Routines Reinforce Resolve

The HBR Guide to Managing Stress at Work seems to confirm many of the lessons we learned from Tony Schwartz in The Way We Are Working Isn’t Working and Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow.

 We have a limited amount of decision making energy.

Our System Two thinking is lazy and sticking to a routine can free up our mental energy to focus on more productive tasks. 

My previous boss and owner of the Coeur d’Alene Resort stuck to the same routine of exercising at 4 AM every day, he bought exactly the same car every year and had a closet full of identical clothes.  He also owned all of the toys you see in this picture.   

Jay Leno is similar in his fixed fashion sense allowing him to accumulate an impressive collection of cars while not spending any of the money he earned from the Tonight show.  I also heard this same idea repeated by Tim Ferris as it related to weight loss.   Successful dieters stuck to the same foods and eating times each day therefore reserving their resources for resisting tempting treats.  Analytical experts use this same awareness of our limited cognitive capacities by satisfying our self-image with a few well-placed fruits and vegetables at the beginning of our shopping journey to alleviate the guilty pleasures of selecting your favorites from the chippy aisle. 

Ideas in Action

1. Self-control takes enormous amounts of energy.  Keep plenty in reserve by habitualizing simple tasks.

2. Recognize that “bad habits” are not unlike dormant viruses that lie in wait for a moment of weakness to overwhelm ideal intentions.

3. Use imagery to ensure attraction toward your intended goals and not away from undesirable consequences.

4. You move in the direction of your currently dominant thought, you become like that which you think about most.  Make it a habit to be aware of your inner conversations.