How To Use This.

There is a lot of information in Guide2Life.

However, life is not school. You are not going to be tested on the role of Insulin on body fat or the effects of meditation on your mental state.

The most important thing is behavior change — changing your identity to take on new behavioral patterns that serve you.^[1]

“If you don’t control your habits, your habits will control you.” Hal Elrod.

Action vs Knowledge

There is a famous Buddhist parable from the Cūḷamālukya Sutta that makes the point of action vs knowledge perfectly:

It's just as if a man were wounded with an arrow thickly smeared with poison. His friends and companions, kinsmen and relatives would provide him with a surgeon, and the man would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know whether the man who wounded me was a noble warrior, a priest, a merchant, or a worker.' He would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know the given name & clan name of the man who wounded me... until I know whether he was tall, medium, or short... until I know whether he was dark, ruddy-brown, or golden-colored... until I know his home village, town, or city... until I know whether the bow with which I was wounded was a long bow or a crossbow... until I know whether the bowstring with which I was wounded was fiber, bamboo threads, sinew, hemp, or bark... until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was wild or cultivated... until I know whether the feathers of the shaft with which I was wounded were those of a vulture, a stork, a hawk, a peacock, or another bird... until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was bound with the sinew of an ox, a water buffalo, a langur, or a monkey.' He would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was that of a common arrow, a curved arrow, a barbed, a calf-toothed, or an oleander arrow.' The man would die and those things would still remain unknown to him.

You do not have understand the precise process of how bacteria causes dental problems in order to brush your teeth everyday. It just becomes part of who you are, a person who brushes their teeth twice a day. You hardly think about it.

Similarly, when it comes to the information presented in Guide2Life, the goal is not to simply learn and memorize facts. Instead, use the knowledge to make meaningful changes in your daily life​. ^[2]

If you learn about how insulin works and its impact on body fat, the point is not to become an expert on insulin physiology. Instead, the objective is to make different eating choices each day based on that knowledge, such as choosing lower glycemic index foods, being mindful of portion sizes, or practicing OMAD.

Over time, as you consistently apply this knowledge to your daily choices, the specific details about insulin may fade from your memory. However, the new actions and behaviors you've adopted will stick with you, becoming ingrained habits that positively impact your health and well-being.

Recommendations

Start Small

It’s tempting to try and make multiple large, drastic changes at the same time.

Don’t do this — the failure rates for this approach are horrific.

Instead, choose a single habit or practice to implement in your daily life, and gradually build upon your successes as you progress.

Progress vs Perfection

Bookmark Guide2Life

This is a reference guide, you’ll be coming back to this often. Bookmark the guide to ensure, or even set it as your home page on your browser to remind yourself.

Write

Track

Here are some tips on how to effectively use Guide2Life:

1. Start with the areas that resonate with you the most. Whether it's developing wisdom, creating habits, or optimizing your health, focus on the sections that align with your current goals and priorities.
2. Take notes and reflect on the information you read. Jot down key insights, questions, or personal experiences related to the topics covered. This will help you internalize the knowledge and apply it to your own life.
3. Set small, achievable goals based on the advice provided in the guide. Break down larger objectives into smaller, manageable steps that you can work on consistently.
4. Implement one new habit or behavior change at a time. Trying to overhaul your entire lifestyle at once can be overwhelming and unsustainable. Focus on making small, incremental improvements and building momentum over time.
5. Regularly review and reassess your progress. Take time to reflect on how your new habits and behaviors are impacting your life. Celebrate your successes and learn from any setbacks or challenges you encounter.
6. Use the guide as a resource to return to whenever you need guidance, motivation, or a refresher on a particular topic. The information and advice provided can serve as a foundation for your personal growth journey.

References

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1. Simons, J.D. (2021) 'From Identity to Enaction: Identity Behavior Theory', Frontiers in Psychology, 12. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.679490 (Accessed: 24 April 2024). ↩︎

2. Bandura, A. (2020) 'Changing Behavior Using Social Cognitive Theory', in Hagger, M.S., Cameron, L.D., Hamilton, K., Hankonen, N. and Lintunen, T. (eds.) The Handbook of Behavior Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, DOI: 10.1017/9781108677318.003. ↩︎