Why We Don’t Do What We Know We Should Do

We often know what we should do—eat better, exercise, focus more, follow through—but we don’t do it. And it’s not because we’re bad people, lack values, or aren’t intelligent. So what’s the real reason?

The Research Behind Inaction

Over the years, I’ve collected feedback from tens of thousands of participants in my programs. I tracked:

• Did they apply what they learned?

• Did they get better?

Here’s what I found:

• People who did the work got better.

• People who did nothing stayed the same.

This pattern held true even at high-performing companies like Johnson & Johnson, where leaders received multi-rater feedback and support. The ones who followed through improved. The ones who didn’t? No change.

When I asked those who didn’t change why they didn’t follow through, the answer had nothing to do with:

• Ethics

• Intelligence

• Motivation

• Whether they liked the course

The real reason?

The Dream

Many people live with a recurring dream. It sounds like this:

"I'm really busy right now. Life is chaotic. But in a few months, things will settle down. I’ll get organized, catch up on everything, and finally start living the life I want. I’ll eat better, exercise, spend more time with my family, and get everything under control. Then life will make sense again.”

Have you had that dream? Most of us have.

But the truth is: It never gets less busy. In fact, there’s a good chance tomorrow will be even more chaotic than today.

The Truth About Change

If you want to make a change, there’s only one time to start: now. Not when things calm down. Not after you get through the next deadline. Not next Monday.

Now.

And if you’ve been telling yourself for years, “I’ll start tomorrow,” but never follow through—Why would tomorrow be any different?