C H A N G E ...is hard

Often times, as it may be with the majority of blogs I read being written by women, I come across post regarding women and their desire to lose weight, exercise more, become healthier and feel better about themselves.

All wonderful things, and I strive for many of the same myself.

Just as often, on a more depressing note, I come across us talking of our failure to do so. We want to make the right choice, but the temptations overcome us, we are tired, our kids get sick and so on...

Does this make us bad people? I don't think so. I think we are all real, with real lives and real setbacks. However, we are much harsher on ourselves about these setbacks. At least I know I am.

It is not easy to make a change- even a small one. I'm making a big change in my life soon, and know that it is going to be extremely difficult.

However, I am reading a book that has given me a new perspective on change and why change is so difficult.

Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard- by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.

Although this book is not meant as a diet book, a health book or any of the sort, I have personally found it to be one of the most foundational books I've seen on the matter. It doesn't give you a diet plan to follow, tell you when to exercise- it is an Applied Psychology book and not meant to do so- it is applicable to both areas.

The book delves into what makes our brains tick- with both our analytical side and emotional side. The authors go into great detail on these "sides" of our brain, and how they affect our ability to change and become whom/what we desire to be.

Are you a bad person because you can't stay away from those Girl Scout Cookies? No. Just a person who has exhausted their brains emotional bank, and needs a different outlook.

Since reading this book, I've looked at things like dieting, exercise and lifestyle choices differently. I no longer look at the changes in my life in big areas- I've gone from saying "I want to lose 10 lbs and eat more vegetables" to saying "I am going to eat one vegetable per day." {The book gives a clearer picture as to why this is the optimal way to look at changes, and how doing so this way optimizes our brains ability to handle changes}

It quickly became one of my Top 5 Must Read Books.

My bottom line? No, I am not paid to write this, the authors have no idea I am doing so. I just wanted to share. I hold a dear spot in my heart for my lovely blogging friends, and the struggles we share. I read this book and knew instantly that it could make a difference in many of our outlooks on change, and wanted to share it with you all.

I encourage you to check it out if you are looking to make changes, frustrated with your current ability to do so, or are just interested in looking into how our brain operates. I believe you will be encouraged by what you find out.

Oh, and you can check out the other books I love on GoodReads (email me and I will add you), where I just started an account a few weeks ago! I would love to have some friends to chat books with! (Any Malcolm Gladwell fans out there?)