Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

A few years ago, essential oil posts seemed to be all over the internet. Pinterest boards, news feeds, and blogs were filled with claims about the use of essential oils. What happened to the hype?

Guys can be pretty stubborn when it comes to their health. They often ignore signs and symptoms until their bodies break down or they're diagnosed with a disease.

It doesn't need to be that way. You don't have to be the guy who spends the second half of his life talking about how good the first half was.

A man's body reflects his standards. It sets an example for those around him, especially his kids. Without your health, you can only contribute a fraction of your potential.

I'm not saying that every guy needs to look like Wolverine, nor does he need to deadlift a car or do a triathlon. But if he has high standards, his health and fitness will reflect it.

No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training...what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.

Socrates

When I picture a "man's man," I visualize a guy who has vigor.

He has a passion for life, which shows through in how he moves, how he looks, and in how he can respond, physically and mentally.

If you've let yourself go, I hope this is your "wakeup call." No matter what success you've had up to this point, if you don't care for your physical and mental health, your success streak will eventually end. It could even come to a screeching halt, due to a major health problem.

The good news is, you don't have to do a lot to significantly improve your health. But, you do have to do some things.

I could make a list of probably 1000 things a man could do to improve his health (maybe I’ll do that for a blog post one day).

But, rather than listing hundreds of things you can do that impact your health a little, I’d rather focus on a few things that impact your health the most.

I narrowed my list down to five practices you could implement today.

Actually,  four of the five you can implement today, all on your own. One of them requires your spouse, so you're not in total control of that one. However, it's on the list because it's that important for your wellbeing.

Here are your five simple habits to better health. This is the "Fast Pass" to vigor.

NOTE: The five habits in this article came from a live presentation I delivered. Since I already had the slides, I included most of them in the article for some extra visuals. Also, that presentation, and some persistence from a friend, were what led to the launch of VIGOR Training (now called Lumberjacked) and the other fitness programs I offer.

Lift Heavy Things

Other than shooting something or fighting someone, I don’t know that there’s anything that feels more “manly” than lifting something heavy.

A man has the hormones, the muscle type, and bone structure to lift heavy things. His body was made for it.

Obviously, some guys have better genetics than others, but all guys have the propensity to lift heavy things, and become stronger and more muscular.

You have more than 650 muscles, which move most of the 206 bones in your body! Unlike a car, the more you use your body, the stronger and more powerful it becomes. Of course, the less you use it, the sloppier and weaker you get.

Benefits of Strength Training

Beyond looking better in swim trunks or a custom-fit suit, weight training also helps you:

Maintain muscle and metabolic rate while losing weight

Improve blood sugar levels

Increase bone density

Increase range of motion and balance

Improve mobility

Improve mental strength, stamina and confidence

Recover faster from injuries

If you haven’t touched a weight in your life, start right now. It's not too late.

Injured? Have limb that’s out of commission? Bad knees? That’s no problem. You can work around all of that and more.

To build strength, you need to be:

Consistent: You don’t get stronger from one tough workout, done every once in a while. You get stronger from repeatedly exposing your body to challenges beyond what it’s capable of...

Guys can be pretty stubborn when it comes to their health. They often ignore signs and symptoms until their bodies break down or they're diagnosed with a disease.

It doesn't need to be that way. You don't have to be the guy who spends the second half of his life talking about how good the first half was.

A man's body reflects his standards. It sets an example for those around him, especially his kids. Without your health, you can only contribute a fraction of your potential.

I'm not saying that every guy needs to look like Wolverine, nor does he need to deadlift a car or do a triathlon. But if he has high standards, his health and fitness will reflect it.

No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training...what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.Socrates

When I picture a "man's man," I visualize a guy who has vigor.

He has a passion for life, which shows through in how he moves, how he looks, and in how he can respond, physically and mentally.

If you've let yourself go, I hope this is your "wakeup call." No matter what success you've had up to this point, if you don't care for your physical and mental health, your success streak will eventually end. It could even come to a screeching halt, due to a major health problem.

