I got appalled recently when seeing what popped up on my interweb search for the latest (and not-so-greatest) new years detox trends out there. I’ll save you some time and suggest you skip this activity. Yowwwwzzzaaa.
Not only will you find countless whackadoodle detoxes out there, you can easily drop a load of coin to receive minimal long-lasting benefit.
I understand the perspective some people make though…
“I need a reset!”
“I need off this sugar train!”
“I feel like crap from going bananas over the holidays!”
“I need to rip off the band aid!”
The cleanse or detox product helps with the cold turkey approach for sure.
And if you commit to the “Make Me a Superhero Cleanse” or the “7-Day Yo’ Detox Bro” plan and invest a ton of $$$, you will likely feel good and get your fresh start upon completion of the plan.
Maybe you feel better because you removed the trifecta of alcohol, caffeine, sugar. Maybe you removed (bad) habits like staring at screens, graze eating, snacking late at night, and lump-a-log-living. And yes, maybe you did add in probiotic foods, fresh herbs, mushroom powders, and extra chia seeds. Not too shabby, yet…
The power of belief works wonders too. And let’s not forget the fact that you spent that $$$, so the plan better have worked!
But what happens when the cleanse and detox are done? What then?
Most people assume that Change will happen post-detox because “I feel so much better… why would I want to return to the way I was eating and living my life before the detox?”
We believe we can quickly change as a result of detox impact.
Bad news though… It’s simply not so for the 99.9% of us.
And here is where we have to (once again) go back to working on the nitty gritty of habits and personal systems design. It is where much of the real work lies. The stuff that sets up your life for better, and for the short- and the long haul.
I love the quote by James Clear (author of the book, “Atomic Habits”) when he said, “Almost by definition, your current habits are perfectly designed for your current results. Let’s adjust the habits, let’s get the machine running in a more fluid fashion, and you’ll find that the results come more naturally.”
So my question to you is: Do you need to detox your habits? Cleanse your routine and systems?
Ponder this and stay tuned for Part 2 when I give some unique ideas for other ways to detox some of the funky funk.
-Dina