We know how to live better lives.
We know that:
• being fitter will make us look and feel better • more time on social media will make us more anxious • staying up super late will make us exhausted the next day • more time with loved ones and with our passions will make us more fulfilled • expanding our comfort zones will provide us more opportunities….
So why do we struggle with all these things we know to be true?
Because in a sense, the day to day hustle and bustle of life clouds our vision. We get distracted. We forget.
When I’ve had a long ass day, my brain’s not thinking about how to optimize my wellbeing before bed; it’s craving the dopamine of watching another YouTube video as I slide under the covers.
I’m thinking: Yes, I know that in the past staying up late watching YouTube makes me more tired when I wake up and it makes the day harder…but this time, I really need to stay up and watch YouTube.
I forget.
Then, like clockwork, I wake up the next day and remember…usually with some self-loathing.
But what if I was able to remember before suffering the consequences?
One strategy I use to remember is by reinforcing the fact that I tell myself lies.
“I won’t regret: staying up late…eating a sixth donut…skipping the gym…blowing my friend off…”
Lies. All of them.
One of my best friends once said:
“Resistance always comes in reasonable forms.”
Our forgetting what is good for us always seems rational in the moment. It’s only after the fact that we see what’s really going on.
Let’s get in the habit of remembering what we already know.