Joke Week, or, starting any new system

An everyday system, TM, is a simple, commonsense solution to an everyday problem, grounded by a pun or metaphor. Propose/discuss new systems here.
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stevecooper
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Joke Week, or, starting any new system

Post by stevecooper » Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:08 am

I've come to notice something about starting new self-improvement attempts. The first week of any new system is full of results, emotions, and reactions that are nothing like those in later weeks.

On diets; the weight loss in the first week is nothing like the weight loss between, say, week 11 and week 12.

On exercise programs; the first week will be full of aches and pains that go away after about a week. All the pleasure of exercise is withheld for at least a week.

On organisating systems; if you get organised with, say, todo lists, the first week is all about clearing the decks of whatever stuff has forced you to get organised. Once you've cleared the decks, you aren't trying to deal with an emergency situation any more, and the continuing use of your organisation system is very different.

So, I've come up with the idea of 'Joke Week'. Joke Week is that first week of a new system, which seems to be telling you a lot. It's all lies. Don't trust a damned thing you feel, learn, or measure in the first week. In Joke Week, mother nature has replaced your bathroom scales with comedy ones that give random readings. She gives you pains where you'll get pleasure during exercise. You know nothing about the effectiveness of a system until at least week two.

So remember, week 1 tells you nothing. You are full of enthusiasm and thought and new ideas, and you're current situation is changing drastically; from overeating to correct eating, from unfit to fit, from drowning in jobs to getting in control, etc. You should ignore week 1, just do the right things and start to judge their effectiveness from the start of week 2, at the earliest.

Steve

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:14 pm

Very, very true. Thank you for posting this!

It's amazing how badly we want to generalize, especially in the least appropriate situations -- novel ones. I can't tell you how many (completely false) wise sayings and generalizations I've spoken into my tape recorder at the outset of new projects.

Reinhard

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Mar 17, 2007 12:34 am

Well I see what you are saying, kinda.. But I think this will happen when something is new and fresh and the excitement which makes you go "Oh yeah!" when you feel that inspired feeling shouldn't be ignored or thought to be a false/fake thing..
It's just really important to keep your enthusiam up afterwards when the less exciting phases of whatever system you are doing, start..
The maintenence phase of diets is probably the hardest of all.
It's not "exciting"..
Plateauing isn't "exciting"..
But I still really feel you need to get psyched up for any new endeavor at the beginning!
Why not? :wink:
Peace,
Debs
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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