“I don’t feel like it.” If I choose to not want it, then I won’t get it.

Ray Dalio, author of Principles: Life and Work, suggests that we deliberately analyze our decision-making process. By writing them down, we are forced to clarify our thoughts before articulating them. Sharing them with others forces me to hold myself accountable to consistently making decisions with the intent of conscious self-development to increase the likelihood that I embody the principles that I value.

I may think that I don’t want to put forth the necessary effort to do something, but if there is a payoff for my future self, passively not making the effort in the present is the equivalent of doing something to actively hurt my future self.

If I think that I prefer to jump around from game to game on my phone, I need to be able to convince future me that it is worth my time and that I won’t regret having spent it playing games. In my experience, there is a difference between a struggle and a wall. I may need a mental break if I’ve gone hours on a single topic and hit a wall to let my subconscious do some problem-solving. That said, I’ve caught myself many times taking “mental breaks” just to put my mind at ease. These breaks don’t make me any happier; on the contrary, they make me feel worse for having not accomplished anything meaningful in my limited time on as a mortal being. I don’t take my foot off the gas while driving a car in the fast lane, so why would I do it when the benefits are more meaningful than saving a few minutes on a road trip?

The answer: laziness.

Another way to look at it is as a logical sequence. If I convince myself don’t feel like it, then I never will. If I never will, then I’ll never do. If I never do, that rich experience will never become a part of my being. At best, I can only infer the experience as a detached entity through the lossy description of others. I’ve heard people describe their experience skydiving dozens of times, but that doesn’t give me a first-hand perspective. Does listening to someone talk about exercise stress my muscles or strengthen my cardiovascular system? Obviously not.

If there are risks involved, weigh them and decide if the potential positive outcome is worth the risk. If so, do it.

Click the picture for Ray Dalio’s book Principles: Life and Work