It is often said that the All or Nothing approach is not a good way for improving our health or achieving our goals.
I have a different view on this idea that better fits the range of options available to us when we are looking to make changes. I call it the All or Something approach.
On the one side is the All approach, which can be labelled as bad in a similar way that the Nothing approach is. However, like most things, it is not as simple as that. The All approach can, in many situations, be very useful and exactly what is needed. If you are very clear about your strategy, targets and next steps when the All approach has run its course, it is a good choice.
Examples of the All strategy include starting a 10 week weight loss challenge, a three month half marathon training plan or a no alcohol January challenge. It is also the approach used by professionals, such as athletes or actors, to be ready for specific performances. Due to how visible professionals are in the public eye, it is often seen (incorrectly) as the way everyone should do things all the time.
The All strategy usually involves an intense focus on, or restriction from, something relatively big and specific for a short period of time in order to make rapid progress.
The upside of this approach includes significant and fast results or at least a strong change in the right direction. The potential problems and pitfalls with this approach include a higher risk to fail due to higher difficulty level, the potential of taking things too far to the extreme or harmful level, and, if you haven´t planned for it, the possibility of returning to where you started or even to a worse state e.g. Yo Yo dieting.
On the other side of the All or Something Approach continuum, and in contrast to Nothing, there is the Something approach or the slow and steady approach. This is the approach that applies to everyday life, especially during the times we have a lot going on with work, family and other commitments in our lives. Very often the default thing to do is nothing when life is busy. The Something approach means choosing the smallest action or skill practice that we can still successfully do each day to keep us moving forwards, no matter what else is happening in our lives. That small Something is easily dismissed as “too easy” or ineffective or “not worth it” when in fact it can quickly add up to significant progress over time. When placed next the alternative, that is doing nothing, it is a clear winner.
Examples of the Something approach includes practicing a new nutrition habit like eating slowly or choosing to walk to your lunch place or practicing a language you want to learn with an app like Duolingo for 5 minutes each day. The most important aspect to the Something approach is setting the mindset of action for every day and making that action as likely as possible to happen. It is much more effective to spontaneously add more onto your Something action, then it is to make the action too demanding and unlikely to happen. For example, if you know 100% that you can do 5 minutes on your language learning app, that is your Something practice. It is simply a bonus if on any day you get inspired and continue for longer.
The upsides to the Something approach is that it allows for continuous progress even in the busiest of times, it helps build motivation and increases the likelihood of the changes you make last for the long-term. In other words, it addresses the weaknesses of the All approach.
The downsides to the Something approach are also in contrast to the All approach. Progress can be slower - whichrequires more patience - and if not correctly planned, progress can slow or stop if an ineffective or inappropriate Something is chosen.
By combining the All and Something into a purposeful combination approach, I think we have the best of both worlds. We can switch between the two to better adapt to what life throws at us and changes we decide to pursue.
We can kick off a health change with a short intense challenge like a 60 day body transformation and then switch into the Something approach at the end of the 60 days to continue progress. Better yet, we can solidify the rapid changes already made. And lets face it, none of us are perfect and every now and then we need to wipe the slate clean to start again. Rather than having to wait for the perfect moment to take the dramatic All approach, you can pick up with a Something action to get started which can lead into your next All approach.
Life is all about change and it comes along whether we like it or not. With the All or Something approach, you can better define and take action on how that change will look for you, on your own terms.
Want to know how to make this All or Something approach work for you? Reach out to me via my contact form on this site, via email info@fitnesstohealth.org or drop by at Stadifit in Helsinki for a chat.