One of my dear blog readers (Hello!), who happens to be a close friend of mine, said that she really liked the blog but… (This is how you can tell we’re close. She always has a but too.) But:
“Sometimes I think, ‘If you already know what to do, why don’t you just do it then?'”
My first, and not very mature, reaction to this was: Look, who’s talking. Fortunately I didn’t say it loud. (Until now, that is.) My second thought, the one I did say, was, “If I’d knew the secret to that, I’d bottle it, sell it to everyone who needs it for 50 Cents, and become a millionaire.”
For me the gap between insight and change of behavior is huge. And I know that I’m not the only one. If it were as easy as having an insight and then cheerfully applying it effortlessly, nobody would be fat, or messy, or disorganized. Apart from the people who don’t think. Maybe.
But then I thought again, and she does have a point. All this talking and talking is a form of whining and the high art of procrastination. But, and what you can’t see when you’re only reading my blog, after years and years of just talking I finally entered the stage of behavior change for a lot of areas in my life where I have been wanting to change.
I’m talking about these things so that others can see that they’re not alone. It is easy to think that everybody has his act together except for you. One of the bloggers that I read has put it this way: Stop comparing your insides to the outsides of others. (Sorry, I forgot where I read this. I’ll be happy to give credit when anybody remembers.)
And, in blogging things I’m making myself accountable. And I’m thinking things through. All of that is very helpful. And really, who wants to read a blog that goes all: I’m the best! I do accomplish every single thing on my to-do-list everyday! I never make mistakes! We’d all think that this person could only be a figment of imagination.
So, while I don’t recommend doing without thinking, it’s always good to remember that only doing gets things done. Especially for those of us to whom thinking comes so easy.
Technorati Tags: behavior change, blogging, thinking, self-help
Hey! I just found you from your comment on christinekane.com I like your blog a lot! I don’t think I can read it regularly, though… I already spend too much time online! I just wanted to comment on this – I was just talking to my sister about this. I’m in a 12-step group, with over 15 years clean and sober. Just last year, I *got* the 2nd part of the 11th step. The 11th step says (in part), “Praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us, and the power to carry it out.” Well, I’m pretty in tune with my intuition and gut feelings – I feel like I can usually discern God’s will in my life. BUT – the power to carry it out?! I forgot that was even IN the step! LOL So I’ve been focusing on that the last year or so. And with that, came big changes in how I see things. I’m learning to take responsibility for my life, for my choices. Yep, I had the childhood I had, the setbacks I’ve had… but change will only come when I take responsibility for that change. And ironically enough, turn it over to God at the same time. Anyway – thanks for a thought-provoking blog entry!
Hey! I just found you from your comment on christinekane.com I like your blog a lot! I don’t think I can read it regularly, though… I already spend too much time online! I just wanted to comment on this – I was just talking to my sister about this. I’m in a 12-step group, with over 15 years clean and sober. Just last year, I *got* the 2nd part of the 11th step. The 11th step says (in part), “Praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us, and the power to carry it out.” Well, I’m pretty in tune with my intuition and gut feelings – I feel like I can usually discern God’s will in my life. BUT – the power to carry it out?! I forgot that was even IN the step! LOL So I’ve been focusing on that the last year or so. And with that, came big changes in how I see things. I’m learning to take responsibility for my life, for my choices. Yep, I had the childhood I had, the setbacks I’ve had… but change will only come when I take responsibility for that change. And ironically enough, turn it over to God at the same time. Anyway – thanks for a thought-provoking blog entry!