"I'll start eating healthy again when...
...this project deadline passes.
...I finish studying for my certification exam.
...the baby starts sleeping through the night.
...work travel slows down.
...we finally get settled in our new home."
Here's what you're really thinking:
"I can't be consistent with health habits when my life is this unpredictable."
"I either do it perfectly or I shouldn't bother at all."
"If I can't commit to daily gym sessions and weekly meal prep, what's the point?"
Sound familiar?
In lifestyle medicine, we call this the "All-or-Nothing" mentality and it is one of the limiting beliefs or barriers to better health.
Whether we're climbing the corporate ladder, building a business, getting through school, or raising young children—most of us have convinced ourselves that health requires an all-or-nothing approach. We treat our health habits like an ON/OFF switch.
What the All-or-Nothing belief costs you:
→ You abandon all healthy habits the moment life gets intense
→ Months pass with zero progress on your health goals
→ You feel defeated and behind where you "should" be
→ Your energy crashes right when you need it most for your other goals
→ You promise to "get back on track" once things slow down (spoiler: they never do)
The truth?
You don't need to choose between consistency OR flexibility in your health habits.
You can have both.
Introducing The Dial Method: The best tool for achieving consistency AND flexibility in your health habits and goals. This is one of the most useful skills I learned and practiced for 3+ years now. It definitely helped me maintain and improve my health. My cholesterol levels normalized, I maintain a healthy weight and put my cancer into remission.
Instead of "all or nothing," the dial method helps you master "always something"—no matter how crazy life gets.
The best part? You always win, and you'll never have to "start over" again.
The "ON/OFF" Pattern That's Keeping You Stuck
Let me guess your current health strategy:
Phase 1: Motivation Mode
You set ambitious goals in January or when life feels manageable
You invest in meal prep containers, a gym membership, or fitness apps
You create detailed workout schedules and nutrition plans
You feel unstoppable for 2-3 weeks
Phase 2: Reality Hits
Work explodes with deadlines or travel
The baby gets sick (again)
You're studying for boards or a big presentation
Family drama requires your attention
Phase 3: The Pause
"I'll just hit pause on my health routine until this passes"
You tell yourself it's temporary
Takeout becomes your primary food group
Exercise disappears entirely
Phase 4: The Guilt Spiral
Weeks (or months) pass
You feel frustrated and behind
You promise to restart "next Monday"
Rinse and repeat
Why this happens:
You're used to the all-or-nothing approach working in other areas. In your career or academics, going "all in" during crunch time pays off. But health doesn't work that way.
You treat your health habits like a project with a start and end date, instead of a foundation that supports everything else you're trying to achieve.
The real cost: You never build true momentum, miss the compounding benefits of consistency, and health becomes another source of stress instead of your competitive advantage.
The Dial Method
Stop Thinking Switch, Start Thinking Dial.
Instead of your health habits being ON or OFF, imagine them as a dial you can adjust from levels 1-5 based on your current life circumstances.
How The Dial Method Works:
Step 1: Choose Your Health Domain
Pick ONE area to focus on first (examples for your situation):
Nutrition: If you're constantly ordering takeout during busy periods
Movement: If you sit at a desk all day or chase toddlers but never exercise intentionally
Sleep: If you sacrifice rest to get more done
Stress Management: If you're always "on" and don't know how to decompress
Pro tip: Choose the domain that feels most urgent AND most doable right now
Step 2: Define Your Minimum and Maximum
Level 5 (Optimization Mode): "What's the absolute MOST I could do in this area?"
Nutrition example: Meal prep twice weekly, cook dinner 6x/week, 80% whole plant foods, homemade snacks
Level 1 (Crisis Mode): "What's the absolute LEAST non-negotiable thing I could maintain during my busiest/most stressful times?"
