The Mindset Mentor - Why Change Sucks

Episode Date: May 18, 2018

Episode 430 - We all want change, we all want to be better but why is it so hard to change? We in this episode I talk about how and why your brain resists change and how to "hijack" your brain to make it do what you want! Want to learn more about Mindset Mentor+? For nearly nine years, the Mindset Mentor Podcast has guided you through life's ups and downs. Now, you can dive even deeper with Mindset Mentor Plus. Turn every podcast lesson into real-world results with detailed worksheets, journaling prompts, and a supportive community of like-minded people. Enjoy monthly live Q&A sessions with me, and all this for less than a dollar a day. If you’re committed to real, lasting change, this is for you.Join here 👉 www.mindsetmentor.com My first book that I’ve ever written is now available. It’s called LEVEL UP and It’s a step-by-step guide to go from where you are now, to where you want to be as fast as possible.📚If you want to order yours today, you can just head over to robdial.com/bookHere are some useful links for you… If you want access to a multitude of life advice, self development tips, and exclusive content daily that will help you improve your life, then you can follow me around the web at these links here:Instagram TikTokFacebookYoutube

Welcome to the MWF Motivation Podcast, one of the top-rated motivational podcasts in the world. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I come out with a short, to-the-point, no-BS podcast designed to transform you from who you are today into who you want to be. There's no fluff here, just life-changing content. My name is Rob Dial, and the podcast starts now. Welcome to today's episode. If you have not yet done so, please subscribe to this podcast the way that your ears are listening to it. iStune, Stitcher, SoundCloud, whatever it is that you're listening to, the way that your ears are listening to it, iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, whatever it

is that you're listening to, please hit that subscribe button so you never miss another episode. Today, what I'm going to be talking about is why change is so flipping hard. And to start off, I'm going to tell you about a quote from a book called The Brain Revolution by Dr. Gordon. It's a true name of his, Dr. Gordon. So the brain revolution, some of you guys might get that movie quote. The brain revolution, what he talks about is he says, why is change so hard? Because any attempt at altering habits is interpreted as a threat by the brain 100% of the time. Coax the habit change over time via a targeted, systematic, and immensely immersive approach. So let me say that again, just so you know, why is it so hard to change? Because your

brain, any attempt at changing these habits that you have are interpreted as a threat 100% of the time. So how do you get past it? You can't just guess of ways to get past it and to change your habits. You need a targeted, systematic, and immensely immersive approach to do so. So your brain thinks that change is a threat. Why does it think that change is a threat? This is why you guys, if you guys have not figured out yet, this is why I'm so obsessed with the brain is because if I can figure out how the brain works, then I can then teach you how to get past the way that it works. And therefore, we can actually kind of hack our brain, which is what I talk about during my webinar.

And so your brain views change as a threat. Why? Because your brain only wants to keep you alive. Your brain knows that you are alive right now and you are alive because of the habits that you have created. Therefore, any change to those habits is viewed as a threat, viewed as a possible outcome of death. Therefore, your brain wants you to stay in its comfort zone and that is what it has built for you. This is why it is so hard to get out of a comfort zone. This is why it is so hard to get out of a comfort zone. This is why it is so hard to push yourself past where you think is possible is because your brain legitimately

wants to click off. Now it won't click off. It is not impossible to be pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. It's actually very, very possible. And it's easy to do because what do you do? You just stop freaking thinking and just do it, right? You don't have to believe in yourself in order to get things done, right? Your brain views everything that's outside of its comfort zone. Everything that's different as a threat though. Like for instance, you know that if you make more money, you will not die. You know that if you are more successful, it's not going to kill you. But your brain does not know that.

Your brain knows one thing and one thing only. Where you are right now has gotten you, everything that you've done has gotten you to where you are. And where you are right now is breathing. And that's all that it cares about. So it has mechanisms built in to hold yourself in that comfort zone. Just because you don't believe in yourself doesn't mean you can't do it. And also, just so you know, you are not lazy.

