Consistency in Growth: Developing & Using Your Tools Daily

How do you monitor your wellness?  Who is in your life to love?  As you define your own happiness, aim to live it with zeal.

It's empowering to be your own influencer  - you define your purpose, you take a step or two each day toward the goals that fit with your purpose - you define & refine your routine - you "check in" on yourself morning, midday, evening - what gets you going? what obstacle might need some neutralizing?  It's great to have short term & longer term, more ongoing projects and objectives.  It's great to know that step by step makes your "can-do" into a "will-do."

  · Self-regulatory systems: The basics
Homeostasis, roughly translating to a relatively stable state of equilibrium, is the goal of many systems, living and mechanical. In the case of your household climate control thermostat, the system is designed to keep the ambient temperature stable at your chosen level. The thermostat plays the key role of monitoring the temperature and signaling either action (start heating or cooling) or termination (shut off).

· One way that a self-regulating system like this is summarized is the T.O.T.E. model: Test-Operate-Test-Exit. The thermostat executes the key test and exit roles, based on a chosen standard (or target) that we set.

· Self-regulation and procrastination: A key first step
The self-regulating model applies to our everyday behavior including behaviors such as regulating our 1) junk food consumption, 2) impulsive spending, 3) social media engagement, 4) television viewing, and 5) even procrastinate on washing our dishes, etc.  

· The self-regulating thermostat begins with two key functions:  

1. Recording a chosen standard &

2. Monitoring the environment in relation to this standard.

· Standards
The simple standard we set with our thermostat is temperature, but standards for self-regulation are the concepts we hold of our “possible selves” (our self actualized self) as well as our overall expectations, values, and goals. 

· Do-able? Low Probability?  One of the first trouble spots in our self-regulation is when we set unrealistic or inappropriate standards about our possible selves or our goals.

Monitoring: Mindful attention
Once realistic goals and standards are set, the first regulation step is monitoring our activity in relation to these standards. Pay attention to your goal pursuit. Here's a summary of the theory behind this process in relation to procrastination:

· Procrastination is a form of self-regulatory failure (this is a prevalent view of researchers, and it fits with all explanations of procrastination, although the cause of the regulatory failure itself is debated, e.g., whether it's something like discounting future rewards, fear of failure, or a personality trait.)

· Self-regulation is the process whereby systems maintain stability of functioning and adaptability to change. It's based on feedback loops as described above.

· Self-regulation failure is largely a problem of under-regulation. We fail to regulate and maintain the feedback loop.

· Most models of the cognitive control of behavior through feedback begin with noticing a change that needs to be regulated in the system. These models begin with attention to the system.

· Therefore, loss of attentional control is a common harbinger of self-regulatory failure.

· Baumeister & Heatherton (1996) write, "Over and over, we found that managing attention was the most common and often the most effective form of self-regulation and that attentional problems presaged a great many varieties of self-regulation failure. . . The effective management of attention was a powerful and decisive step, and self-regulatory failure ensued when attention could not be managed."

So often we are reminded that there will always be stressors.  The tolerance of uncertainty is generally best served by adjusting and adapting - and knowing that we have & can again. This reduces the intensity of how you perceive your stressor.  This adjustment strengthening helps you to reduce the threats of depressive feelings, hopelessness, or helplessness.  If there are just too many stressors, then triaging may be necessary and handing off elements may be the way to retain your wellness.