a better quality of life, to have more energy to play games with kids or grandkids, to look better or have better performance in your daily activities) need to be at the forefront of your mind.  Sure a third scoop of ice cream sounds great at the moment, but how is it going to impact your life today and in the future?  Sure, if you don't exercise this morning you may have an extra hour right now, but later in the day when you are exhausted and out of energy that extra hour will get eaten up in front of the TV instead of doing something productive.  Become a "Pay Now, Play Later" (more on this concept in an upcoming post) type person.  Pay the price now, so you can play later.

2.)  Use the swap.  Most people agree that when you are trying to quit one negative behavior you need to swap it out with another.  The Healthy Living in Small Steps Blog is all about the swaps.  Trade ice cream for cereal, take the steps instead of the elevator, read a book instead of watching that same TV episode for the 3rd time on Netflix (one of my weaknesses).  Identify a few problem areas in your life and find swaps for them.  

Remember the entire goal is to get all of us healthier, a few steps at a time.  Keep your "end goals" in mind and have a "'swap" prepared for unhealthy choices.  Let me know if you have come up with any interesting swaps that I can share.  I would like to put a list of them together.