You're not lazy. You're not a procrastinator. I think that every human is lazy. Every human is a procrastinator. That is just the way we were built. Because if you think about it, thousands of years ago, before air conditioning, before all of those things, what did we do? Well, we would wake up earlier in the morning. As soon as the sun started to come up, we would go hunting. Women would go hunting. Women would do gardening. They would do those

types of things. They would get everything ready while it was cool. And then they would get everything ready before the sunset while it was cool again. And what did they do? I'm assuming they probably just chilled under trees when it was really freaking hot outside, when it was a hundred degrees. Like I live in Texas, it gets to 105 degrees. There's no way that they were out working and getting things done when it was 105 degrees. No, they were sitting in the shade, drinking water and resting. What does that mean? That means that we are inherently lazy. We are inherently going to want to do nothing throughout the day. So you are not lazy. You are not a procrastinator. You are just a human. We all are. That's just the way that we are.

So you're not lazy. You're not a procrastinator. You just don't have a reason to do what needs to be done. Or you're just scared to make changes and to get up and actually do it. And you're scared to make changes because changes bring on the unknown and the unknown can be scary to the brain because the brain doesn't know in the unknown that you won't die, right? Change is hard because your brain just wants you to stay safe. And it knows that where you are right now is alive and safe. So I'm going to tell you this. Stop being controlled by an organ in your body that is 2% of your body weight. Your brain is 2% of your body weight and it controls people's lives. You are not your brain. Your brain is not you. You are in control of it. Right? Your brain is just a part of your body. That's it.

But here's the crazy thing. Nobody ever says, oh man, you know what? I'm just not where I want to be in life because my hand, right? Like that doesn't make any sense. I'm not where I want to be in life just because my hand, it does all this stuff. It won't let me do what I want to do, right? That seems ridiculous to say and to hear. but your hand is on your body. Your hand is part of your body. Your hand does not control you, right? But some people sit there and they say, oh, I can't, I'm not where I want to do. I'm not where I want to be because my thoughts, my mind, my brain, because I just can't do it because I'm too afraid or because I have fears, because I have limiting beliefs, right? Just like your brain, I'm sorry, just like your hand doesn't control where you currently are in life, your brain should not control where you currently are in life. You might be giving more

power to your brain than it deserves. You might be giving it more credit than it deserves. It is 2% of your total body weight and it can be controlling your life. If your life is not where you want it to be, it's because of the actions, habits, and results of everything that you have done to get to this point. And your brain is help. I mean, it really, in reality helps you get to where you are or hold you back from where you want to go. You know, if I told you, oh my gosh, I can't, I can't control my arm and my arms flapping all over the place. And it's just going all crazy. You'd be like, what the heck is wrong with Rob's arm? Why is it going so crazy? Because of the

fact that it's on my body, I should be able to control it. Correct. Well then why is it different from my, from your brain? People are always like, oh, I can't control it. Like I just can't control my thoughts. I can't control the way I feel and my actions and my thoughts and all of these things. No, you can. You just haven't actually decided to take control and figured out systematically how to make changes. So why is change so hard? Because your brain thinks it's a threat and you need to figure out a targeted, systematic, and intensely immersive approach to make yourself change it. You cannot change your habits unless you have 66 days at least to dedicate to changing your habits because that's about how long it takes for you to rewire your brain and rewire habits into a daily practice,

something that is natural for you because your brain wants to go on autopilot. Your brain is only 2% of your body weight, but it consumes 20% of your energy throughout the day. Your brain consumes so much energy that it has autopilot mechanisms. It wants to go on autopilot. It wants to create habits, which is why you drive home sometimes. You're like, how the heck did I just get home? Well, the reason why is because you went on autopilot. So some of us have autopilot that is bad habits, but that doesn't mean it can't change. So let's create some autopilot that is good habits. Start reading some books on habits if you want some help. Start watching some YouTube videos on habits if you want some help. I have lessons in my group coaching on how to change your habits and how to get the right habits in place. So if you need a targeted, systematic, and intensely immersive approach, group coaching on how to change your habits and how to get the right habits in place. So if you need a targeted, systematic, and intensely immersive approach,

group coaching might be for you. If it's not, no big deal. But as long as you do something about it and stop letting something that is so small, 2% of your body weight, control your life. So if you like this episode, please do me a favor, share it with someone that you know and love. Please, please, please share with them. But I'm going to leave you the same way I leave you like this episode, please do me a favor. Share it with someone that you know and love. Please, please, please share with them. But I'm going to leave you the same way I leave you every single episode.

Make it your mission to make somebody else's day better. I appreciate you. And I hope that you have an absolutely amazing day. Well, that's it for today's podcast. If you want the show notes for this episode, they can be found at mwfmotivation.com.