WOW 008 – Do what you ought

Do you always do the right thing? Do you always do the healthiest thing? Do you always do what you ‘should’ do? Don’t worry, many of us don’t.

The words of Benjamin Franklin make it sound so simple “do what you ought, not what you please.” But we all know from experience that it is rarely straightforward. It requires a certain amount of willpower and accountability to ourselves. As humans, we seem to be wired to do what comes easiest even when we know it is not the best or right thing to do.

I am fully aware that I don’t eat as healthy as I should. But why? I like vegetables, fish and chicken. I really like a lot of healthy foods. The problem is I also love cake and chocolate. Given the choice, I’ll have something sweet for a snack instead of cut-up vegetables and dip, which I also enjoy. There is a two-fold reason for this.

I like sweets more than I like vegetables. Who doesn’t? But I’m an adult now and I know that healthy foods are better for my body and I also know I’ll probably even feel better physically and mentally for making the healthy choice.
My husband loves sweets. How can I sit there eating vegetables while he’s eating cookies? Some would say it is a personal choice and I should be able to do it but my willpower isn’t that strong.

So how do we make ourselves do the right things instead of the things we’d rather do? I mean, I do good things. I’m kind, friendly and generous and I usually think of others’ needs before my own. But when it comes to me, personally, I could improve some areas.

Part of it is also a bit of laziness. I’ve been meaning to start doing chair yoga for months now, maybe a year or more. I have videos to guide me through it and I’m not busy all day every day so I know I could carve out the time. I just don’t.

What I could do is make a commitment to myself and designate a time each day to do yoga. Then I need to tell Razz what my plan is. I always feel more inclined to do a thing if I tell someone else what I’m planning. It’s an accountability thing I guess, though he would never hold me accountable. Especially if I had a good reason for not doing it, such as being in horrible pain some days as frequently happens.

The other thing I need to do is keep in mind the reason for doing the right thing whether it’s eating healthier, being more active, practicing self-care or learning a new skill. There is always a very good reason to do what you ‘ought’ and not what you please.

How do you get yourself to do what you should, the right thing? Let’s share some ideas in the comments so we can all learn from each other.