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Old 06-15-20, 03:21 PM  
zoegirl
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Habits and boredom

I follow James Clear, who wrote Atomic Habits, on Instagram. Saw this today: "The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom. We get bored with habits because they stop delighting us. The outcome becomes expected. And as our habits become ordinary, we start derailing our progress to seek novelty. Perhaps this is why we get caught up in a never-ending cycle, jumping from one workout to the next, one diet to the next, one business idea to the next. As soon as we experience the slightest dip in motivation, we begin seeking a new strategy - even if the old one was still working. As Machiavelli noted, "Men desire novelty to such an extent that those who are doing well wish for a change as much as those who are doing badly." "

Wow! What do you think about this idea? I was satisfied with one Jane Fonda video back in the day because I didn't know any better. But once I found all the other options, I am always looking for new and better videos, even when I have barely started something new. Maybe this explains part of the popularity of all the streaming sites.
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Old 06-15-20, 04:10 PM  
Terry
 
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I don't get bored with repetition, because I am "boring" <--I am not smashing myself; I am using a word that shows I'm opposite of all those exciting people who do indeed seek novelty, while I almost always stick with habit. Exciting people always seeking novelty entertain me (as long as they don't try to make me change my limited food choices ), so most of my friends are the exciting ones while I hold down the boring side of the fort.

I do buy way too many DVDs, but they become dust collectors while I stick with what I know over and over and over and over. My buying motivation must be more about finding "the perfect" set of workouts that I'll eventually do when someday gets here.
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Old 06-15-20, 04:11 PM  
bzar
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i suffer from having too many DVDs to choose from. my buying habit is more like FOMO rather than boredom with what i have.

i had to force myself to NOT do any of my Leslie's the past 6 months to get through my virgins. no, i don't have 6 months of virgins, but my default workout is walking outdoors in the neighborhood if i can't decide which workout to do.
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Old 06-15-20, 04:26 PM  
adawn
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I probably don't need quite as many workouts as I have, but I have always needed some amount of variety (a collection of workouts I love) because it's hard for me to stay consistent with working out at home to dvds if it's just the same few workouts because they become "less fun" for me when done WAY too frequently. For example, doing the same workout and choreography too often can make even a great workout I love like Cathe's Imax2 or Kristin Dowell's Dressed Up Drills less enjoyable of an experience. But if I only do the workout maybe once every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks and do other step or cardio workouts I love in between, than I get to enjoy and love every workout every time I do it, if that makes sense.

Of course to find workouts I like, I do have to try out some that turn out to be only so-so or complete flops, but I don't feel this wastes much time or energy because I still get a workout trying them out and I only introduce new workouts and instructors into my routine from time to time.

But if someone wants to go from all yoga to all Crossfit to all spin to all barre to all running and jump around a bit, I don't see this really as an issue as long as they are enjoying their exercising, maintaining general good health, etc. I guess I just don't think "jumping from one workout to the next" is a great example of the phenomena I think he's trying to explain. Not really sure. Hard to know because "jumping from one workout to the next" can be taken/understood in different ways. So I would need clarification. Because what kind of "progress" is he talking about when he writes, "we start derailing our progress to seek novelty"?

Sure, if you want to really "progress" in some form of yoga, you actually have to practice yoga somewhat regularly I imagine and so forth. (Just using yoga as an example but the same could be said for running or any activity I suppose).

So basically I'm unclear how he defines "progress" in that sentence and what "jumping from workout to the next" means in the context in which he's writing it.
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Old 06-15-20, 04:31 PM  
adawn
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Also, can someone please tag this thread with "boredom" because I used up my 5 allowed tags already tagging it with other words and phrases.
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Old 06-15-20, 05:30 PM  
BunnyHop
 
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I have trouble with consistency, but it isn't about boredom. I don't seem to be able to maintain any routine for more than a few days, so I've adapted by planning for change within a structure that's not too rigid.

Maybe I just have a short attention span and get distracted easily.
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Old 06-15-20, 07:37 PM  
tiffanywu
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I just love the variety I have -- it keeps me motivated and excited to dust stuff off and get sweaty! And I can plan anything I feel like doing against what I think I should be doing vs. how much time I have to do it (after all the analysis that is... LOL!)
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Old 06-15-20, 08:39 PM  
Taiga
 
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Originally Posted by tiffanywu View Post
.............after all the analysis that is... LOL!)
That's a big part of the fun....dreaming and scheming

My goal is fun and fitness so my progress doesn't really get derailed by doing a variety of workouts. But if I had a more specific goal (like super ripped physique, Ninja skills etc) then staying focused would definitely be a requirement.
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Old 06-16-20, 07:24 AM  
hocuspocus
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry View Post
I don't get bored with repetition, because I am "boring" <--I am not smashing myself; I am using a word that shows I'm opposite of all those exciting people who do indeed seek novelty, while I almost always stick with habit. Exciting people always seeking novelty entertain me (as long as they don't try to make me change my limited food choices ), so most of my friends are the exciting ones while I hold down the boring side of the fort.

I do buy way too many DVDs, but they become dust collectors while I stick with what I know over and over and over and over. My buying motivation must be more about finding "the perfect" set of workouts that I'll eventually do when someday gets here.
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Old 06-16-20, 07:55 AM  
FirmDancer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zoegirl View Post

Wow! What do you think about this idea? .
Great topic! I looooove James Clear's writings. But to answer your question, yes, that is me. I stick with something for 10 days, then get bored and pause, then start something new. (I am extremely consistent with that pattern - lol!!)
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