When we feel exhausted, our brains want to save mental energy by directing our focus to the most readily available, recallable information to help us make decisions quickly. We often do the thing that feels right, or rush to judgment without proper consideration. 1[■] It’s the reason why if you speak Spanish, it’s much easier to learn Italian than Japanese. It’s also why many people think two single dollar bills are more valuable than a single two-dollar bill.
2[■] Or, we are willing to move toward things that make us feel good and away from things that make us feel uncomfortable.
Yet, we know hard actions can bring benefits -ones that may not be visible for some time. 3[■] Maybe we do this because we have an insight or a requirement from doctor. When we go for that initial run, it doesn’t feel good. Neither does the run after that. Our muscles hurt. The money we’ve spent on the new hobby causes friction in our household. It continues to signal the reasons we should go back to the way it was before.
So, how do we do hard things when our brains are constantly telling us to avoid effort?
• 4[■] A 2016 study found that when people are upset, they’ re less likely to try to do hard things. When they’re feeling upbeat, they’re more likely to take on the hard-but-essential tasks that ultimately make life better.
•Give our brains the right amount of autonomy. When we have a choice, our brains often want something easy. 5[■]
Doing things that feel uncomfortable and liking hard work can seem counterintuitive(反直觉的). But by understanding what’s going on in your brain, instead of depending on your first feeling, you can work toward completing hard things and manage your fears better.