About a decade ago a large survey was undertaken in California.
Looking at the reasons people would monitor and reduce their home energy consumption.
People were asked to prioritise the following four reasons in order of importance to them:
1. It saves money
2. It protects the environment
3. It benefits society
4. A lot of other people are trying to do it
The results showed that people reported these in the following order of importance: Environment, Society, Money, Others.
To test this, the same houses were, at a later date, split into five different groups and their energy usage monitored.
Each group received a different placard hung on their doorstep.
One received a generic ‘Energy Conservation’ message.
The others read:
A) Protect the environment by conserving energy
B) Do your part to conserve energy for future generations
C) Save money by conserving energy
D) Join your neighbours in conserving energy
With supporting text expanding on those headings – “You can prevent the release of of up to 262lbs of green house gases per month” or “77% of local residents……. often use fans instead of air conditioning.”
Have a guess which made the biggest difference to energy consumption?
The winner, by a long way, was the ‘Others’ one.
Followed by Money, Environment and Society.
Nearly the exact opposite of what was reported.
The ‘declared preference’ and ‘revealed preference’ weren’t (and rarely are) the same.
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There’s nothing wrong with wanting do something for your own reasons.
For reasons different to what most people declare to be theirs.
If you want to look good at the Christmas party but struggle to get inspired by how you’ll feel in decades times, that’s cool.
If you care more about getting more sex than you do about your blood pressure, that’s fine too.
Looking good on the beach is no less a valid reason for doing something than ‘being there for the kids’.
The key is to be honest with yourself.
Find what inspires you.
Learn ‘why’ you really want what you say you want.
Only when you find that will you have something that will genuinely inspire and motivate you.
That will keep you going through the more challenging times.
Find your ‘why’ by digging deep.
Ask yourself why you want what you say you want.
And, like an annoying child, keep asking why till you run out of answers.
Till you go as deep as you can.
And remember that ‘why’.
And keep it in mind.
Remind yourself of it regularly.
Hold it up to the thing that threatens to derail you.
And see how that compares to trying to stick to a ‘why’ you don’t deeply buy in to 🙂
Much love,
Jon ‘Why, why, why’ Hall and Matt ‘Delilah’ Nicholson
P.S. Whatever your reason for wanting to get in better shape, you’re several times more likely to achieve it here than anywhere else. myrise.co.uk/briefing-meeting if you want to come down, check the place out and see if we’re a good fit for each other 🙂
