I read a great blog post by Tim Brownson from the UK on commitment to the change process which relates beautifully to my recent writing on temptation.
Most of the post relates to a reader’s feedback that they can’t seem to stay with his posts because they’re too long, which leads to his musing on commitment to other processes in our lives.
The point that I especially loved though is in the bulleted list at the end where he talks about Deciding. In referring to an example of being tempted by cake in the refrigerator, he writes:
Do not allow your unconscious to take over here, make a conscious decision. If you want the cake then make a decision to eat it, just don’t allow yourself to default into a negative action. The latter leads to a sense of helplessness, the former keeps you in control.
It is much easier to hop back on the wagon if you know you made the decision to get off in the first place rather than believing your were thrown off for reason or reasons unknown.
This is really brilliant. It allows us to “witness” the temptation, and be the one “choosing” what to do with it, versus identifying ourselves as someone who is completely at the mercy of our whims and cravings.
This is a powerful identity to reinforce!
Thanks Tim!
Let us know how this strikes you. Join in the discussion below.
