Wellbeing + Wellness = Well-Being-Ness In Action
Knowing is not doing.
How often do you know what you should do, but instead choose to do the opposite because it is a habit, or you procrastinate or you lack self-confidence or are afraid?
This happens so frequently in our lives that we often no longer notice it. We let it slide and bury the uncomfortable feeling along with the awareness that we have let ourselves (and our lives) down once again.
We frequently know what the right decision, the right choice, the right action and the right attitude are. However, regardless of that well regarded and established knowledge we find ourselves doing something other than what we know is best.
We reinforce the concept of knowing but not doing in dozens of ways everyday until ‘not doing’ becomes acceptable and habitual.
Turning the unacceptable into the acceptable and the exception into the habitual can be lethal to goals, dreams, accomplishment and occasionally lives.
Putting wellbeing and wellness into action requires altering what we accept and tolerate first and foremost from ourselves.
Do we always accept the extra ‘treat’ when we are trying to loose weight with the excuse that we can begin tomorrow. Do we accept that we skip the workout (again) today? Do we allow ourselves to get angry or waste time or compromise in dozens of ways who we are and who we strive to be?
Accepting the unacceptable and making the exception habitual pushes our hopes and goals further away as well as subtly and consistently eroding our sense of self and self-esteem, making our tomorrow ever more difficult.
The first step to Well-Being-Ness in action is to become aware every time we know but do not do.
Catch yourself every time you know you should do something different that you do, but don’t.
The first step to correcting anything is awareness.
This is not the moment to berate your decision, actions or self. This is the moment to build self-understanding. Use whatever method works for you – journal, note examples in your calendar, keep a daily list – but right now become an expert at awareness of when you know but do not do.
If you want to take it one step further ask yourself why in that very moment. Why are you doing what you know you should not do in this very instant? Why are you eating that donut this moment? Why are you online watching meaningless dribble instead of taking a walk or at the gym? Why did you not make that phone call, write that report?
Once you become awake, truly awake, to ‘what’ you are doing and ‘why’ you are doing it, you’ll be ready and willing to change.
Be awake.
Stay awake.