We are overwhelmed. Individually and as a society. Our modern lives are filled with obligations, goals and a to do list that never quits. How then do we ever manage to find time to focus on our health? Last week I wrote about creating space and boundaries and this week I want to build on that important step. Once your boundaries are created and goals are clearly set, it's time to execute! Completing these tasks like everything is easy when you are motivated and nothing is in your way but when you don't feel like it, your motivation waivers, the weather isn't perfect and your willpower runs thin you have to rely on more. This is where integrity and discipline meet with your goals through the principle of "How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything."

Dr. Ashley Lucas (my beautiful wife, author and owner of PHD Weight Loss and Nutrition) first exposed me to the concept of the "sophisticated excuse." This isn't the everyday excuse around why your stopping your workout early, no, these are the deep psychological excuses that prevent us from committing to a program of eating, moving or living that will save our lives. Now I hear them all the time. What's interesting to me is that I hear high performing entrepreneurs, physicians and successful people tell me why their lives are too busy, their house is more important, their spouse won't support them or their job is just too busy to make or maintain change. Yet, they succeed in highly complex tasks in every other area of their life, regularly and consistently.

The difference between these two scenarios though is not which is more important or which you have the resources for. It's about who's watching. At work and with your friends and family your goals and projects are out for display, but with your commitment to not eating off plan, making sure you get every bit of movement in you planned for or completing the journaling/meditation you decided to commit to and going to bed on time, NO ONE WILL KNOW if you cheat, just a little.

But you will know. Every time you degrade your own performance you are telling yourself your not worth it. Every time you fail to achieve what you set out to do you strip away your personal integrity. The more this occurs the easier it becomes. Eventually, anything out of sight becomes fair game and in our addictive world that's a dangerous place to live.

So, my challenge to you is to remind yourself EVERY DAY that How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything! It doesn't matter who is watching or who will see the results. It's your OWN integrity that will shine. A life in line with integrity is a life that will ultimately be in flow state. Create habits and have the discipline to stick to them. When you are working a program of health optimization, weight loss or personal growth, GO ALL IN. Remember that these programs only work if you work it, so work it 'cause you're worth it.

In Gratitude,

Dr Doug

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