Fighting The Funnel

We’re programmed from an early age to do what other people do. We follow the crowd, even those of us who occasionally march to our own rhythms. From infant mimicry to adolescent fitting in to subliminal, follow-the-crowd behavior ubiquitous in adult life, even we humans simply execute the code.

As this pondering recently intersected with yet another year’s physical resulting in the reminder that my health habits are killing me, it occurred I should look at de-programming myself. Call it “lifestyle change,” if you wish, but the specter of some evil developer I’m fighting tends to motivate me more.

The first experiment in de-programming was to simply focus on the output of certain foods and beverages. No, I’m not talking about analyzing my stool — but rather focusing on how I feel after consumption, both in short- and long-term intervals.

An example:

  • Immediately after I consume soda or sugary drinks, I feel bloated, slightly uncomfortable and belch a lot. Immediate after I drink water, I feel cool, calm and refreshed.
  • An hour after I drink soda, I’m focused on the aftertaste or film of plaque around my mouth and am craving another soda. An hour after I drink water, I feel healthy and perhaps crave more since that’s a generally positive mode.

Yes, I also have to pee. But that’s consistent between the two.

We’re programmed by media and mates, short-term fixes and the busy-ness of life, to consume food and beverage in the short-term. What will taste good? We’re not programmed to consume either in the long-term: What will feel good?

Have a burger or pizza for lunch. Then measure how you feel about 2:oo p.m. or so. The next day, have a salad for lunch. Then notice the difference.

Granted, my love of certain cheeses, sugars and dead bovine will interrupt my feel-vs-taste decision-making, but this approach seems to be gaining momentum in my daily habits. My hope is that it will help me from continuing to be sucked into the funnels – marketing ones, habit ones, short-term fixation ones – and consume with long-term feeling in mind.

Perhaps it could help your thinking, too.

February 9, 2013

Posted in Uncategorized.

  • Charles

    I have been playing around with the same game over the last 2 months. I believe we are on to something. Now if we could only stick to our conclusions and quit thinking that this one soda want make a big difference or “oh well I can suffer just a little bit” tomorrow I’ll get back with it..

    • http://socialmediaexplorer.com JasonFalls

      Amen to that, Charles.

  • http://mikecampbellcfo.com/ Mike Campbell

    Instead of just documenting how you feel after you consume certain foods, document the cue immediately preceding consumption. I’m reading the book Habit which states that we are creatures of habit. Habit lives in the most primal part of the brain and never goes away. You can only replace a bad habit with a good habit. Habit is a cue, action, reward loop. If you can identify the cue, you can change the action. 

    What you are doing, by the way, is chapter 5 of the book — Willpower. Hundreds of researchers are studying willpower and one study found that joint replacement patients who documented their rehab fared far better than those who did not. Good stuff, Jason. 

    • http://socialmediaexplorer.com JasonFalls

      Excellent thoughts, Mike. Thank you!

  • http://twitter.com/MarkDykeman Mark Dykeman

    What Mike Campell said about The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg) – I think it will complement your current thinking, Jason.

    • http://socialmediaexplorer.com JasonFalls

      Thanks, brotha!