Change, change, change

No one would disagree that drinking and drinking is hazardous. Nor would they argue that smoking is harmful to your health. And we all know that getting up just 10 minutes earlier will ensure we get to work on time. Nevertheless, despite our highly evolved human intellect and rationality, we continue to do the things we shouldn't do and resist doing the things we should.

I'm reading Dan and Chip Heath's latest book called 'Switch, How to change things when change is hard'. Their metaphor is the rational rider struggling to tame the emotional elephant. Being rational and logical is in fact paralyzing and saps us of our inner strength. Apparently will power is an exhaustible supply. So we need to use the elephant to effect change.

We actually know this when dealing with kids. We get our way by making it fun for them. Lego had the concept of Serious Play. We learn more when we are not aware that we are learning. Somehow, we forget this when practicing the piano, filling our taxes, brushing our teeth, sticking to our diets, taking out the garbage.

I'll have more when I finish the book. Right now, I'm going to tame that elephant.