Why Trampelpfad Is the One German Word You Should Remember (For Boosting Your Willpower) Cover

Why Trampelpfad Is the One German Word You Should Remember (For Boosting Your Willpower)

Trampelpfad.

Want me to say it again?

Tram-pel-pfad.

Want me to actually say it?

YouTube video

The first half of the word “Trampel” comes from the verb “trampeln” which means to stomp.

As in “When we told the kids they weren’t allowed to watch TV, they ended up stomping up the stairs in frustration.”

The second half of the word “pfad” simply means path.

Therefore, a Trampelpfad is a path, which has been created by people stomping along the same trail.

You can most often find a Trampelpfad in the woods, and it looks like this:

Image via Unsplash by Jens Lelie

Why am I telling you this?

One, because Trampelpfad is an awesome word and there’s no proper English word for it and two, because it will help you remember what I’m about to say next.

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How to Develop a Growth Mindset Cover

How to Develop a Growth Mindset in 3 Steps

“Oh my god. I just had a donut. It was an accident coach, but now I’m screwed. If history is any indicator, I’ll have had 7 more by the time I leave the office. I’ve never managed to stick to my diet this long before, so I guess it was only a matter of time until I fail.”

What you just witnessed is called a fixed mindset. I receive messages like these from my clients on a regular basis.

I’ll inevitably cut in with something a little provocative, like this…

“If that’s what history indicates, I strongly suggest you pick a different indicator :)”

…or this:

“So you’ve stuck to your diet longer than ever before, but it’s impossible for you to get better? My contradiction radar just went off!”

You see, as much as I love encouraging my clients, and getting them to pick themselves up and move forward, a fixed mindset is tough to crack, and therefore oftencalls for a steamroller.

It’s one of the root problems when trying to improve your habits and getting rid of it often requires one or even multiple striking, powerful, memorable and somewhat drastic events.

Today I’m going to show you how to create those events for yourself. But first, a story — because everyone loves those.

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