Nutrition example: One green smoothie daily, stay hydrated, avoid skipping meals entirely
Step 3: Fill in Levels 2-4
Create realistic stepping stones between your minimum and maximum. Here's an example:
Level 2 (Survival Mode): Green smoothie + choose healthiest options when eating out
Level 3 (Maintenance Mode): Cook at home 3x/week + pack lunch 2x/week + vegetables with every meal
Level 4 (Momentum Mode): Meal prep once weekly + cook 5x/week + minimal processed foods
Step 4: Adjust Based on Life Seasons
Normal routine? Aim for Level 3-4
Big deadline or sick kid? Drop to Level 1-2 WITHOUT GUILT
Vacation or recovery period? Maybe Level 2-3
Extra bandwidth? Experiment with Level 4-5
The Magic: You never "break" your habits—you just adjust the intensity to match your reality.
Real-life Example: Grazelle, 33 years old + Pregnant with 1st child + Center Therapy Director + Content Creator
On lunch break…
My Current Movement Dial:
Level 5: 30-minute walks + 5-minute prenatal yoga + 10-minute resistance training with 5-10 lbs dumbbells
Level 4: 20-minute walks + 5-minute prenatal yoga + 10-minute body weight exercises
Level 3: 20-minute walks + movement breaks every hour + 10-minute prenatal yoga
Level 2: 5-minute walks twice a day + movement breaks every hour
Level 1: Stand for 1 minute every hour during the day
How I use it:
Normal weeks: Level 3
Extreme nausea and fatigue: Level 1 (practically throughout 1st trimester)
Less busy days or multiple patient cancellations at work: Level 4
Results: Grazelle maintained movement consistency through her pregnancy instead of giving up entirely - even with a full-time job.
Why This Works for Busy People
It Leverages Your Strengths Instead of Fighting Them
You're Already Good at Scaling:
In work: You adjust effort based on priority and deadlines
In relationships: You show up differently during stressful vs. calm periods
With money: You spend differently during tight months vs. flush periods
Now apply this skill to health
It Removes the "Failure" Narrative:
No more "I ruined my diet"
No more "I haven't worked out in weeks"
Just: "I'm currently at Level 2, and that's exactly what I need right now"
It's Based on Systems, Not Motivation:
You don't need to "get motivated" to turn a dial
The system works whether you feel like it or not
Perfect for people whose motivation fluctuates with stress and sleep deprivation
Most importantly: It gives you permission to be human while still making progress toward your goals.
Your Action Steps
Download The Dial Method Template Here for FREE 👇
Page 1-2: Guide on how to use the template
Page 3-5: Examples
Page 6: Create your own
Build Your First Dial
Step 1: Pick ONE health domain (nutrition, movement, sleep, or stress management)
Choose based on what's causing you the most frustration right now
Step 2: Define your Level 5 and Level 1
Be specific and actionable for both extremes
Step 3: Fill in Levels 2-4 with realistic stepping stones
Think: "What could I actually do during a normal week?" (Level 3)
Step 4: Honestly assess your current life situation
What's your bandwidth right now?
What level feels 70% doable this week?
Step 5: Set a weekly reminder to reassess
Every Sunday, ask: "What level do I need this week?"
Important: Start with the level that feels 70% doable. You can always dial up later, but starting too high leads to the old all-or-nothing cycle.
Remember: The goal isn't perfection—it's sustainable progress that compounds over time.
Key Takeaway
Your health doesn't have to be another casualty of your ambitious life.
With The Dial Method, you can maintain momentum even when life feels completely out of control. You can be the parent, student, entrepreneur, or professional who ALSO prioritizes their health—without the constant cycle of starting over.
Remember: 70% consistency over 6 months beats 100% consistency for 3 weeks followed by complete abandonment.
Choose "always something" over "all or nothing."
What health domain will you create your first dial for?
Hit reply and let me know—I read every email and love hearing about your progress.
Be well,
Grazelle 🌱
PS. For a long time, I’ve been wanting to post my baby’s ultrasound online. But I wanted it to be different and meaningful at the same time. Here’s what I came up with: a YouTube thumbnail. 🤣