The good news is, you don't have to do a lot to significantly improve your health. But, you do have to do some things.

I could make a list of probably 1000 things a man could do to improve his health (maybe I’ll do that for a blog post one day).

But, rather than listing hundreds of things you can do that impact your health a little, I’d rather focus on a few things that impact your health the most.

I narrowed my list down to five practices you could implement today.

Actually,  four of the five you can implement today, all on your own. One of them requires your spouse, so you're not in total control of that one. However, it's on the list because it's that important for your wellbeing.

Here are your five simple habits to better health. This is the "Fast Pass" to vigor.

NOTE: The five habits in this article came from a live presentation I delivered. Since I already had the slides, I included most of them in the article for some extra visuals. Also, that presentation, and some persistence from a friend, was what led to the launch of VIGOR Training.

Lift Heavy Things

Other than shooting something or fighting someone, I don’t know that there’s anything that feels more “manly” than lifting something heavy.

A man has the hormones, the muscle type, and bone structure to lift heavy things. His body was made for it.

Obviously, some guys have better genetics than others, but all guys have the propensity to lift heavy things, and become stronger and more muscular.

You have more than 650 muscles, which move most of the 206 bones in your body! Unlike a car, the more you use your body, the stronger and more powerful it becomes. Of course, the less you use it, the sloppier and weaker you get.

Benefits of Strength Training

Beyond looking better in swim trunks or a custom-fit suit, weight training also helps you:

Maintain muscle and metabolic rate while losing weightImprove blood sugar levelsIncrease bone densityIncrease range of motion and balanceImprove mobilityImprove mental strength, stamina and confidenceRecover faster from injuries

If you haven’t touched a weight in your life, start right now. It's not too late.

Injured? Have limb that’s out of commission? Bad knees? That’s no problem. You can work around all of that and more.

To build strength, you need to be:

Consistent: You don’t get stronger from one tough workout, done every once in a while. You get stronger from repeatedly exposing your body to challenges beyond what it’s capable of.

Progressive: Each week, you should be able to handle heavier weights for the same exercis...

Digestive enzymes might be the most overlooked, underappreciated part of a good nutrition plan. Even the healthiest diet does little if you don't have good digestive health. 

Unfortunately, most people don't think about using them unless they have issues with their gut health. As you'll see, they're essential for more than breaking down the food you eat. They can play a role in weight loss, muscle growth, and aging well. Not surprisingly, they're part of my Foundational Five.

About 20% of the US population is known to have a digestive issue. That's about 60-70 million people. The percentage continues to grow in the US and across the world. 

Symptoms can be as subtle as gas and bloating to more extreme symptoms like constant diarrhea or intermittent pain.

Exercise, increased core body temperature, injury, stress, and certain diseases can compromise enzyme production. Processed foods may deplete enzyme activity and availability. 

Digestive enzyme insufficiency may contribute to:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

hyperthyroidism

Celiac disease

Crohn's disease

Excessive exercise and diets high in processed foods contribute to a lack of enzymes.

What are Digestive Enzymes?

Enzymes speed up chemical reactions in the body. You use more than 5000 different enzymes every day. Most of those enzymes are metabolic enzymes, responsible for everything from your thoughts to the thickness of your blood.

A relatively small group of your 5000 enzymes convert the food you eat to nutrients that fuel and build your body.

Without digestive enzymes, you wouldn't break down protein, fat, and carbohydrates, and your foods would pass through you undigested. Along the way, the food would destroy your intestines' lining, cause immune reactions, and cause inflammation. Nutritionally, you'd starve, no matter how much food you ate.

Digestive enzymes fall into three different categories, based on the macronutrient they act on:

Proteases and peptidases

Proteases and peptidases convert protein to peptides and amino acids. They also act on other parts of the body to support normal immune function, inflammation levels, tissue repair, and blood viscosity.

