I Would Rather Do It the Hard Way – instead of taking action

A few years ago, when my daughter was 4 or 5 years old, her Dad was explaining to her that she could learn by listening to him or she could learn the hard way.  With all the enthusiasm of a young child, she exclaimed “I want to do it the hard way!”   We laughed because, of course, it sounded so ridiculous.

So why then do we continue to do things the hard way as adults?  We know what we should be doing to make life easier, to feel better – things like exercise, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, having balance in our life and job, and focusing on the positive things in our life, but we still don’t do them (or at least not as much as we should).

It’s not about more information, it’s about taking action.  We let life push us along, getting caught up in all the things we “need” to get done instead of being intentional about the changes that would make life easier.  I definitely find myself doing things the hard way.  I have so many tools I have learned from Positive Psychology that can make my life better.  I do use many of them, but I know if I added one or two more, they would make a difference in areas where I struggle.  So join me in adding 5-10 minutes each day to take action on information you know will make your life easier and better. Maybe it’s making healthier choices for snacks or mealtime.  Maybe it’s taking time each week to exercise more or reflect on what is going well in your life.

I would love to hear the action you are going to take!  Want to know what action I am taking?  Check out next week’s tip!!

Tina Hallis, Ph.D., is a professional speaker and consultant for The Positive Edge, a company dedicated to helping people and organizations fulfill their true potential using strategies from the science of Positive Psychology.