Have you ever noticed that sometimes people’s behavior doesn’t match what they say they want? (Note: It’s also true of our own behavior, but it’s easier to admit it when it involves someone else.)
For example, someone you know might say they have to start doing a better job saving for retirement, but they always drive a late-model luxury car, dine out at the swankiest restaurants, and take exotic vacations. Does their behavior mean they’re lying about wanting to save more? Probably not, but it also doesn’t indicate that they are real serious about it either.
I thought about this while examining my own behavior. For many years, I’ve told myself that I want to achieve the maximum score on the Marine Corps physical fitness test, comprised of pull-ups, sit-ups, and a three mile run. I can max the sit-ups and do 75% of the pull-ups, but I’m not even close on the required run time.
But when I looked at my behavior, I didn’t see the behavior required to achieve the desired results. First, to get my run time in the neighborhood of the max time I would have to lose 10-15 pounds. Those of you who have eaten my wife’s cooking would probably bet against that happening.
Second, the weight loss is only part of the equation and by itself wouldn’t do the trick. While I currently run 2-3 times per week, a much more aggressive running program consisting of distance and sprints would have to be implemented. Am I really up for that?
So while I said that I wanted to ace the PFT, my actions weren’t congruent with my words. Kind of like Mark Twain’s quote on the classics: “A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.”
Remember, there’s a big difference between wanting something and sitting down, figuring out exactly what it would take to achieve it, and then actually doing it.
This also applies to life insurance. Virtually every responsible person says they will do whatever is necessary to take care of their loved ones, and yet according to studies, 40% know they need more.
Of course this not only applies to exercise and life insurance, but to every area of our life. For example, many people say they would like to be more productive, but how many of those people have read a book or taken a course on time management?
The difference between what we say versus what we do is one of the more interesting facets of human nature. Generally, we want our actions to match our words. And by observing the relationship of other people’s words and actions, we are able to determine who we can count on.