This week I've been struck by the huge gap between what we
know, and what we do. I was walking through the self-help,
how-to, and "recovery" sections of a local bookstore and
there must have been over a thousand titles, although I
didn't try to count them all.
It hit me that we are far more willing to study "what to
do" or "how to do it" than to truly rock the boat of our
own lives. Theory is always so much easier than action.
Now don't get me wrong! You earned three Master's degrees,
then kept going for Ph.d. Read every
day and you love books. I love learning! In IMPACT I'm constantly
encouraging you to attend the seminars, hire the coaches,
and do whatever it takes to learn the skills you need.
But the fact remains that knowing "what" to do is very
different than actually doing it.
Sometimes I think there must be a million books and tapes
and classes for sale on the Internet, every one of them
promising to teach you the "secrets" or the "path" to
riches or instant success of one kind of another. And if
you truly do not know the skills or do not have the tools,
you should make the investment.
But. Most of us already either know, or at least have some
clues about what we need to do. How can we get ourselves to
do what we already know?
First, get familiar with the difference between
"Intelligent Choices" and "Automatic Choices."
Intelligent Choices (IC's) are the things you know you
should and ought to do. They are the steps and actions, the
decisions and practices that will take you toward your
goals. They are the steps you wrote down on your goals
sheet, the plans you made, the dreams you dream. They are
easy to think about; but they are NOT habits. They may not
be easy, at least at first. They are obvious, but not
necessarily easy.
Automatic Choices (AC's), on the other hand, are very easy.
They are familiar habits and you've been doing them for
years. Your family and friends "expect" them of you. They
don't cause problems and they don't upset anyone. They
involve no risk, except that they keep you trapped in your
familiar rut.
An IC is to save some of your income and invest for the
future. It's "hard" and may seem uncomfortable. It may
involve sacrifice, but it's a smart thing to do. In
contrast, a common AC is to whip out a credit card for an
impulse purchase, or to pick up take-out because you're
"too tired" to cook.
Here's a suggestion: First thing every morning, take ten
minutes to decide on a few IC's you will do today. Write
them down. Don't make this hard. Rome wasn't built in a
day. Jot down three or four smart things you want to do
today. Then at the end of the day, calmly review your
actions to see if you did them. Be honest. If you didn't do
them, do not beat yourself up! Just tell the truth and re-
commit to doing them tomorrow. If you did them,
congratulate yourself!
Remember, AC's keep us trapped in the "same old, same old."
IC's are the keys that unlock the future. IC's are the
building blocks, the steps or path or recipe to everything
you want in life. Understand the distinction and use it to
your advantage.
know, and what we do. I was walking through the self-help,
how-to, and "recovery" sections of a local bookstore and
there must have been over a thousand titles, although I
didn't try to count them all.
It hit me that we are far more willing to study "what to
do" or "how to do it" than to truly rock the boat of our
own lives. Theory is always so much easier than action.
Now don't get me wrong! You earned three Master's degrees,
then kept going for Ph.d. Read every
day and you love books. I love learning! In IMPACT I'm constantly
encouraging you to attend the seminars, hire the coaches,
and do whatever it takes to learn the skills you need.
But the fact remains that knowing "what" to do is very
different than actually doing it.
Sometimes I think there must be a million books and tapes
and classes for sale on the Internet, every one of them
promising to teach you the "secrets" or the "path" to
riches or instant success of one kind of another. And if
you truly do not know the skills or do not have the tools,
you should make the investment.
But. Most of us already either know, or at least have some
clues about what we need to do. How can we get ourselves to
do what we already know?
First, get familiar with the difference between
"Intelligent Choices" and "Automatic Choices."
Intelligent Choices (IC's) are the things you know you
should and ought to do. They are the steps and actions, the
decisions and practices that will take you toward your
goals. They are the steps you wrote down on your goals
sheet, the plans you made, the dreams you dream. They are
easy to think about; but they are NOT habits. They may not
be easy, at least at first. They are obvious, but not
necessarily easy.
Automatic Choices (AC's), on the other hand, are very easy.
They are familiar habits and you've been doing them for
years. Your family and friends "expect" them of you. They
don't cause problems and they don't upset anyone. They
involve no risk, except that they keep you trapped in your
familiar rut.
An IC is to save some of your income and invest for the
future. It's "hard" and may seem uncomfortable. It may
involve sacrifice, but it's a smart thing to do. In
contrast, a common AC is to whip out a credit card for an
impulse purchase, or to pick up take-out because you're
"too tired" to cook.
Here's a suggestion: First thing every morning, take ten
minutes to decide on a few IC's you will do today. Write
them down. Don't make this hard. Rome wasn't built in a
day. Jot down three or four smart things you want to do
today. Then at the end of the day, calmly review your
actions to see if you did them. Be honest. If you didn't do
them, do not beat yourself up! Just tell the truth and re-
commit to doing them tomorrow. If you did them,
congratulate yourself!
Remember, AC's keep us trapped in the "same old, same old."
IC's are the keys that unlock the future. IC's are the
building blocks, the steps or path or recipe to everything
you want in life. Understand the distinction and use it to
your advantage.
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