What do robots, excuses, and your health have in common?

Howdy friend!

Have you ever felt like your excuses and your health goals are Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots having a never ending boxing match in your brain?

You have the red robot, Excuse Enforcer Edna, on one side defending your excuses to the death…

-why the dishes are still dirty and in piles on the counter instead of in the dishwasher

-why you haven’t been strength training in addition to your runs every week (even though you signed up for that 5K in a few months)

-why you haven’t been using arugula (even though you love it and your nutrigenomic test revealed that arugula is one of the healthiest foods for you - your best return of ingestion³!)

Then you have the blue robot, Healthy Habit Hans, defending your health goals and the positive effects they’ll have on your life…

-keeping the kitchen [relatively] clean so that it’s organized and pleasant to cook in (versus being a cluttered, overwhelming nightmare)

-following along with a free guided strength training session for runners on YouTube twice a week at home before going on your run to address your muscle weaknesses and prevent injuries during your next 5K

-adding ½ cup of arugula to your leftover bowl of pasta at lunch for more flavor and fiber so that you actually feel full and don’t find yourself sneaking a pop or a Snickers bar at 2PM yet again

If you’re like most people, you’ll let Excuse Enforcer Edna win the boxing match most of the time. Not because you’re bad or are doomed, but because this is how your brain is wired. If all you’ve ever known is how to let the excuses part of your brain win, then your brain is going to keep doing that because it’s comfortable.

I like to call Excuse Enforcer Edna your 5-year-old brain.

It’s cranky, wants the easiest way out, and doesn’t usually understand what it best for you in the long run.

Your adult brain (Healthy Habit Hans) is more evolved.

It logically observes the objections from your 5-year-old brain, recognizing these excuses as a typical human response, but also holds a secret that the 5-year-old brain isn't aware of.

Your adult brain knows that the excuses are opportunities for growth and learning.

Excuse Enforcer Edna socks Healthy Habit Hans in the face and says, “I can’t sit down for lunch without also working because my schedule is packed and eating while I’m working on my laptop allows me to be productive and take care of myself at the same time.”

Healthy Habits Hans grins and knocks out Excuse Enforcer Edna with one swift jab, “That's an interesting perspective. However, our digestion improves significantly when we engage our senses to strengthen the gut-brain connection. When we take the time to see ¹ and appreciate our lunch we naturally slow down, chew more thoroughly, and initiate proper food breakdown for digestion. While multitasking during lunch might seem efficient, it actually leads to bloating and low energy in the afternoon."

As you can see, if you pause and reflect, even for a moment, you’ll create space for a beautiful boxing match² to take place in your mind.

On a serious note, you’ll be amazed at how observing both your adult and 5-year-old brain diffuses the brutal boxing match, allowing you make deliberate decisions that align with your health goals, innermost values, and ultimately lead to a more fulfilled life.