When We Don’t Do What We Should 

In my own life, and in observing others, I’m fascinated by this paradox: we know exactly what we need to or should do, and yet we don’t do it! 

When I taught college students, I was fascinated by the phenomenon every semester (yes, every) where a student who did not complete assigned work during the semester requested extra credit opportunities at the end of the semester. I always asked why I would offer opportunities for extra credit when the student didn’t do the regular credit! 

Jokes aside, what’s going on here? 

Despite thousands of years of innovation since our cavemen days, the human brain has evolved very little. Our brains are still focused on ensuring our bodies are properly rested for bursts of physical activity to gather food, escape a predator, or conserve resources due to the uncertainty of time until our next meal. I imagine our prehistoric ancestors sitting in a cave thinking “I’m hungry, I should probably go hunt, but I think I’ll just stay here for a while and draw on the wall…” 

We do the equivalent of this personally and professionally every single day! “I know I should open my eBook app and read, but I’ll scroll social media.” “I know I should fire that troublesome employee, but I’ll just pick up some of their slack to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.” “I know I should save money, but I think I’ll go shopping just to browse…”  

The solution? Re-inspire yourself. 

Sounds silly, but it’s soooo true! We forget the inspiration for all kinds of things: why we have jobs, homes, cars, kids, living rooms, this weekly meeting, etc.  

Go back to the source. Ask yourself “why?”, and then ask it again and again. Do this relentlessly every day. “Why did I want to read this book again? Oh, right, someone recommended it to help me think of new ways to grow my business.” “Why do I want to save money again? Oh, right, so I can retire early…wow, just ten more years!” 

Your future self is counting on you to think about the opportunity cost of not doing what you know you should do today. Try not to let her or him down. 

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” -Eleanor Roosevelt 

 

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Craig A. Escamilla
Craig A. Escamilla
Craig Escamilla helps you find solutions before problems exist. With fifteen years of consulting, teaching, and senior management experience, Craig brings a wealth of practical expertise to helping others work on rather than in their businesses.

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