67- Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

The Loop of Insanity: How I Broke a Habit That Was Holding Me Back

Every Sunday, my "get healthy" plan was flawless. I’d wake up, full of motivation, and declare, "This is the week I finally get in shape!" My strategy was always the same: go to the gym for an intense hour-long workout. And every week, the result was the same. By Tuesday, I was sore and exhausted. By Wednesday, I'd skip the gym "just for a day." By Friday, the plan was a distant memory, and I was back on the couch, feeling like a failure.

I did this for months. I kept trying the same all-or-nothing approach, genuinely believing that *this time* my motivation would be strong enough to overcome the inevitable burnout. I was stuck in a loop, getting the same disappointing result over and over again, but expecting a different one.

It was a classic case of what is often attributed to Albert Einstein:

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

This quote is a powerful diagnostic tool for identifying where you're stuck in life. It’s a call to stop relying on hope as a strategy and start experimenting with new approaches.

https://ferricoquotes.blogspot.com/2025/03/67-insanity-is-doing-same-thing-over.html

Why We Get Stuck in the Loop of Insanity

We often repeat ineffective behaviors because they feel familiar and safe. The comfort of the known, even when it's not working, can feel less scary than the uncertainty of trying something new. The problem is, you can't get to a new destination using an old map.

How to Break the Cycle: A 3-Step Guide to Smart Change

If you're stuck in a loop, you don't need more willpower; you need a new experiment. Here’s how to design one:

1. Become a Detective of Your Habit: For one week, don't try to change anything. Just observe and document the cycle you want to break. When does it happen? What triggers it? How do you feel before, during, and after? By gathering this data, you stop judging yourself and start understanding the problem objectively.
2. Change One Variable: Don't try to overhaul everything at once. Pick *one* small thing to change in your approach. For my fitness goal, instead of the intense one-hour workout, I changed the variable of *duration*. My new experiment was a simple 15-minute walk every day. It was so easy I couldn't say no. This small change broke the cycle of burnout.
3. Review the Results, Don't Judge Them: At the end of the week, look at your new results. Did the 15-minute walk work? Yes, I stuck with it all week. It wasn't a "failure" or a "success"—it was new data. The data showed that a smaller, consistent action was more effective than a large, inconsistent one. Now I had a working model to build on.

Conclusion

True progress doesn't come from trying harder at a broken strategy. It comes from the courage to admit what isn't working and the creativity to try a new approach. Stop running in the same circle and expecting to reach a new place.

Change one variable, run a new experiment, and you'll finally get the different result you've been hoping for.

What is one area in your life where you could change a single variable this week to break a cycle? Share your plan in the comments!