In this lesson, you’ll learn to overcome hesitation and self-sabotage through the “Rocketshipping” technique, a metacognitive tool that helps you act on goals without overthinking. By using a simple 3-2-1 countdown, you’ll break the cycle of procrastination, push past discomfort, and take immediate action. This method is designed to disrupt old habits, retrain your brain, and help you accomplish more. With Rocketshipping, you’ll become more consistent and empowered, taking decisive steps toward your goals each day.
- Duration
- Workbook Pages
- Assements
- Exercises
- Video
Do you struggle with talking yourself out of a good action or plan that you have? You get your plan all set for the week, Monday comes, you follow your plan to the letter, start feeling good, then Tuesday comes around, you are a bit sore, but this is it, you are doing this, you buckle down and get yourself to the gym, and are glad you did when you get there. Wednesday is here, and man, you’ve done so great the last 2 days, but now the soreness is kicking in and you are feeling pretty tired. Maybe it would be better to rest today, so you have more energy tomorrow. Also, you have that project for work that you are behind on, and your boss isn’t going to be happy if you don’t get that done. Hmm, this is where you need a swift kick in the butt to get you going again, right? Why after only 2 days of “I got this,” am I suddenly making excuses?
The brain is a very tricky thing! Your brain is wired to keep you safe; it doesn’t want you to take risks because risks may turn out badly. Risks are uncomfortable, so your brain wants to protect you from feeling uncomfortable as it perceives that if you are uncomfortable, you are not safe.
Your brain is wired with neural pathways, and over time those pathways are trained to perform the same habits and behaviors over and over again. Think of it like this: You are standing on one side of a field of super-long grass. To get to the grocery store, you have to walk through the field to get to the store. It’s not comfortable the first time, but you find that if you just keep starting and ending at the same point, you begin to create a nice packed path that gets you to the grocery store in no time. Well, now a brand new fancy store opens up down the road, and you want to start going to that store instead. You feel a bit worried though, thinking of the bugs and critters and scratchy grass that you have to go through to get there. Well, you decide to make the trek. You walk through the long grass, but as you are walking, it feels itchy and uncomfortable, and there are little pests and who knows, maybe even a snake or two living in that long grass. You make it to the other side, whew! You grab your groceries and trek back. You did it. But, the next time you need to go to the grocery store again, you face the decision: go to the fancy new store and trek through that uncomfortable grass again, or take the well-worn path, and go back to the old store. After all, you know everyone there, your legs won’t get scratched up, bugs won’t bite you, etc.
When we are born, our database is not full of habits and behaviors, and so our brain has more neuroplasticity. That is why it is easy for children to learn multiple languages and they won’t mix them up. As we get older, specific habits and behaviors begin to take root as we do the same things over and over again. Our neural pathways are less plastic, and we begin to exhibit behaviors that limit risk-taking, and it becomes harder to change our behaviors. You almost need to step outside of your brain and use your thoughts to control your brain when you know it is tricking you into sabotaging behavior that is going to stop you from taking risks.
To keep our brains as plastic as possible, we need to use some tools to trick our brains into being spontaneous and jumping into action, and this can allow us to learn as we did as children.
Rocketshipping is one of those metacognition tools that will help to create new neural pathways, will stop you from procrastinating, and will get you moving into action. Using this technique cements that action tool in your toolbox each time you use it.
Rocketshipping is an active technique that can send you right into the action you need to be doing. We all procrastinate, and we all feel lazy at times. Non-action is simply the easiest way to lose in life and is certainly the way to get and stay overweight. The saying “Move it or lose it” comes to mind. Counting down into action is something we have been doing for years. Mastering this is going to help you get and stay fit and healthy.
METACOGNITION TOOL
Metacognition is just a fancy word for any research-backed tool or technique that allows you to beat your brain to accomplish your biggest goals.
