‘I Know I Should, But I’d Rather Not’
We’re all familiar with the adage ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’? ***If you’re not, you should be.
It’s a quote by Benjamin Franklin warning Philadelphia about a fire danger. Basically, it means a small investment now (like fire prevention) will prevent a larger cost later (like rebuilding the whole damn city)
So why, even when given an opportunity to chose an ounce of prevention, do so many of us choose ‘a pound of cure’? It’s human nature. We have a natural inclination to do what’s quick, easy, and fun, while we avoid, delay, or ignore things we find unpleasant, even when those things are in our own best interest.
We can see examples of this everywhere, in everyday life.
CHOICE
You can get a flu vaccine now or get really sick later?
PROACTIVE
“I’m getting the vaccine, better safe than sorry”
REACTIVE
“I don’t have time to wait, the lines are so long”
CHOICE
You can get a leaky pipe fixed now, or get rotted floors later?
PROACTIVE
“I’ll tighten the fitting, and add a little silicon, that should do it”
REACTIVE
“If it gets worse, I’ll put down some towels”
CHOICE
You can get a new license plate now, or get a ticket latter?
PROACTIVE
“It’s kind of pain, but I can just surf the net while I wait”
REACTIVE
“I hate going to the DMV, I’ll take care of it when I get a ticket”
To condense all this down to one piece of advice…
‘Be Proactive, Not Reactive’
When you’re proactive, you control the situation. When you’re reactive, the situation controls you.
