Temptations | Have Your Cake And Eat It Too

This article discusses how to rebuild the relationship between people and temptation. Focusing on how to achieve it without ending up in a cycle of failure. 

For most people, temptation is a major obstacle that stands in the way of achieving life goals. Daily temptations, such as candy, snacks, sodas, alcoholic drinks, or processed foods, can cause us to fail in achieving our weight loss objectives. 

On the other hand, temptations such as a new, unnecessary bag or pair of shoes can throw your finances off balance. So, we all end up spending years trying to resist our temptations and blame ourselves when we inevitably fail to do so. 

But you don’t need to be stuck in this vicious circle forever! When it comes down to dealing with temptations, the key is to embrace your desires - or have your cake and eat it too! - in moderation. Here are five simple tips for rebuilding your relationship with your temptations.

Get To Know Yourself To Harness Your Willpower

The first step to learning how to resist your temptations is to get to know yourself. Understanding what your triggers are and becoming more mindful of how you respond to temptations is key.

In some cases, you will also find that some of the real temptations that stop you from achieving your goals were actually not so obvious! 

For example, you might be trying to reduce your coffee intake to improve your sleep quality, while what is stopping you from sleeping well might be late meals or smartphone usage before bed. 

Take a hard look at your lifestyle and daily routine to understand what behaviors you can’t do without - but are negatively affecting your life and ability to achieve your goals. 

Reward Yourself While Establishing Healthier Behaviors

One of the most important aspects of learning how to resist temptation is… not resisting temptation! Avoiding the things we love - but are bad for us - for too long can cause us to fail in our efforts to achieve our goals. 

For example, an overly restrictive diet can cause you to start craving your favourite foods too soon to see results. And, once you have broken your streak, it can be hard to get back on your feet. 

Instead, using those things that tempt you as a reward for your efforts can help you stick to your long-term goals and finally see results!

Overcome Instant Gratification To Meet Long-Term Goals

Have you ever heard of the “marshmallow test”? Designed by Stanford University professor Walter Mischel in 1972, this test aimed to measure whether children could resist instant gratification if they were made a promise to receive greater rewards in the future. 

While it can be hard to run the same test on yourself, you should consider looking at the greater rewards that might come in the future if you can resist instant gratification now. 

For example, you might be more likely to stick to your financial plan if you could save more money for your dream financial holiday in just a few months! And, don’t forget to start looking at the results you achieve along the way to find gratification in the process!

Work With a Professional Mental Health Coach 

All the tips above are helpful to start working on your relationship with temptations. But don’t forget that working with specialized mental health coach Dr Christine Sauer is the fastest way to learn more about yourself and work towards your goals. Book your appointment today.