Doing a triathlon, a run, or simply a walk this New Year

If you needed one more reason - one more piece of research evidence - to show the silliness of the "new year's resolution" tradition, you can see it in this article in the Wall Street Journal.  One more reason to love it? We get to blame our brains for something else we just "can't do".

Losing weight is the most familiar of new year's resolutions. It, in fact, supports an entire industry - from treadmill purchases at Sears to YMCA memberships,to  new sugar-free-all-raw diets and spectacular gear purchases (uh, did Santa bring anyone a new piece of electronic equipment to suppor their 'new training' program this year?)....and all that exists in between.

The activities associated with losing weight are too much for our wee brains to handle. Yes - what you thought was a sophisticated sense of machinery sitting atop your finely architected neck is simply --- well, simple.

And in this post, I'll mention in easy to read, short-syllable words, why you shouldn't attempt something as silly as losing weight at home without close supervision and guidance.

You see it is all based on will power. It takes a lot of will power to lose weight.  (or run a marathon, do a triathlon, heck, even walk outside after a big meal.)

And as luck would have it, it turns out our brains, well, at least the front of our brains, is in short supply of the stuff. To be more accurate, it seems we over load our wee brains with demands.  Sad to say, but we are all high-maintenace demanding folks and our brains are the first to put up the figurative hand and say "enough".

That area of the brain behind all your weather-born wrinkles on your forehead has a few main functions. Helping you stay focused while sitting on your trainer for 3 hours while it's snowing outside; remembering the phone number the operator just gave you to the Thai restaurant on the corner, or trying to figure out what Van Gogh was trying to tell you in "Self Portrait Without Ear":

                                  Martin Missfeldt, 2006. "Self Portraint Without Ear - VIncent van Gogh"

As soon as we start complicating things by asking too much of our brains, well, they shut down and we give in to temptation. If that means eating a pint of cookie dough ice cream after work, or having a few extra chewy chocolate brownies on Friday "because it's been a long week", then that's what it means.  See what the the good professor from Stanford discovered when he tempted a few students with chocolate cake and then tell me you haven't done the same.

There is a nice point in that article that's worth regurgitating here:

There's something unsettling about this scientific model of willpower. Most of us assume that self-control is largely a character issue, and that we would follow through on our New Year's resolutions if only we had a bit more discipline. But this research suggests that willpower itself is inherently limited, and that our January promises fail in large part because the brain wasn't built for success.

....making lots of New Year's resolutions is the wrong way to go about changing our habits. When we ask the brain to suddenly stop eating its favorite foods and focus more at work and pay off the Visa…we're probably asking for too much.

The right way?

A social network. Not just of the virtual kind (no, Facebook won't cut it here folks), but the "we're-here-for-you-through-thick-and-thin" kind. The it-doesn't-matter-what-you-look-like-say-or-do kind. The Pay-it-Forward-without-condition kind.

We are a bit biased, of course.  But fortunately, there's quite a bit of science behind our network theory too. But that's not what this article is about....so more of that  in another article later. 

Getting started, in a way that doesn't over-tax your brain, has never been easier. We propose simplifying your goal, and making it less about a race, or a number on the scale, and more about your life. That may seem bass-ackwards. Life is bigger than a race, right? Well, yes. But hang in there a sec.

Have you ever hung out with a group of peeps who are active? The kind who go out for a run every few days, or hit the gym in the mornings and go for bike rides on the weekends? The kind who swap new energy bar, protein pancake or special shake recipes? The ones who plan weddings, business trips and vacations around the best trails to run, oceans to swim in or places to get in a boat and row? (Yes, row.)
Do these people seem happy to you? Not happy with their things, but happy with their lives.

Are they all rail-thin? Are they all 29 are younger?

Do they all drive LandRovers or wear the fanciest clothes? (We're not talking about their work out gear collection or equipment right now!)

Our guess is "no". (And we base this on our own social networks of friends who despite -22 degrees F, 18 inches of snow, and 3 rug rats filling their calendars, manage to find creative and fun ways to inject a bit of activity and delicious grub into their lives)

And our point is this:
Start by simply hanging out with people who live vibrant, healthy and active lifestyles.  Just do that. Don't think about anything else, don't try to over-load your brain with anymore goals, promises or "to do's".  Just simply hang out. Let their chatter sink in; the energy of it, the positivity, the optimism; the joking, the ribbing, the one-upping...just let it soak in without censorship. Support one of them in a new goal, a new challenge, or just help them at their next race, training session or shopping spree.
Then, watch what happens next.

We bet your life changes - for the better.

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Fun Announcement to Put Our Money Where Our Virtual Mouth Is:

GOTRIbal is beginning it's 3rd year in 2011. And we're big on celebrations.

And our tradition is to give shoog whenever we celebrate.

So, in January 2011, we will be supporting 3 women, who have been nominated by their friends in the global TRIbe network, to do an endurance challenge in 2011.

The first step? Support your friend to join the network. Become a Fan, sign up for the TRIbal Talk newsletter -- whatever you do support her to find a way to lead an active, fun, and healthy lifestyle.

When she does, nominate her for an endurance sporting challenge - and through our GOTRIbal Scholarship Fund, we'll help get her there. Just get the nominations in by Jan 31 or she'll miss out on a whole lotta fun this year.

As you might've guessed, there are Rules and Regs. Click here to read them.

In the meantime, we are stoked to bring in the New Year with all of you -- and in the spirit of Paying it Forward, does anyone have any suggestions where we can pass on some of the clutter that is overwhelming our over-taxed brains?