Jul 6, 2020
Choose to Win, One Simple Choice At a Time
Why we don’t do the things we know are good for us
Have you ever wondered why we don’t do the things we know are good for us?
It’s something we all struggle with, we know we should be doing what’s good for us but end up ditching it for something else.
It’s the way we are wired.
A common response for most people is “I know what I should do I just don’t why I don’t do it.” Does this sound familiar? Most people know what plans they need to take, yet don’t do them consistently and sabotage their best-laid plans.
It’s something that I struggle from time to time.
Why is easier to choose a chocolate cake over an apple? To binge on Netflix instead of studying or reading. Or, waste valuable time on social media over completing a project.
It’s a strange paradox if you think about it.
So, why don’t we do things we know are good for us?
Well, the simple answer is we are humans and have emotions. We are fundamentally driven towards pleasure and pain.
We tend to seek anything that brings pleasure and run away from things that bring pain. Exactly why you would gravitate towards the chocolate or take the easy way out whenever possible.
We seek to find meaning to life and the experiences we have.
We try to make sense of everything that happens in our lives and often leave us vulnerable to overthinking and complicating things.
This leads us to ruminate over everything and end up creating a mental monster that keeps us stagnate.
We prefer short term instant gratification over delayed gratification for long-term gain.
How do we do things we know are good for us?
There are things you can do to become more conscious of what you are doing, intentionally choose.
It takes kindness, persistence and consistency.
Here are ways to become more aware — regardless of who you are or what you do.
1. Awareness
Become more aware of your daily thoughts and thinking styles, what you say or think affects you dearly.
When you begin to observe your thoughts without judgment, you’ll realise that 90% of your daily thoughts are repetitive. You’ll also uncover things that may surprise you.
The thoughts, words and language patterns you observed may not be in alignment with your goals.
When you hear that inner voice, that imposter, don’t try to fight or reason with it. You’ll be more likely to be fighting a losing better. Instead, observe your thoughts, understand that they are just thoughts nothing more, you have the ability to replace them with positive ones.
2. Clarity
Take time to decide what you want, where you want to be, instead of focusing on what you have now.
Attracting what you want requires clarity, openness and trust. Be clear about the details of the outcomes. Consider what you do want, not what you don’t want.
Practice visualising yourself in the situation you want to create. How do you do this? Start small.
3. Take small incremental steps
Grab a paper and write down one or two behaviours that will help you move forward towards your goals.
Make them so small so you don’t allow your past patterns or inner critics to pull you off course. It’s easier to form a new habit or behaviour if it’s easy and simple.
Remember you are a creature of habit, so build new habits slowly.
Behaviours repeated consistently over time will eventually become new habits.
4. Set intentions
Your intentions are everything, the energy of your mind is attention. Where you put your focus your energy flows.
Wake up every day and set your intentions to ensure you are steering your focus in the right direction. If you fail to do that, your inner critic will take over.
When you are intentional about something, your focus is in the moment: who you are, what you do, why you do it.
Final Thoughts
Make a conscious effort to always think about what you want, who you want to be and actually go after it.
Choose to do the things today that create your success, let go of habits, beliefs and thoughts that no longer serve you. Embrace what life has in store for you. Let go of the unnecessary baggage that you are carrying.
Choose to win, one simple choice at a time.
