Why You Brush Your Teeth Everyday
Remember when you were a kid and your parents had to “remind” you to brush your teeth every day? Maybe six-year-old you didn’t remember or maybe you didn’t want to remember. Thankfully, your parents were there instructing you to brush your teeth. Let me ask you a question; now you’re an adult, do you brush your teeth every day? I assume the answer is yes. I assume that you brush your teeth multiple times a day and that you never consider it as something optional.
This is a perfect example of external accountability becoming intrinsic habit. Your parents were the external force holding you accountable and making sure you brushed your teeth. It became so ingrained in you that you recognized the value in it and now not brushing your teeth would never even cross your mind. It’s intrinsic. It’s habit and comes as natural as breathing.
Stick with it long enough and we can use this same principle to turn just about anything into an intrinsic habit.
Imagine if your parents had you exercise with same necessity as brushing your teeth. Do you think that you would ever question its importance or treat it as optional? Probably not. Of course, it’s a little too late for your parents to start doing that with you, however, it’s not too late for you to find a coach who will.
Many people struggle with diet and exercise consistency because they don’t have the external accountability. They think they can hold themselves accountable or that they’ll motivation will last. Research shows us that over 80% of people who start a weight loss program not only can’t stick with it but end up gaining more weight than they originally started out with.
The missing component is almost always external accountability. The right diet and the right workout program are definitely necessary components, but even the wrong approach will typically produce some sort of results if you can be consistent and stick with it.
Believe it or not, I’ve met adult people who don’t brush their teeth every day. They know how important dental hygiene is, but they still don’t do it consistently. What’s the difference between those people and you and me? A simple, logical response that we all have, is their parents screwed up when they were young! Well, most people know eating right and working out is important to their health. How many don’t do it?
If you want to stop struggling with your health and fitness, then you need someone holding you accountable every day until eating right and working out becomes so ingrained in you that not doing it is no longer an option. Don’t over complicate things. It’s a simple as brushing your teeth.
