Why quick fixes aren’t quick

Welcome back to another episode of how to twenty-something where today’s episode is full of bad news and wake up calls

It’s in regards to why all of the quick fixes out there aren’t actually quick

I know I know, I’m the barer of bad news here because life would be so much easier if quick fixes worked

In fact, they don’t just fail to work, they really set you back even further than had you tried the longer slower approach in the first place

I’m talking crash diets, 75 hard, easy applies, dry January, dating apps, workout fads and pretty much any time in your life where you think taking the easy way out is your ticket to success

Because they never work

I mean sure they work for a short time period or have like a 1% success rate, but not everyone can be in that 1%

I will say, most of these examples show up in health and fitness, but I also want you to start noticing how this mindset shows up in your career, dating life, your routines, and even how you problem-solve in your twenties.

And use this episode to discuss why you’re being fooled into thinking these tactics work and what to do instead

So let’s get into it

I’m going to start with what a quick fix even is so you can start thinking about how you operate in the quick fix world

A quick fix is anything that promises results without requiring you to build the skill, tolerance, or structure to maintain them

The most obvious one that i’ll begin with is weight loss

Where you want to lose unwanted weight as quickly as possible so you’re trying anything and everything to get it off

Cutting calories, over exercising, removing food groups, intermittent fasting, keto, carnivore, labeling foods as bad or forbidden and so and so forth

The real kicker here is this giant, aggressive swing you’re making from your current lifestyle to what you think is going to be the fastest best way to shed some pounds

And here’s where it tricks you, you’re going to see some weight come off by trying any one of these things simply because it’s a new stimulus you’re sending through your body 

So sure your body is going to respond and then you’re going to hit a plateau

So you think you need to amp it all up to the next level

Cut even more calories, workout even more and again that first 2 maybe 3 weeks you’re body is going to respond and then you’ll hit your next wall

And the problem with this tactic is you’re going to reach a place where cutting calories and working out more is doing far more harm than good

Causing your body to rebound

Because you can only cut your calories so low and/or workout so much before your body starts screaming at you to take care of it

This comes in the form of weight gain.. Yup even if you keep your calories-in low and your calories-out high, this also looks like getting injured, feeling sore for days on end after a workout so you’re recovering poorly, and getting sick

You’re running on fumes and our bodies are not made to do that

The beginning part of making these new changes is deceiving because it does work for a little but then you reach constant dead ends

Whereas if you took a slower more sustainable approach, you would see a steady decline in weight and not these major fluctuations

One of my personal training clients has this problem where the second he travels he puts on 5-10 pounds and while it is mostly water weight, it is really hard for him to shake it off afterwards

Simply because he is part of the diet culture that is constantly making these big swings

And giant swings don’t lead to long lasting changes

And at the end of last year he told me when he gets back from his trip he’s going to clean it all up

And then proceeds to say whether that means eating 1500 or what

And I stopped him and was like, you’re a 6’2 220 pound man, in no world should you ever eat 1500 calories

Actually no adult, or no human above the age of 10 should be eating 1500 calories or less

We need food

The following week he brought this conversation up again and goes I’ll go on a crash diet which might look like eating clean and getting 200g of protein

And I look at him and go that’s what you should have been doing this whole time.. Mind you we’ve been working together for over 2 years

And then I explained to him that the word diet is not a verb, it’s marketed as a verb with weight watchers, jenny craig, or other weightloss companies, but the word diet is a noun

Diet quite literally means the foods you are putting into your body

You can change your diet, as in you can change what goes into your body, but by saying your going on a diet you’re already setting yourself up to fall of it or quit it

When you don’t quit food

So in order for this to not be a quick fix you need to be realistic about what you’re including and excluding in your daily life, while also knowing that it doesn’t mean you have to drastically cut out food groups or calories to see results

Quick fixes overall help with instant gratification… slow fixes are delayed gratification which isn’t fun and is probably more frustrating since it requires patience

But you have a better shot at being successful when you take it slower

I mean take the old wives tale with the tortoise and the hare: slow and steady wins the race

Sure your quick fix might give you what feels like a solid lead, but you’re going to slow down just as fast as you ramped up

Think of anything as temporary, a short cut, an end date, a fall off, as an easy fix and something that gives you your 1% chance of success and 99% chance of keeping you stuck and frustrated

Another example would be easy applies 

Is it possible to get an interview and then a job off a quick indeed application.. Sure

It’s how I got my first job.. I’ve had a client get a job through that.. But mind you one client out of the dozens of clients I’ve worked with.. One has gotten a response