Common proteases and peptidases include bromelain, Pancreatin, Papain, Peptidase, Protease, and Trypsin.

Carbohydrases

Carbohydrases convert carbohydrates to glucose and fructose.

Common carbohydrases include Alpha-galactosidase, Amylase, Cellulase, Diastase, Glucoamylase, Invertase, Lactase, and Phytase.

Lipases

Lipases convert fat to fatty acids.

Common lipases include Lingual Lipase, Gastric Lipase, Pancrealipase.

Proteases and Peptidases (Proteolytic Enzymes)

Proteases (also known as proteolytic enzymes) act on protein in the digestive system. However, they also affect many other areas of the body.

The average healthy adult breaks down 250-300 grams of protein throughout the body every day. Your body does this to replace damaged or aged tissues with new ones. Proteolytic enzymes play an essential role in this process.

They also help maintain healthy inflammation levels, modulate pain, and support normal immune function.

Because the body can produce a limited number of proteolytic enzymes, demand can exceed supply. Following an injury or extreme physical stress, proteolytic enzymes can be directed to the tissue repair, leaving the digestive system without enough to complete digestion.

This could be why athletes often deal with digestive issues. If they don't get extra proteolytic enzymes through food or supplements, their available enzymes take part in tissue repair, leaving them short on what they need for proper digestion.

On the other hand, in some people, enzymes are directed to digestion, leaving the rest of their body short. In this case, inflammation could get out of hand, or tissues and joints could get irritated.

When supplemented in the diet, proteolytic enzymes have been shown to reduce stiffness and e...

Digestive enzymes might be the most overlooked, underappreciated part of a healthy digestive system. Chances are, you’ve given them little thought. Perhaps, you don’t even know what they are.



* What are Digestive Enzymes?* Proteases and Peptidases (Proteolytic Enzymes)* Carbohydrases* Lipases* How to Increase Digestive Enzyme Levels



About 20% of the US population is known to have a digestive issue, or about 60-70 million people. The percentage continues to grow in the US and across the world. A lack of enzymes contributes to these digestive problems.



Symptoms can be as subtle as burping or gas following meals, or more extreme like constant diarrhea or periodic pain.



Exercise, increased core body temperature, injury, stress, and certain diseases increase the use of enzymes. Aging, and certain diseases, like pancreatitis, decrease production. Whether you experience an increased need, or decreased production, the result is the same. Enzyme insufficiency.



Digestive enzyme insufficiency is linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, hyperthyroidism, Celiac disease, Crohn's disease, excessive exercise, and diets high in processed foods.




My Own Messed Up Gut



This was one of the most challenging articles I've ever written. Normally, I can write a new article in three to five days, but this one took a couple of weeks. I found myself going down all sorts of rabbit holes, fascinated with the significant role enzymes play in our health.  My notes for this article looked more like notes that could fill a whole book.



Part of the reason I did so much more reading was that this is a personal topic. I've had my own digestive challenges in the past, and I have a family history of it as well.



It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I got some control over my own issues. Prior to that, my stomach would feel irritated and look distended for hours after each meal.



I had horrible gas at night. Every night. If I were single, I probably wouldn't have cared as much, but when my gorgeous wife is sitting across the room and has to bear it, it's kind of embarrassing.



I'm convinced my issues were enzyme-related, and feel much better today, although I do still have challenges once in a while.



The articles I write come from a combination of education, experience, and experimentation. This one especially so.



All that said, I kept cutting stuff out of this article to make it short enough for you to read it when you saw it. If it was too long, I figured you'd set it aside and not come back. I thinks there is enough in this article for you to importance of enzymes for optimal health, yet brief enough that you'll read through the whole thing.




What are Digestive Enzymes?



Enzymes speed up the rate of virtually every reaction in the body. You use more than 5000 different enzymes every day. Most of those enzymes are metabolic enzymes, responsible for everything from your thoughts to the thickness of your blood.



