Why Knowing What to Do Isn’t the Same as Doing It

When it comes to our health and wellbeing, most of us already know a lot about what we should be doing.

We know that we need to move more, eat well, get more sleep, drink more water, manage our stress better, spend time with people we care about, put the phone down, go to bed earlier…. The list goes on and on.

The problem usually isn’t a lack of information.

The problem is that knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things.

This is especially true when life is busy. You may genuinely want to exercise after work, but by 6:00 p.m. you are exhausted, dinner needs to be made, someone needs something from you, and sitting on the couch provides immediate relief. You may intend to go to bed earlier, but after a long day, the quiet time to yourself that you finally get at night feels so good.

From the outside, these situations can look like a problem with motivation or willpower.

From a behavioral perspective, there is usually much more going on.

Behavior Happens in Context

Behavior does not happen in isolation. What we do is influenced by so many things - what is happening around us, what has happened earlier in the day, how much effort something requires, and what happens immediately after we do it.

Imagine that you want to start taking a 30-minute walk every evening.

That sounds simple enough.

But whether the walk actually happens may depend on dozens of things. How tired are you? Is it dark outside? Are your shoes easy to find? Has dinner already been made? Is someone waiting for you to do something else? Do you have a walking partner? Does sitting down feel more rewarding in that moment?

The goal may be exactly the same every day, while the conditions surrounding the behavior can be completely different.

This is one reason that telling yourself to “just be more disciplined” often does not lead to lasting change. It focuses entirely on you as a person, while ignoring the environment in which your behavior has to occur.

Immediate Consequences Usually Win

Another challenge is that many behaviors that support long-term health have delayed benefits.

One workout will not immediately improve your cardiovascular health. Going to bed early once will not dramatically change your energy level. Eating one balanced meal will not result in noticeable weight change or determine your long-term health.

The benefits for these types of behaviors accumulate over time.

But the alternatives - now those often have immediate payoffs.

Skipping the workout gives you rest right now. Ordering takeout saves effort right now. Staying up late gives you quiet time right now. Scrolling your phone provides entertainment right now.

Our behavior is strongly influenced by what happens immediately after we do something. That does not mean long-term goals do not matter. It means that long-term intentions are often competing with very powerful short-term consequences.

When we understand this, we can change the question from:

“Why can't I make myself do this?”

to:

“What is making this behavior so difficult right now?”

And that is a much more useful question.

Make the Behavior Easier, Don’t be Harder on Yourself

When we struggle to follow through, the instinct is often to demand more from ourselves - we try harder, we try to be more strict with ourselves, we try to increase our motivation. How many times have we made plans to start over on Monday?

A behavioral approach looks at things differently. Instead of asking how you can become more disciplined, ask yourself how you can change the conditions surrounding the behavior.

If you want to exercise in the morning, could your clothes already be laid out?

If you want to eat differently, could the foods you want to choose more often be easier to see and prepare?

If you want to go to bed earlier, could you create a cue that starts your nighttime routine before you are exhausted?

If a 45-minute workout repeatedly doesn't happen, would a 10-minute version be more realistic?

Small environmental changes can have a surprisingly large effect because they reduce the amount of effort required at the exact moment when the behavior needs to happen.

Pay Attention Before You Change the Plan

Before trying another new routine, spend a few days observing what is already happening.

Choose one behavior you have been meaning to change and notice:

• When does it happen - and when does it not happen?

• What tends to happen immediately before it?

• What makes it easier or harder?

• What do you get from doing it - or avoiding it - at that moment?

• What could you change in the environment to make the desired behavior easier?

You are not looking for evidence that you are doing something wrong. You are looking for information.

Behavior patterns usually make more sense once we understand the circumstances surrounding them.

You May Not Need More Motivation

There is no shortage of advice about healthy living. For many people, the challenge is not figuring out what they should do.

It is figuring out how to make those behaviors work within the realities of their everyday lives.

That is where behavioral science can be useful.

Instead of relying on motivation alone, we can look at the conditions that influence behavior, understand those that make desired behaviors easier to perform, and build routines that are more likely to last.

Lasting change is rarely about knowing more - it’s about creating circumstances that make what you already know easier to put into practice.