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by Tony Gjokaj February 22, 2020 5 min read
“I fear not the man that practiced 10,000 kicks one, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
- Bruce Lee
Sometimes I'll go into a gym and be so focused that I don't even say "hello" to the same people that habitually workout at the same time as me. Towards the end of my workout, I realize that I've been in my own zone for over an hour. This is discipline.
Discipline is defined as training oneself to do something in a habitual way. Since I've been resistance training for a decade (essentially putting thousands of hours into it), it has become second nature to me.
Some of us might understand this in fitness, while others understand it in their careers or other hobbies. However: how do we get to that point where we can turn a new habit into a long-lasting discipline?
I wanted to give you our own specific "theory" on habit-building by taking some neurological research and applying it behind the sciences of habit.
We are a byproduct of our habits - consciously or subconsciously.
We have discussed the science of habit-building on multiple blog posts, yet we have never dived into the deep neurological processes of how our brain thinks and operates. This is what we will be talking about in this section.
A prime opportunity According to Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, there are two systems of thinking for the brain: what he calls System 1 and System 2. You can read an excerpt of the book here.
Have you ever driven home without realizing how you got there? That is the System 1 part of our brain in action. System 1 is instinctive, quick responding, and emotional. It is the lazy system in our brain.
We theorize that we can alter some of System 1's processes by building a habit through hours of practice. A habit is a byproduct of repetition and consistency. You know when you're at that point when it is instinctive or a gut-feeling.
A habit is a byproduct of repeating System 2 processes.
Remember you on your first week of getting hired at that new job? There was so much to learn that you were so exhausted when you came home that your brain literally could not think. This has everything to do with our System 2 brain.
System 2 is the more rational and logical part of our brain. Our brain expends a lot of energy trying to solve complex problems or learn new things. This is where brain fog kicks in - where willpower goes out the window at times.
Remember our previous driving example? Now remember when we first started driving: we needed to concentrate on the road... and our parents were so concentrated on us so that we didn't crash. Both required the deliberate thinking of the System 2 brain. You are tired from focusing so much. Your parents are tired from having an internal panic-attack from you driving terribly.
In health and fitness, learning new things requires a lot of research and practice. Watching exercise "How-To" videos can get as mentally exhausting as putting them into practice.
Remember though: System 2 allows us to modify our thinking with System 1. We can turn new hobbies into habits (System 1) by consistently doing them.
Now that you know about System 1 and System 2 parts of your brain, you can see where things can get complicated when trying to build new habits. Here are a few thoughts:
In just these bullet points, you can see that your brain is against you. It doesn't want you to try new things, it wants you to habitually do what you've been doing.
"One of the tasks of System 2 is to overcome the impulses of System 1. In other words, System 2 is in charge of self-control."
- Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow
Your System 1 brain is literally your relative that's set in their old-fashioned ways. Your System 2 brain is you with the new innovative ideas that you haven't put into practice yet. You need to take action and show your System 1 that this is the way of things now.
Inputting what we learned into practice, here are a few things we should keep in mind:
I hope understanding the System 1 and System 2 parts of our brains helps you build a foundation for forging new habits. We wanted to give you a starting point by helping you understand habit-building and our brain's way of thinking.
We hope this blog post might give you more confidence to push forward more than ever before with your training and exercise. In understanding this as well, you can apply the System 1 and System 2 theory when creating other habits for yourself.
Our goal at Reforged is mastery of the mind and body. Understanding this is the starting point to getting there.
If you have any questions, comments, or other insight, feel free to comment below. We are always looking to engage in exciting conversations.
Remember that legends are forged in the fires of desire.
Until next time Reforged Legion!
Tony is the Owner of Reforged. He is a PN1 Certified Nutrition Coach and has been in the fitness space for over a decade. His goal is to help millions exercise their way out of depression and anxiety.
by Tony Gjokaj April 25, 2023 3 min read
Exercise can feel like a chore, and even if you know it’s good for your health, the motivation to get moving sometimes just isn’t there.
But it doesn’t have to be a burden - by making exercise meaningful to you, it can become something fun and rewarding!
Here are five ways to make exercise more meaningful!
by Tony Gjokaj October 07, 2022 4 min read
Men, I know what it is like to be overweight and depressed.
Not having the energy to do anything but relax and sleep.
While relaxation and sleep are incredibly important, they can make us feel like we are not making progress in our lives.
And when depression hits, it’s very difficult to push through with exercise and weight loss.
But did you know that even though it takes time and some effort, you don’t need to get obsessively crazy over it?
In fact, with just a few small adjustments, you can lose weight, fight back against depression, and take your life back.
If you're serious about shedding pounds and pushing away those depression demons, here are five tips that can help get you started.
by Tony Gjokaj September 05, 2022 4 min read
A few weeks ago, my buddy Grant and I talked about nutrition.
We talked about how he's lost over 120 pounds so far with the weight loss progress he's been making.
This is all because he has been making healthier decisions over time.
One of the newest challenges he's facing right now is he's got a new job. He's working 10 to 12 hour days with physical demanding labor.
And what's been happening for him is that he's been super exhausted, he's not motivated to meal prep, he's having trouble trying to sit down and cook foods doesn't have the energy doesn't have the time.
So what I propose is five tips that you can use to live a more on the go fast food healthy eating lifestyle.
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