A relatively small group of your 5000 enzymes convert the food you eat, to nutrients that fuel and build your body.



Without digestive enzymes, you wouldn’t break down protein, fat, and carbohydrates, and your foods would pass through you undigested. Along the way,

Digestive enzymes might be the most overlooked, underappreciated part of a good nutrition plan. Even the healthiest diet does little if you don't have good digestive health. 

Unfortunately, most people don't think about using them unless they have issues with their gut health. As you'll see, they're essential for more than breaking down the food you eat. They can play a role in weight loss, muscle growth, and aging well. Not surprisingly, they're part of my Foundational Five.

About 20% of the US population is known to have a digestive issue. That's about 60-70 million people. The percentage continues to grow in the US and across the world. 

Symptoms can be as subtle as gas and bloating to more extreme symptoms like constant diarrhea or intermittent pain.

Exercise, increased core body temperature, injury, stress, and certain diseases can compromise enzyme production. Processed foods may deplete enzyme activity and availability. 

Digestive enzyme insufficiency may contribute to:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)hyperthyroidismCeliac diseaseCrohn's disease

Excessive exercise and diets high in processed foods contribute to a lack of enzymes.

What are Digestive Enzymes?

Enzymes speed up chemical reactions in the body. You use more than 5000 different enzymes every day. Most of those enzymes are metabolic enzymes, responsible for everything from your thoughts to the thickness of your blood.

A relatively small group of your 5000 enzymes convert the food you eat to nutrients that fuel and build your body.

Without digestive enzymes, you wouldn't break down protein, fat, and carbohydrates, and your foods would pass through you undigested. Along the way, the food would destroy your intestines' lining, cause immune reactions, and cause inflammation. Nutritionally, you'd starve, no matter how much food you ate.

Digestive enzymes fall into three different categories, based on the macronutrient they act on:

Proteases and peptidases

Proteases and peptidases convert protein to peptides and amino acids. They also act on other parts of the body to support normal immune function, inflammation levels, tissue repair, and blood viscosity.

Common proteases and peptidases include bromelain, Pancreatin, Papain, Peptidase, Protease, and Trypsin.

Carbohydrases

Carbohydrases convert carbohydrates to glucose and fructose.

Common carbohydrases include Alpha-galactosidase, Amylase, Cellulase, Diastase, Glucoamylase, Invertase, Lactase, and Phytase.

Lipases

Lipases convert fat to fatty acids.

Common lipases include Lingual Lipase, Gastric Lipase, Pancrealipase.

Proteases and Peptidases (Proteolytic Enzymes)

Proteases (also known as proteolytic enzymes) act on protein in the digestive system. However, they also affect many other areas of the body.

The average healthy adult breaks down 250-300 grams of protein throughout the body every day. Your body does this to replace damaged or aged tissues with new ones. Proteolytic enzymes play an essential role in this process.

They also help maintain healthy inflammation levels, modulate pain, and support normal immune function.

Because the body can produce a limited number of proteolytic enzymes, demand can exceed supply. Following an injury or extreme physical stress, proteolytic enzymes can be directed to the tissue repair, leaving the digestive system without enough to complete digestion.

This could be why athletes often deal with digestive issues. If they don't get extra proteolytic enzymes through food or supplements, their available enzymes take part in tissue repair, leaving them short on what they need for proper digestion.

On the other hand, in some people, enzymes are directed to digestion, leaving the rest of their body short. In this case, inflammation could get out of hand, or tissues and joints could get irritated.

When supplemented in the diet, proteolytic enzymes have been shown to reduce stiffness and exercise-rela...

What are amino acids? How do they work? Why are they so important to your health and fitness? Why are they so important as you age?

Your body consists of about 60% water. If you remove the water, about half of what remains would be made of protein. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.

Every day, about 250-300 grams of the protein that builds your body breaks down. That’s the amount of protein you'd get from six chicken breasts!

