You Don't Get More Points for Willpower

Guilt often comes from thinking “I should know better, or I could choose better.”

As if each and every decision we make is carefully calculated in a vacuum, devoid of external influence or other factors beyond You The Decider.

We do stuff all the time because that’s just “what you do”.

Whether you do something because you actively and purposely will it, or because you were pressured, the final result is the same.

For example, these each lead to the same outcome:

You went running because…

you feel it’s a good thing to do

you told your friend you would

you promised you’d go with your friend

you think God wants you to

you joined a running group & want to meet someone

you were being chased by a bear

The point is you went running. You aren’t a better person because you did it for the “right reason” or because “You Chose To”.

If you want to something figure out what makes it so you have to do the thing, so that there’s no decision, so that it’s just what you do.

Discover what turns an obligation from “I should do it” to “That’s just who I am”.

Having to relitigate every little decision in one’s life is paralyzing, so get on with it.