Q:What do I like doing?
A: Understanding Human Behavior.
Q: Why?
A: Because it is fascinating.
Q: Why?
A: Because it helps me understand what people do in real life
Q: Why is that important to me?
A: Because I enjoy helping people.
Q: Why?
A: Because it gets people to like me and it makes me feel important
This can go on and on. Many times, we fail to ask why we do things the way we do them. Or why we have the habits and behaviors we have in our life. Unless we uncover deeper reasons for why we do or don't do certain behaviors, how can we expect to change them. There is another story that illustrates this perfectly.
A young girl was watching her mother make a large ham roast for dinner and she asked why she cut off the end. Her mother replied: "Because that is what Grandma did." The little girl then asked: "Well why did grandma do it?" So they went to grandma's house and asked her and she said: "Well because my mom did." and the little girl repeated her question. So they went to Great Grandma's house and asked her the same question and she replied: "Because my the ham didn't fit in my pan."
As kids, why was our favorite question! I don't know what happened along the way to adulthood, but I want my questioning mentality back because that is the only way to create something new by discovering why we actually do what we do!
This story illustrates how easy it is to get caught up in doing things because that is how we have seen them being done, or that is how everyone does it. You are a unique individual who has perceived the world differently than anyone else. Only you have the power to know "why" and unless you can uncover all of the "whys" you are risking unsuccessful habit formation.
I hope you took the time to do this quick experiment. I hope it will stick with you. Throughout your day, begin asking why. Why do I stay up late ? Why do I hit snooze? Why does the grocery store stock their groceries like that? You will be amazed with what you come up with!
Happy Wednesday! You 2.5 days to make this week great!
Andrew Zimmermann
@andrewzimbd
[email protected]