When you get sick or injured, you break down even more.

Amino acids (AAs) are made of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen.

Types of Amino Acids

Amino acids are either proteinogenic (protein-forming), or non-proteinogenic (non-protein-forming).

Some non-proteinogenic amino acids provide health benefits, but are not required for building tissues in the body. Some of these amino acids include carnitine, ornithine, citrulline, glycine, and beta-alanine. I'll address some of these in separate articles.

For the sake of this article, I'll focus on the proteinogenic amino acids. There are 22.

Proteinogenic AAs fall into three different categories:

Non-essential amino acids are important for your health, but they're called non-essential because you produce them on your own.

Conditionally essential amino acids can usually be produced by your body. However, under certain circumstances, your body’s production cannot keep up with its demand, so you must get them through your diet or supplements. Glutamine is a “conditionally essential” amino acid. Under high levels of stress, injury or when someone is severely burned, glutamine stores drop considerably, and and you'd need to eat or supplement glutamine to keep up with your body's needs. Glutamine is often recommended to support gut health, especially in those who may experience a leaky gut.

Essential amino acids (EAAs) are "essential" because they cannot be made by the body. You must get them through diet or supplementation.

Of the EAAs, three are superstars. These are the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs): leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs make up about 35% of your muscle tissue.

NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDSESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDSAlanineHistidineArginineIsoleucine**Aspartic AcidLeucine**Cysteine*LysineGlutamic AcidMethionineGlutamine*PhenylalanineGlycine*ThreonineProline*TryptophanSerine*Valine**Tyrosine* Asparagine* Selenocysteine *Conditionally Essential Amino Acid**Branched-Chain Amino Acid

Protein Synthesis and Breakdown

Your ability to maintain, or build lean body mass, or muscle, is based on the levels of protein synthesis and protein breakdown throughout the day. As you age, protein breakdown tends to accelerate. Of course, there is much you can do to slow the protein breakdown, including eating more protein and/or supplementing with EAAs.

Lean Body Mass = Protein Synthesis – Protein Breakdown

When protein breakdown exceeds protein synthesis, your body is in a “catabolic” state. Think of someone with anorexia, cancer, or sarcopenia. They quickly lose muscle tissue because breakdown is greater than protein synthesis.

On the other hand, think of an 18-year-old boy going through the later stages of puberty. He goes from being lanky and awkward, to developing biceps and shoulders. In this case, protein synthesis exceeds protein breakdown.

Because your level of muscle mass plays a significant role in longevity, anything that increases protein synthesis or decreases protein breakdown can support your quality of life throughout your lifespan.

Since amino acids play such an essential role in building and maintaining lean body mass, they must be a consistent part of a healthy diet. You can either supplement with them as amino acids, or eat them in protein rich foods like protein shakes, meat, fish, eggs, and poultry.

What should I look for in an amino acid supplement?

First, look for the branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) in a 2:1:1 ratio.

You probably aren't short on food. But, if you're like most people, you're probably short on nutrition. Especially amino acids. Amino what?? Amino acids.



Don't let the title of this article keep you from reading. Your (optimal) health depends on it. You need to know about amino acids.



I saw the power of protein and amino acids first-hand, as my personal training clients got leaner, felt better, and improved their health and fitness by starting with a single focus of  increasing their protein or amino acid intake. The more I saw them getting results, the more fascinated I became with protein and amino acids.



I realize that most people won't feel that same level of excitement, read this entire article anyway. Once you realize how powerful protein and amino acids are, you won't look at your meal choices the same way ever again. You also might be motivated to make an amino acid supplement one of your core nutritional supplements, especially if you're over the age of 30.



I've addressed the following questions throughout this article:



What are amino acids? How do they work? Why are they so important to your health and fitness? Why are they so important as you age?





Protein and Your Body



Your body is about 60% water. Remove all the water, and almost half of what’s left will be protein. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.



Every day, about 250-300 grams of the protein that builds your body breaks down. That’s the amount of protein you'd get from six chicken breasts! When you're sick or injured, you break down even more.



As protein breaks down, amino acids are released.



In case it's ever a Trivia question, or you want to sound extra-smart with your friends, amino acids are compounds made of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon and oxygen.



Twenty-two amino acids combine in different patterns throughout your body, to form the proteins, that create each of the tissues, that make you, you.



As the 250-300 grams of protein break down each day, some of the amino acids are reused, kind of like you can recycle cardboard and make printer paper.



Other amino acids are released into the blood to maintain its normal “pool” of amino acids for normal metabolic functions. Your heart and skeletal muscle use certain amino acids for energy production.



And still other amino acids are lost. Your body can't store extra protein, like it can store fat or carbohydrates, so you have to consistently eat enough protein to support your daily needs.



Read more: What You Need To Know About High-Protein Diets



Types of Amino Acids



Amino acids are either proteinogenic (protein-forming), or non-proteinogenic (non-protein-forming). The only reason I mention the two categories is that there are a number of non-proteinogenic amino acids that provide health and performance benefits, which I won't cover in this article; amino acids like carnitine, ornithine, citrulline, glycine, and beta-alanine. I'll get to them in the future.



In this article, I focus on the proteinogenic amino acids, as they are the most important for maintaining optimal health and peak performance.



Proteinogenic amino acids fall into three different categories:



* Non-essential amino acids* Conditionally essential amino acids* Es...

What are amino acids? How do they work? Why are they so important to your health and fitness? Why are they so important as you age?

Your body consists of about 60% water. If you remove the water, about half of what remains would be made of protein. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.

Every day, about 250-300 grams of the protein that builds your body breaks down. That’s the amount of protein you'd get from six chicken breasts!

When you get sick or injured, you break down even more.

Amino acids (AAs) are made of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen.

Types of Amino Acids

Amino acids are either proteinogenic (protein-forming), or non-proteinogenic (non-protein-forming).

Some non-proteinogenic amino acids provide health benefits, but are not required for building tissues in the body. Some of these amino acids include carnitine, ornithine, citrulline, glycine, and beta-alanine. I'll address some of these in separate articles.

For the sake of this article, I'll focus on the proteinogenic amino acids. There are 22.

Proteinogenic AAs fall into three different categories:

Non-essential amino acids are important for your health, but they're called non-essential because you produce them on your own.Conditionally essential amino acids can usually be produced by your body. However, under certain circumstances, your body’s production cannot keep up with its demand, so you must get them through your diet or supplements. Glutamine is a “conditionally essential” amino acid. Under high levels of stress, injury or when someone is severely burned, glutamine stores drop considerably, and and you'd need to eat or supplement glutamine to keep up with your body's needs. Glutamine is often recommended to support gut health, especially in those who may experience a leaky gut.Essential amino acids (EAAs) are "essential" because they cannot be made by the body. You must get them through diet or supplementation.

Of the EAAs, three are superstars. These are the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs): leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs make up about 35% of your muscle tissue.

NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDSESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDSAlanineHistidineArginineIsoleucine**Aspartic AcidLeucine**Cysteine*LysineGlutamic AcidMethionineGlutamine*PhenylalanineGlycine*ThreonineProline*TryptophanSerine*Valine**Tyrosine* Asparagine* Selenocysteine *Conditionally Essential Amino Acid**Branched-Chain Amino Acid

Protein Synthesis and Breakdown

Your ability to maintain, or build lean body mass, or muscle, is based on the levels of protein synthesis and protein breakdown throughout the day. As you age, protein breakdown tends to accelerate. Of course, there is much you can do to slow the protein breakdown, including eating more protein and/or supplementing with EAAs.

Lean Body Mass = Protein Synthesis – Protein Breakdown

When protein breakdown exceeds protein synthesis, your body is in a “catabolic” state. Think of someone with anorexia, cancer, or sarcopenia. They quickly lose muscle tissue because breakdown is greater than protein synthesis.

