Most of us want to succeed. We want to be better at being a parent, improve at our jobs, be a better partner, a better student, or succeed in weight loss and healthy eating. It seems we just work harder but don’t necessarily see improvement. Why?
I recently read an article about the need to dedicate our efforts into performance and learning zones. As a society, we create social risks, we judge ourselves and each others’ mistakes, and therefore, we work/live within our perimeters without much success. We live in the performance zone consistently trying to do better but what we really need to do is take time away from performing and learn in order to progress. Even in school, a place to learn, students are judged solely by their grades and not given the space to take the risk of a lower grade in order to learn.
There are a few aspects necessary to work in the learning zone. We need to believe that we can achieve this task, we have to want it, we need a plan of how to improve, and the stakes must be low. For example, we can’t practice our trapeze moves without a net on the bottom. This cannot cause us our job or risk our lives. Learning can mean practicing a specific task that needs improvement, reflecting on performance and adjusting, reading, asking for feedback, etc. Make sure to set specific times for each zone.
This happens in my office. We learn, reflect on our performance, then set specific tasks that we want to achieve. Then, we build upon these successes (as we perform) and set more action steps. In the end, my clients are much more successful in weight loss, diet, eating healthy, and exercise because we’ve taken the time to work in the learning zone and not just work harder without direction, reflection, and focus.
If there are changes you’d like to make in your stress level, eating habits, exercise, and overall health and happiness, start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people’s opinion of Happy Food.
~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA
