Before You Do Anything, Ask Yourself This 1 Question
Do you sometimes do things that you regret?
Do you make impulse decisions or irrational choices? Do you ever skip workout sessions because you feel unmotivated? Do you ever fight with your friend, or buy a shirt that you only wear once?
Fret not, for this is how you can change that.
Before I do anything (or make any decision), I ask one simple question:
“What am I trying to achieve here?”
Doing this allows me to:
- (1) Gain an awareness of my true, underlying motive for any action
- (2) Evaluate this motive to see how well it serves my goals and values
- (3) Make a more reflected decision about what to do in this situation
— by staying true to my goals and values
This little exercise continuously saves me from taking countless wrong turns.
Once I know that certain (desirable) actions are fed by impulses, I can overcome them and make wiser choices for my health and development. And once I know that certain (undesirable) actions lead to long-term fulfillment, I can push myself to follow through despite resistance.
Here are some examples:
- When I have the opportunity to eat some cake, I choose not to do so if my inner motive is mere comfort or distraction; but I do it if it serves a social function or helps me challenge my eating patterns
- When I feel like skipping a workout session, I acknowledge that I only want to quit because I fear discomfort; so I remind myself of my reason to keep going, and I make a conscious decision to work out
- When I grab my phone, I evaluate whether I am about to use it for education and rest or mere indulgence; and from there, I make the wisest choice
Asking yourself this question would help you to be more honest with yourself. It would allow you to evaluate the validity behind any of your potential actions. And it would allow you to be more purposeful with the choices you ended up making.
Because once you know your motives, you understand your behavior.
And once you understand your behavior, you gain control of your life.