On the other hand, think of an 18-year-old boy going through the later stages of puberty. He goes from being lanky and awkward, to developing biceps and shoulders. In this case, protein synthesis exceeds protein breakdown.

Because your level of muscle mass plays a significant role in longevity, anything that increases protein synthesis or decreases protein breakdown can support your quality of life throughout your lifespan.

Since amino acids play such an essential role in building and maintaining lean body mass, they must be a consistent part of a healthy diet. You can either supplement with them as amino acids, or eat them in protein rich foods like protein shakes, meat, fish, eggs, and poultry.

What should I look for in an amino acid supplement?

First, look for the branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) in a 2:1:1 ratio.

"I should eat healthier. I should exercise. I should get more sleep. I should spend more time with my spouse. I should _____."

Sound familiar?

If so, you’re human.

We all have areas of our lives where we should make one choice, yet we choose another.

You dwell on what you should have done (or not done) and should on yourself.

The more you should on yourself, the more frustrated you feel. The more frustrated you feel, the less likely it is that you'll actually do what you should do.

In this blog post, I'm going to show you how to stop "shoulding" yourself. Let's jump in.

Where Do You Get Your Shoulds?

Shoulds come from the gap between what you've chosen to do and what you need to do to get what you want.

For example, you might want to lose weight, and you know you'd be more successful if you didn't buy junk food to put in your cupboards. But you buy it anyway, because it's comforting to have it in your home. As you unpack your groceries, you tell yourself over and over, "I should not have bought this stuff."

Or, you might want to build your home-based business, and you know to succeed: you have to invite people to come to your class or party. Yet, you listen to a voice in your head that tells you not to reach out to your friends and family for some crazy reason. The gap between what you don't do and what you ought to do leaves you feeling you should do something. But you don't.

As your sense of should grows, you start to feel guilty. The greater the gap between what you know you ought to do and what you actually do, the greater the feeling of guilt.

Instead of taking action and just doing what ought to be done, most people get rid of the guilt by making excuses.

You might say, "I need to keep buying the junk food, because my spouse and/or kids want to eat it." To which, I might ask, "If the junk food is bad for you, and you care about your family, why would you buy it for them?"

You might say, "I'm not sure that my friends would be interested." To which, I'd ask you, "Do you believe in what you're selling, and has it benefited you? If so, why do you think it's okay to keep it from your friends and family?"

Rather than just doing what ought to be done, most people lessen the guilt by filling the gap with excuses. As they fall back on their excuses, the guilt goes away, at least until they should on themselves again.

Read Also: 5 Ways Your Feelings Fail You (And Keep You From Living Up To Your Potential).

How to Stop Shoulding

Are you ready to break the cycle of shoulds and break through to success? It isn't complicated. You don't even need much time, but you do need to make some shifts to your mindset.

Here's how to stop shoulding in four simple steps.

Step 1: Spot Your Shoulds

You probably don't realize how often you should yourself. You feel, think, and talk so much about what you should do that you no longer notice it.

It's like saying "um," "you know," or "so" when you speak. Once you realize you do it, you're shocked by how often the words spill out of your mouth.

If you're going to accomplish more and feel guilty about less, you've got to listen to your thoughts and words.

When you feel, think, or say what you should do, pay attention. Hold that thought.

Think about what it is you really want and why you're referring to what you should do instead of what you did. You'll likely find an excuse that's keeping you comfortable in your should rather than moving you to action.

That's where Step 2 comes in.

Step 2: Examine Your Excuses

Shoulding yourself can make you feel pretty guilty, and that's okay.

Feeling guilt is your mind telling you, "You could have done better, but you didn't." Now, you might not like feeling guilty, but if you accept that feeling, you can do something about it.

Unfortunately, instead of doing something about it, most people create excuses to justify their (lack of) action and to lessen the feeling of guilt.

...