| In most situations, the thing that is good and beneficial for you is the hardest to do.
It can be hard to resist brownies and instead snack on some carrots. It can be hard to stop scrolling twitter and read a book. It can be hard to turn off Netflix and do some writing.
The inverse is also true. The things that are mind-numbing, dulling, and unhealthy are the easiest to do (brownies, scrolling, etc).
Unhealthy Habits or Activities
Another anecdotal ‘truth’ I have found is this… The things that are mind-numbing, dulling, and unhealthy promise you pleasure or time well spent on the front end, but lead to regret, shame, and a dulling effect on the back end.
Take scrolling on Twitter (or Facebook, Instagram, etc) for example. There is this voice in our heads that says “When I get home and kick back, it will be super fulfilling to scroll Twitter.” But we never get done scrolling Twitter for 90 minutes (or more!) and think “Wow, I feel so much better.”
It will never make good on its promise. There is almost always a letdown and sometimes guilt/shame. Our minds then tell us “I thought it was going to be good for me, but now I feel worse about myself and have wasted 90 minutes of my life.”
Beneficial, Healthy, and Sharpening Habits
Things that are beneficial for us almost always seem like they are painful at the beginning but when we are done doing them, they give us life, they sharpen us, and make us better! We are grateful and excited that we did them (read, eat right, spend time with family, write, etc).
If we can understand our minds/bodies, we can know that resisting the things that promise satisfaction and life is hard but is so worth it.
Eventually, this ‘duty’ becomes a ‘delight’ or ‘desire’.
PS. This topic also fits under the concept of compound growth. Compound growth is doing beneficial, healthy things on a consistent basis so they stack up and eventually compound our growth, expertise, and skill. The best in the world at ________(fill in whatever you want) do consistent, basic things over and over and do it longer and more consistent than others. This, over time, builds up and compounds.
We know what it takes to be great. Information is not our problem. The problem is we often have a hard time acting on that information.
What do you need to stop doing? And what do you need to start doing that, over time, will lead to growth and improvements? |
