I was writing notes for my devotionals the other day, and thanks to The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, I came up with a happy and healthy theme.
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Happy and Healthy
Tag: temptation
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Feeling a little Tempted today?
I don’t know about you, but ice cream can be a big temptation to me. Then there’s chocolate, coffee, fudge, and cookies, among others!
We all have temptations around us. Advertising plays into our temptations. As business people, we are continually wanting to find a need and fill it. Those needs can be temptations that is another person’s weakness.
When you are facing a temptation that you want to tame, here are some ways to deal with it.
- Pause to think before you act
- Consider if this temptation works against your goals
- Think about how you will feel once you give in
- How will you feel in three hours?
- The next day?
- Next month?
- Talk with a trusted friend with whom you shared your goal and that supports you
It’s okay to have a little ice cream once in a while. But are there other temptations that are holding you back from where you want to be in the future? Consider the ramifications before you dive in.
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Problems Exist, and That’s Good
“The adventure of business is to know the problems exist, to hunt and eliminate them, and to grow a culture that does this continually.”
Thomas Anderson in Changed People Change Process
Problems will continually pop up. They are like a game of whack-a-mole. As soon as you address and solve one problem, another one pops up… and that’s a good thing!
If problems didn’t exist, if things went smoothly all the time, what’s the point of work? It would become quite boring. There would be less need for creativity. Problem-solving can be one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of the business.
As the quote suggests, problems become an adventure. If you read a story where the protagonist has a smooth ride and faced no problems, what fun would that be? Adventures involve facing and solving problems.
Embrace problems, analyze and solve them. You may become the hero of your own adventure. You will improve. And you will have fun doing it!
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Willpower as an Emotion
The other day, I read an excellent article from Inc.com on what we get wrong about willpower. In it, Nir Eyal debunks the ego-depletion theory. We’ve all heard and believed that willpower is a limited resource. He explains why this is not a good idea.
Holding on to the idea that willpower is a limited resource can actually be bad for you, making you more likely to lose control and act against your better judgment.
What You’re Getting Wrong About Willpower @ Inc.com
If we believe we will sooner or later run out of willpower, we set ourselves up for failure. There are times when I’ve actually looked forward to the time I would run out of the will to resist a dessert temptation. When I’m at that point, I might as well help myself to a second or third cheesecake, right?
Wrong! The article cites research that shows willpower ebbs and flows more like an emotion instead of fatigue. Sure, we let our emotions get raw when we’re tired. But that doesn’t mean we can’t manage our emotions and make a wise choice when necessary.
I don’t have to exile myself to a desert island in order to stay away from desserts. We have more power to eliminate bad habits and introduce new ones than we give ourselves credit for.
The article is based on Eyal’s book, Indistractible. I’m going to check it out!
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Temptation Surplus Disorder
There is no shortage of temptation, especially around this time of year. There is plenty of food to enjoy, kids’ shows are bombarded with toy commercials and as it gets colder, it feels good to just relax and skip some activity.
Be brave, my friend! We all have TSD this time of year. Combat it with a little discipline and push through to resolution time at the beginning of next year!