Aluminum Tabs and Life Satisfaction
The other day I was at a public event and noticed a habit I’ve developed. After finishing a can of sparking water, I popped off the tab and stuck it in my pocket, where it stayed until getting tossed in a drawer with several others when I got home. Reflecting on this recently formed habit reminded me of several strategies I employ when helping clients progress towards their ideal self. However, before we delve into those strategies, a few questions.
Did you know the metal of an aluminum can tab is of higher quality than the rest of the can? Did you further know Ronald McDonald House Charities in Spokane accepts these tabs as donations and raises about $6,000 per year doing so? Until about a year ago, I did not either.
For those of you who are unaware, the Ronald McDonald House Charities help provide comfortable lodging for families with sick kiddos. Such a goal is certainly worth supporting. This highlights one principle leveraged in helping people progress towards their ideal self: behavior change requires a motivating goal.
Of course, this brings us to another principle in making a positive change - trust. For my clients, I strive to ensure they not only experience rapid and predictable progress, but that they understand the why and how as much as possible. The Ronald McDonald House Charities earned my trust by assisting relatives when their son was in the NICU unit.
At this point, I hope some of you are considering establishing an aluminum tab collection of your own. After all, storing these tabs doesn’t require much effort or space, which perfectly highlights another principle of investing in a better future: minimize or eliminate barriers.
To be honest, I take this principle one step further. You see, I have yet to drop off a single tab at the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Why? The client who told me about this program does so for me. And so, every few months I bring a bag of tabs with me from Spokane to the Tri-Cities where they are added to his collection. And then, every few months, those tabs make a trip back to Spokane for donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Just as this client has helped reduce a ridiculously small convenience barrier for me, I strive to help clients identify and mitigate barriers preventing them from achieving the quality of life they desire.
Now, to be fair, my contribution to the Ronald McDonald House Charities is far from newsworthy. I have not made any financial contributions (though they do accept them), and my aluminum tab collection is rather minimal. Of course, this brings us to the final thought for today’s post, an idea that is well fleshed out in Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s book, “The Gap and the Gain.”
In their book Dr. Hardy and Dan Sullivan discuss two perspectives a person can take when examining their state in life. On one hand, a person can focus on the gap between their current life and their dynamic, ever-changing, and thus never attainable, “ideal life.” Doing so tends to cause distracting negative self-talk, dejection, and an overall depressed state of thinking and living. On the other hand, a person can take the time to reflect on the past and appreciate the amount of progress, or gain they have accomplished. For example, while my contribution to the Ronald McDonald House Charities over the last year is not sufficient to earn honorable mention, let alone have a building named after me (gap), it is more than I contributed the year before (gain) and, given all life’s circumstances, I am satisfied with it.
If, after reading this, you are dissatisfied with your current lot in life, I encourage you to do the following: schedule a time to write out what you want life to look like, your “motivating goal.” Once you have your motivating goal, identify behaviors that will move you towards this future, seeking informed advice to build trust that such behaviors will indeed lead to progress. Meanwhile, identify barriers preventing you from adopting these behaviors. Then, mark a time on your calendar at least one week and no more than 3-months out to assess how much progress you have made relative to right now.
If you want help with any of these steps, especially if you feel working with our health and wellness professionals will help you progress towards your ideal self, click on the button below to request a free phone consult. You can also call/text the number provided or send us an email.
P.S. If contributing to the Ronald McDonald House Charities is part of your ideal future, I have minimized barriers to your doing so by providing this link to their donations page. You can also click on this link to learn more about their pull tab donation options.
