New Year’s Resolution - I won't be a Sofer

Yes, I know. On the top of your list is to get in shape this year. Again.
There’s a fancy word for mental resolve that fizzles out – recidivism. Sounds a lot better than wimping out, doesn’t it?
"I’m not wimping out, I’m just recidivising my resolutions".
Yeah! That ought to get them off you and send them packing to Wiki so you have time to strategize getting off the sofa and out of the fridge by the time you have your next conversation . .
What is it about the brain’s miraculous ability to make us wimp out on our New Year’s resolutions? A recent article by Jonah Lehrer, an Oxford University Rhodes Scholar, neuroscientist, and contributing editor to the Wall Street Journal, Wired, Scientific American, and NPR’s Radio Lab, gave me a clue. Like me, Jonah is a fan of the brain. He considers resolutions exactly the wrong way to change our brain’s behavior. "Develop respect for our feebleness of self-control", he says. It’s normal for the brain to be stubborn.
But here’s where it gets weirdly interesting. Jonah reports many experiments with willpower were identical to working a muscle. A bicep has limitations. Ask it to lift a load too heavy and the load drops to the floor. The same is true for the pre-frontal cortex, which, as I have written before, hasn’t developed in evolution like other parts of our brain. It hasn’t expanded enough to handle the load we expect it to carry. Experiments indicate after a long day at the office, most will eat and drink more after work. The "cognitive load" from an all day workout reduces self-control just like it reduces the strength of an overworked muscle.
"Most of us consider lack of self-control a character issue" Jonah says, "But this research suggests that willpower itself is inherently limited, and that our January promises fail in large part because the brain wasn't built for success."
One experiment he describes seems very relevant to this post, as well to my own experience. A group was asked not to think of a white elephant for five minutes and given another task to do with numbers. The control group didn’t have a white elephant to worry about forgetting. Next, both groups were asked to test a new brand of beer, after which they knew they would have to drive home. Sure enough, the white elephant group drank more.
Now here’s the irony for me. I was trying to lose a whopping 35 pounds on a five-foot frame after a year hitch-hiking in Europe. Those who picked me up insisted on buying me a meal before dropping me back off on the road. Back in the US, it never failed. Go to lunch with some people from the office. I order a salad. If they’re a little on the heavy side, "is that all you’re going to order? You’ll starve, etc.". Now I have to forget the "white elephant" menu staring back at me. And you know the rest.
After a year of this, I got smart. In my brain. I decided to lighten the load on my pre-frontal cortex. "Is that all you’re going to order . . . 
"Uh, yeah. I had huevos rancheros for breakfast (or lunch, a snack, or both) and I’ve got a brick in my stomach". Bam. Silence at the table. The dogs had backed off my pre-frontal cortex and the white elephant was gone. I trimmed back down to 100 pounds fast.
The same worked with my cycling training. "You’re doing 100 miles today? Are you crazy? (not an athlete speaking) . . "Yeah, haven’t ridden in a month. My muscles are twitching, can’t sleep, got pulled over for speeding and if I don’t get this out of me I’ll take on another waitperson . . ." 
Silence. I roll out the door. I only did 50 yesterday. Today to make up for it, I do 100. Brains and muscles can do amazing things.
Jonah’s conclusion? Willpower requires real brain energy. Here are a few ways he thinks we weaken our brain muscle:
Task overload – you decide to cut down on eating then do an 80 mile ride then pay the bills then do the laundry then make the dental appointment . . .
Skipping brain snacks - brains need healthy fuel.
Sit and stand up straight - this discipline alone leads to more success with other brain disciplines according to Jonah.
Delay gratification - research by Walter Mischel at Columbia University and others has demonstrated that "People who are better at delaying gratification don't necessarily have more restraint. Instead, they seem to be better at finding ways to get tempting thoughts out of their minds." Not only that, high delayers get higher SAT scores "because they know that willpower is weak. They excel at controlling the spotlight of attention. When faced with candy, they stare at the carrots."
Jonah’s final suggestion is the use of distraction:
"The lesson is that the prefrontal cortex can be bulked up, and that practicing mental discipline in one area, such as posture, can also make it easier to resist Christmas cookies. . . when a dangerous desire starts coming on, just remember: Gritting your teeth isn't the best approach, as even the strongest mental muscles quickly get tired. Instead, find a way to look at something else."
Writing is tough discipline. I’m angry today because I won’t get out and ride on a cold rainy day, pay the bills, go the hardware store . . . So, today I do something else I equally enjoy. I write. That's it for today. The next ride will be an explosion of pent-up energy and too much fun. White elephant gone.
Your next refrigerator post? Stand and sit up straight . . .