A paragraph from this lengthy post by Philip Eby:
I read an interesting book many years ago that summarized what psychologists knew about people who successfully undertook major changes like quitting smoking or changing their eating habits. As it turns out, the key success criterion in the phase just before taking action was that people had to consider the negative impacts of the change they were contemplating, and decide they were okay with what they were giving up by changing. Before that phase, it was important to know about the benefits of the change, but for changes to stick, it seems we have to understand what the downsides are, and then do it anyway.
Actually, having read this now, I find it quite obvious. You want to go from A to B. You are really motivated to do it. But you just can’t. You don’t have enough willpower to overcome … to overcome what?
The things that keep you at A are all the good things you have to leave behind, and the hardships you will have to endure on the way. You will not get to B until you accept this. If you really want to change something about yourself, but can’t overcome your inertia, then it’s because you haven’t really accepted the negative consequences of the change.
It’s obvious, but I find that I actually focus much more on the positive effects that I hope the change will have. This provides motivation, but doesn’t reduce inertia. It’s only one half of the equation.
The hard part: Accepting something negative is a decision. And making decisions — I’m talking about real decisions, not this small automatic kind of decision we make all the time — is Hard.
(This post is not related to current events; I just happened to come across Philip’s article today. The big change I want to see in my life is — still — to conquer procrastination.)