What keeps us going? Or perhaps a better question: What gets us started? I recently learned a wonderful term: the Zeigarnik Effect, named for a Russian psychologist, Bluma Zeigarnik (photo above). I saw this referenced in a writing blog, specifically in relation to getting off your procrastination butt to write more. Conviently, Daphane, the writier of that blog, posted a link for more information about this effect in an article the PsyBlog. To quote from that blog post:

What all these examples have in common is that when people manage to start something they’re more inclined to finish it. Procrastination bites worst when we’re faced with a large task that we’re trying to avoid starting. It might be because we don’t know how to start or even where to start.

What the Zeigarnik effect teaches is that one weapon for beating procrastination is starting somewhere…anywhere.

Don’t start with the hardest bit, try something easy first. If you can just get under way with any part of a project, then the rest will tend to follow. Once you’ve made a start, however trivial, there’s something drawing you on to the end.

As you can image the Zeigarnik Effect could easily apply to running or exercise in general. Just like any other task we do or don’t do in life: We have to get off the couch to implement it, but once we get started we want to finish it or we will feel anxious about it until we have finished it.

I believe that one needs to set a goal, with enough lead time that we can realistically make it happen. Let’s say you want to run a 10K race in 10 weeks; there are excellent programs that will help you realize that goal, but it has to be implemented daily or at least on a schedule (much like 30 day challenges… more on that in another blog post). The same holds if you want to run a marathon or want to run that marathon in a faster time than the last one you ran or if you want to lose weight or just want to get into better shape. The Zeigarnik Effect shows that once you start a program, with a realistic goal, you will want to finish it.

One of the secrets to getting started and to keep you going, is to do a bit at a time. For example, I did not lose weight overnight… it took several months. I did not run faster in a week… that also took several months and lots of discipline; all accomplished one step at a time and with the help of supportive friends with similar objectives. But I’ll also note that I did not have a goal of losing weight; nor necessarily of running faster, I just wanted to run better – for fitness and for my health. That was a simple achievable goal, but look what it lead to! So talk about low expectations leading to better things! Perhaps that tactic will work for you too.

So find and set your goal and get your gear on and get it started. One way to do this and to keep it going is to tell friends or family members your plan, your dream or your goal; that way you put yourself out there and it sets up a commitment. Perhaps find friends with the same goal or join a running clinic and work on it together. Use the Zeigarnik Effect to keep you going… it is apparently within all of us as long as we allow it to manifest itself.

Fun fridge magnets – yes, I like cats!

He confirmed my diagnosis after he examined inside the bottom, back of the fridge. Notice I said back of fridge… Yes, ew, dust, spiderwebs and several years of accumulated detritus. Anyway, he fixed the fridge and it was up and running in short order. He was my hero! Oh and given the opportunity, I cleaned behind the fridge.

All was well until about two months later and a different noise manifested itself from the fridge, plus a new twist – throwing the breaker. A call to my fridge repair hero determined that the compressor had blown. Some more Internet research and discussions with few more repair guys confirmed my hero’s diagnosis: It was more expensive to repair the fridge than to buy a new one. My heart was broken!

How could this be? Our fridge was only 12 years old! (Apparently that is average these days.) I loved that fridge! It still looks brand-new. Geez Louise, are we talking about built-in obsolescence? Why can’t they build fridges like they used to; ones that lasted 30 years? Why can’t they build fridges that are 100% repairable at an affordable price? I know I’m being unreasonable; the economy would fail if this were true! After all the usual grieving steps were undertaking, not only did I remove the magnets, I cleaned the poor old fellow. It looks wonderful, only it doesn’t work. The only fate for it now is to be recycled: taken apart bit by bit. I’m so sad!

Prior to cleaning, I undertook several days of Internet research and made many a phone call which led me to contact one company to purchase a new fridge. I was promised that I could get one particular model within a week. That was way better than the three weeks promised for other models and by other companies. But, the company who said a week had to renege on that, putting it out to 3 weeks. I found another company who could get me a new fridge, different model, same size and style, within a week. HOORAY! They were good on their promise, it arrived in short order to the store, but then I had to wait for the delivery guys, who I could not book until I knew when I might get the fridge in the city. They were back-logged, due to a truck breakdown, but are promising delivery today. I live in hope.

I’ve been told that appliance companies don’t have warehouses anymore. They all get them shipped from the manufacturer (almost made to order). Luckily most of the brands that I was looking at are made in the USA and are regularly shipped from the plant, unless the model is discontinued, etc. However, if I had wanted a fridge that was stainless steel, I could have had it yesterday: stores somehow manage to find room to house them (apparently due to high volume sales). But, I wanted a white model to fit the built in space that already existed. Fussy, yes, but I had my reasons!

Well, there has to be some life lessons here. It is not just about the fridges or their delivery that matter in our lives!

1. Patience is a virtue: I’ve learned to live with that living on an island and having very specific needs. Try not to compromise on what you want most.
2. Gratitude: I’m grateful that we have a separate stand alone freezer where I could store the freezer items and make blocks of ice to put into the fridge to continue to use it as an icebox! In addition, I’m grateful that our neighbour is away so I could her fridge for more delicate items that need to be kept colder than an icebox, but not frozen, e.g. wine, cheese and other culinary delights. I’m also grateful that we have a company who will deliver to my island.
3. Regarding running, well, just like fridges, bodies break down once in a while, but unlike fridge compressor malfunctions, they are always worth repairing! With patience we can get back up to speed again and we can attain our goals. Perhaps we let ourselves get a little rusty or dusty like the fridge and parts begin to break down. It is never too late to get off the couch and start an exercise program! And above all, we should be grateful that we can run and move our bodies and we should or else we too will suffer from built-in obsolescence.