
This Graph Changed My Life | The Cycle of Death
“This Graph Changed My Life | The Cycle of Death”
Have you ever found yourself trapped in a never-ending cycle of starting anew?
You create grand plans on Sunday evening, promising to hit the gym regularly, practice intermittent fasting, work harder, and even devote an hour each day to reading.
The first few days seem promising – you feel proud of the three workouts you’ve already completed, and a sense of accomplishment fills the air.
But just as quickly as your motivation appears, it fades away, and you find yourself hitting the snooze button on your Monday morning alarm.
Your enthusiasm wanes, and you convince yourself that one missed session won’t matter.
Perhaps you’ve even experienced the frustration of falling into this vicious cycle on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
Known as the “cycle of death,” this graph illustrates the highs of contentment and the lows of dissatisfaction, ultimately leading to a lack of consistency in building good habits.
In today’s blog post, I’ll share how this concept has revolutionized my life and offer my insights on breaking free from the never-ending loop once and for all.
– The Frustration of Inconsistency and the Vicious Cycle
Inconsistency can be frustrating, especially when it hinders your progress and keeps you stuck in a vicious cycle.
It’s a familiar story for many of us – we start the week with grand plans to hit the gym, embrace intermittent fasting, work harder, and read for an hour every day.
We feel accomplished after a few days of sticking to our goals, patting ourselves on the back, and basking in the satisfaction of our efforts.
But then, the next morning rolls around, and the alarm clock sounds for our gym session.
The motivation wanes, and we make excuses, telling ourselves that missing one day won’t hurt.
After all, we’ve already had a few tough workouts, and a rest day won’t hurt.
We promise to go tomorrow instead.
Fast forward to Sunday night, and we find ourselves reflecting on a week where we didn’t make it to the gym, abandoned intermittent fasting, and neglected our reading habits.
We realize that consistency is a struggle, and we’ve fallen into the dreaded cycle of inconsistency – the cycle of death.
This cycle is characterized by moments of contentment when we’re on track, but these are quickly followed by feelings of dissatisfaction and disappointment when we fall off track.
It’s a pattern that repeats itself week after week, month after month, or even day after day. Breaking free from this cycle is incredibly difficult, but it’s not impossible.
One possible solution is to recognize the power of momentum and the impact of small wins. When we make a mistake or slip up, our natural tendency is to continue in that same direction.
For instance, if we eat a small piece of chocolate, we may think,
“Well, I’ve already blown my diet, so I might as well have fast food for dinner too. I’ll start over tomorrow.”
This mindset perpetuates the cycle of inconsistency.
However, by acknowledging this behavior and consciously making an effort to break free from it, we can start to create new habits and establish regularity in our lives.
It may take time and effort, but it’s worth it to escape the grip of the cycle of death and finally achieve the consistency we desire.
– Understanding the Curve of Satisfaction and Discontentment
For the past two years, every week, it’s been the same thing.
Sunday evening, I tell myself,
“Okay, starting tomorrow, I’ll start working out, do intermittent fasting, work more, and read for an hour every day.”
Three days later, it’s Wednesday, and I’m feeling great because I’ve already done three workout sessions.
I’m so proud of myself, and I have only one desire – to continue this way.
Sadly, when the alarm rings the next morning to go to the gym, I feel lazy.
I justify skipping it by telling myself that it’s not a big deal since I’ve already done a lot of sessions in the past few days, and besides, I’ll go tomorrow.
Of course, the result is that when Sunday evening comes, I haven’t worked out, I’ve given up on intermittent fasting, and as for reading, well, that fell by the wayside too.
I have a consistency problem.
I can’t seem to build good habits, and I find myself trapped in a vicious cycle – the death cycle.
In this cycle, at the top of the curve, we have what we call the point of contentment.
Essentially, it’s when you’ve been going to the gym for three consecutive days and you’re happy and satisfied.
At the bottom of the curve, we find dissatisfaction, representing the point of discontentment. It’s like Sunday evening for me, when I realize that I’ve been doing a lousy job for the past three or four days and I’m not proud of myself.
At that point, I’m forced to start over because I’ve let myself go for too long.
This pattern works on a weekly scale, for example, but it can also be the case for a month, or even worse, for a single day.
That’s why we call it the death cycle – once you’re in it, it’s extremely difficult to break free and maintain good habits consistently.
The only time you’re successful is when you stick to this specific pattern, but you end up stagnating.
– Breaking Free from the Cycle of Death
For the past two years, I have been trapped in a never-ending cycle.
Every Sunday night, I make big plans for the upcoming week.
I promise myself that starting from tomorrow, I will hit the gym, practice intermittent fasting, work harder, and dedicate an hour to reading every day.
And for the first few days, things go great.
I feel proud of myself for completing three consecutive workout sessions, and I convince myself that I can skip one day because I’ve already worked out enough.
But before I know it, I find myself back at square one.
This is the vicious cycle I refer to as the Cycle of Death.
At the top of the curve, there is a sense of contentment when you consistently maintain your habits. But at the bottom, there is dissatisfaction and disappointment when you fail to do so.
For me, this occurs every Sunday evening, realizing that I have let myself down yet again.
It’s a constant struggle to build good habits and break free from this repetitive pattern. I know that I need to get back on track, but it feels like an impossible task.
This cycle can occur on a weekly, monthly, or even daily basis, making it incredibly challenging to escape its clutches.
But I refuse to let it hold me back any longer.
I will share with you how you can break free from the Cycle of Death once and for all.
In conclusion, sheds light on the struggle many individuals face when trying to establish and maintain good habits.
The cycle of death, as illustrated in the graph, depicts the constant cycle of satisfaction and dissatisfaction that we often find ourselves in.
We start with a surge of motivation, committing to exercise, intermittent fasting, and reading daily.
However, as the days go by, our motivation wanes, and we find excuses to skip our workout or indulge in unhealthy habits.
Soon enough, we are back at the point of dissatisfaction, regretting our lack of discipline.
This vicious cycle, known as the cycle of death, is difficult to break free from. It traps us in a never-ending loop of unfulfilled goals and inconsistent routines.
However, it is crucial to understand that it is not impossible to escape this cycle and finally establish good habits. To overcome this cycle, we must first acknowledge our tendency to continue in the wrong direction after making a mistake.
Whether it’s indulging in an unhealthy snack or letting one day of laziness turn into a week, we must learn to break this pattern of behavior.
By recognizing our tendency to self-sabotage, we can better equip ourselves to resist these temptations.
Additionally, it is essential to set realistic goals and attainable routines.
Rather than overwhelming ourselves with unrealistic expectations, we should focus on small, manageable steps. Starting with one workout session per week or dedicating 15 minutes to reading each day can gradually lead to more significant progress.
Furthermore, accountability is key in maintaining consistency.
Seeking support from friends, family, or even online communities can provide the necessary encouragement and motivation to stay on track. By sharing our goals and progress with others, we increase our commitment and hold ourselves accountable. Breaking free from the cycle of death requires perseverance and commitment. It may not be an easy journey, but by understanding our patterns, setting realistic goals, and seeking support, we can finally establish the good habits that will truly change our lives.
So, let’s break free from the cycle of death and embrace a life of consistency, growth, and fulfillment.