Band Aids

Photo Credit: clipart-library.com

We all either currently have them or have had them at some point in our lives. It’s those things that we do to try to compensate for something that is really the root cause of our ailments. It could be ignorance, fear, or maybe it’s just pure laziness, but either way, we consistently fail to address the one thing (or multiple things) that if changed, would change everything. This looks like telling ourselves we should take a nap or need more sleep at night when really it’s the fact that we have a poor diet and fail to exercise that is really causing us to be groggy (ouch that hit home). So instead of cutting out the sweets or alcoholic beverages so we justify that we work hard and deserve these “treats” in our lives and then wonder why we have low energy. Or we tell ourselves that we are too busy (or ironically too tired) to work-out and there is just no way that we can find the time. “I mean where will I fit it in? My schedule is already packed!” Maybe it’s avoiding making that one call or attending that one networking event because of (insert justifiable excuse).

We believe the problem with this type of thinking is obvious to all of us, so why do we continue to indulge in it? Because something called confirmation bias kicks in. Confirmation bias is all of the reasonings that we identify to justify a decision that we have made AFTER we have made it. So we decide that we are going to go down a certain track (usually the path of LEAST resistance) and then our brain searches for all of the things that it possibly can find to build a case for us to justify taking that path.

So how do we avoid this type of behavior and stop continually falling into this trap? The answer is simple and fairly obvious when we step back and look at it. First, we identify someone who has in life the things that we want and then we work to gain access to their thought process. Having a mentor who is further down the same or similar road that you want to go down is key. Next we need to develop an accountability system with that person to make sure that we stay on track. Why does having a workout partner work so much better than going by yourself to the gym everyday? Because you stay accountable to one another, keep each other focused, and push one another to succeed. If it works in the gym why wouldn’t if work in other areas of your life? The fact of the matter is, IT DOES. It just takes intentionality to identify a person who is where you want to be, convince them to mentor you, and then stay accountable to them long after the initial excitement of doing something new wears off.

Don’t allow yourself to fall victim to the band aids. Don’t allow yourself to get in a confirmation bias loop. Choose to maximize your potential by maximizing your day…day after day after day. If one person can do it, you can do it.

We believe in you,
Brandon & Amanda