Step #1: Counting backward
immediately interrupts your brain from focusing on worries, and instead helps you to focus on what you need to do. It prompts you to take action and interrupts your habit of hesitating, overthinking, and talking yourself out of it. When you count backward, you mentally shift the gears in your mind. You interrupt your default thinking and do what psychologists call “assert control.” The counting distracts you from your excuses and focuses your mind on moving in a new direction. When you physically move instead of stopping to think, your physiology changes and your mind falls in line. Through my research on the brain and habit formation, I discovered that “Rocketshipping” is a “starting ritual” that activates the prefrontal cortex, helping to change your behavior.
Whenever you feel the instinct to do something, 3, 2, 1, go! Act on it right away, as the moment you feel yourself hesitate, your feelings start to come into play (feelings, meaning your brain trying to sabotage you) so that you don’t accomplish the action.
The power in this simple, free tool is that once you start taking action in the present moment, you’ll finish what you’ve started. If that means getting up to exercise, calling someone you know you should talk to, going to bed at a good hour, or any other time you’re dragging your feet, try counting down. Even if you don’t finish the whole task, at least some of the solution has been accomplished. Delaying the initial starting movement is what holds you back from your goals. When you’ve started moving towards the goal, crossing off action items on your to-do list is a guaranteed outcome!
Step #2: MOVE!
Move your body, and your brain will follow. Do not give your brain a chance to talk you out of it. The longer you think about something, the lower your urge to act. One important thing to note is that you must clarify your goal before you start moving. This involves reiterating the solution, naming your goals, and reviewing why they matter to your personal growth. These steps energize us to count down that 3, 2, 1, and ACT! I’ve used this method for 27 years of training people in the gym. My biggest battle is often with clients’ minds more than their bodies. There’s a lot of chaos going on in their minds. Many are unable to focus until they try the rocket-shipping method with me. This tool sets them off on a trajectory of progress and accomplishment.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen."
Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan is a great example of this powerful trick. Don’t think, just do. Rocketshipping is actually how you take action to “Just Do It”!
You can use Rocketshipping the moment a thought comes to you that you should take action. The action of answering the phone when you know it may be a bill collector, when your alarm goes off, and you reach for the tennis shoes to go for a run (instead of hitting the snooze button), the urge to order the grilled chicken sandwich instead of the double cheeseburger with fries. When your boss is asking if anyone else has any ideas to contribute to the meeting, you raise your hand instead of sitting silently.
Once you start Rocketshipping daily, you will notice that you are accomplishing more in one day than you used to accomplish in a week. Many scientists on brain development and theory have written about this if you want to investigate further. I am just bringing it to the forefront so that you can use it! This truly is an exciting shift in your life that will make you radiant with confidence.
LIFT OFF
"Remember to reach for the stars, and they won't be able to resist flying into your hands!"
Where does your life need you to take off like a rocket rather than sitting like a spectator? You probably know a couple of patterns that need this tool. Let’s look at your life as if it were someone else’s, and perhaps you’ll notice more places that need it.
Each day is different, but each week is probably quite similar in the activities, tasks, household chores, childcare, and other components. You may spread things out one week and cram them all into two days the next, depending on your mood and schedule. If you look at the average week, are there any tasks that ALWAYS cause you to freeze or slump down? Is it making dinner or getting up at the first sound of the alarm? Maybe it’s not a physical activity, but a relational one. List those tasks on an index card or small piece of paper.
Now consider the moments in the week that sometimes feel manageable but sometimes turn you to mush. Dig a bit deeper to discern any variables. Is there anything about the place, people, or time that makes them harder? Is there anything about your mood, hunger level, or other inner forces? For example, it could be harder to move into action right after propelling yourself into a hard task. List these factors on the same card from earlier.
Here’s the step where you see growth happen. The items on your index card are the places where you need some rocket fuel to propel you. That means that you must DO THE COUNTDOWN whenever any of these things happen! Nothing changes without this tool being applied at the right times. The self-awareness that you gained when you wrote these on the card will be another dead end if you don’t use the information to achieve your goals. It’s unbelievable how many people take the first steps and fail to make the change real. Don’t fall into that trap when you’ve come so far!
