In the book Switch, by Chip and Dan Heath, they liken our reasoning skills being a rider and an elephant traveling down a path. The rider is the logical part of our brain that desperately tries to control the elephant which is our emotional brain. The rider does a good job managing the elephant for a while, but the path will ultimately direct the elephant’s actions. The brain is constantly making decisions according to the stimuli our environment gives us. Most of the time without our logical brain (rider) even realizing those decisions.
- Social- People we know, our social interactions
- Cultural- Cultural “rules” and expectations
- Intellectual- Ideas and beliefs that circulate around us either at home or work
- Physical- our actual homes and workplaces, what’s around us and available
“I’ll just go to happy hour and only have one glass of wine,” you think to yourself.
It’s time for a change
NOT just limited to nutrition
“You need to leave your apartment and start a new routine.”
What can you change in your routine to set yourself up for success?
When a snake jumps out on your path, you will not be able to control your elephant effectively unless you planned for that snake. Look ahead and try to identify the snakes on your path, and prepare or remove them ahead of time.