So don’t hold your breath but also you don’t have to avoid it all together

The slower approach takes you out of your comfort zone because you have to go connect with real people in your industry of interest

It’s much easier and less emotional to stay online and and hide behind your computer screen

But it’s a lot more beneficial for you to go the round about way of reaching out to people and companies.. If not, go in person

Online applications are deceptive in that they make you feel like you’re being productive and making moves in your job search

You can apply to so many jobs in the span of 30 minutes to an hour and think wow I’m doing so great in this job search process

But just because you’re doing something does not mean you’re making progress

Most of those applications get swallowed hole by Ai and spit out before human eyes have even grazed your name

And then you get burnt out, frustrated, and run out of places to apply to since there are only so many applications on job sites

Which leaves you to believe the job market is trash, you’ll never get hired, and there’s no point in continuing to try because nothing’s working

When it’s not that nothing’s working, it’s that your strategy isn’t working because you’re trying to take the fast lane in in building relationships when that is a slow process

Yes slow processes are more painful, but you’re so much better off in the long run for doing so, which is the exact point I’m making throughout this episode

And online applications teach you to wait to be chosen rather than doing to choosing work yourself

Leaving to hold on to the hope that someone will see your application and pick you…

So, so far I’ve covered quick fixes in your health and in your career.. Let’s shift into dating

Yes, dating has quick fixes in them too.. Spoiler alert quick fixes are literally everywhere

Dating apps are dopamine hits, and a fast way to being exposed to a lot of people

Similar to job applications, you get to hide behind a screen instead of putting in the work to go out in the wild AND meet people

You’re getting instant validation while being flooded with options of potential

And i’m not saying dating apps don’t work in the same way I said online easy apply jobs don’t work

But what I am saying is you’re taking the easier path to avoid friction and discomfort

And again they deceive you

You get a match, maybe even a first date

You’re talking to someone, it’s exciting but it’s hardly ever real or long lasting

So while you feel like you’re making moves in your dating life, you’re actually making yourself feel even more discouraged that there’s no one decent out there looking for commitment 

Here is your break down for where else quick fixes show up

Avoiding hard conversations by convincing yourself it’s not that serious, texting someone instead of calling them or seeing them, even protecting your peace is a quick fix because you’re going around what’s actually happening

Staying busy is quick fix to the loneliness you feel deep down

Going out in groups instead of developing strong 1:1 friendships

Ghosting instead of telling someone you’re not interested

Scrolling on social media instead of taking action in your life

I told you I was going to call you out and be the bearer of bad news

And it’s not even to say I don’t also participate in some of these quick fixes.. Our society has made it a lot easier to fall into the quick fix category over struggle

Because why struggle when you can avoid what you don’t want to tolerate

But all of that being said.. quick fixes have one thing in common: they help you feel better right now, while keeping you stuck in the same place long term

And adulting doesn’t get easier when you avoid the things you don’t want to face

They just build up and make your life a lot more difficult later one

I think what it all really boils down to is not searching for the fastest way to potentially see results but finding what can you maintain long term

Without burning yourself out or crashing out over not seeing results

Something you’re investing in where you know that over time you will get there

Yeah it’s not as exciting or glamorous as those instant results you temporarily get from a quick fix

It’s consistency

It’s tiny deposits day in and day out the build up to even bigger results than you could have imagined for yourself

Start with your routine, build the systems that support sustainability, and do what you can do every day even when you’re feeling unmotivated or uncomfortable

It’s all in the 1% difference

Not a giant difference up front that causes you to fall off a little bit later

Because if it’s something you can’t do on your worst week, then it’s probably a quick fix

If it’s something that is based on how you feel that day or that week, then it’s a quick fix

If it’s something you can quit, it’s a quick fix

If it’s something you have to be locked in for, it’s a quick fix

Adulting is learning what you are capable of committing to for it to actually work… long term

Which is so boring, but it’s what works

You want the results, you just have to be patient enough for you to actually see them

Which hopefully this episode helped you to see why patience is the way to go and why quick fixes aren’t quick, but rather slow your progress down

And on that note, thank you for listening to another episode of how to twenty-something, if you liked what you heard, if you felt called out, or know someone who needs to feel called out, then please share this episode

Post it to social media, send it to a friend just do something to help me expand my reach and help all of the twenty-somethings out there navigating the most confusing decade of their lives

And as always I can’t wait to be in your headphones again next week with another brand new episode