Taking Action
There are many “reasons” we don’t take action.
But it really all comes down to what’s comfortable and what’s uncomfortable and how much of that pain we’re willing to live in.
There are positive and negative consequences to everything. Most people look at the “Pros and Cons” of DOING something…but I don’t know of many people who look at the “Pros and Cons” of NOT doing something.
There is a tipping point in between DOING something and NOT DOING something that is moved by the weight of the Pros and Cons of BOTH SIDES.
The three stages on this “see-saw” are:
- NO ACTION
- WAFFLING
- ACTION
But there is only one scenario in which action will take place.
No Action Taken
In the stage of NO ACTION, the Positive consequences of NOT doing something outweighs the Negative consequences AND the Negative consequences of DOING something outweigh the Positive consequences.
A simple example would be having a car:
Say you live in the heart of New York City
| Have a Car | Don’t Have a Car | ||
| Positive | Negative | Negative | Positive |
| Can leave city whenever | Parking fees | Subject to Subway schedule | Subways |
| Where to park?? | Finding a Cab | Cabs/Uber/Lyft | |
| Insurance costs | Can’t leave city | No Parking fees | |
| Gas costs | No Insurance costs | ||
| Traffic | No Gas costs |
Really, the only reason to have a car is for the times you want to leave the city…so why? If you never plan on leaving the city, no action is taken.
Waffling (Still No Action Taken)
In the stage of WAFFLING, there is nothing to push you one way or the other. The Negatives and Positives are equal…no harm, no foul.
Using the example of having a car:
Say you live in the downtown area of a mid-sized city:
| Have a Car | Don’t Have a Car | ||
| Positive | Negative | Negative | Positive |
| Don’t have to wait for transportation | Parking fees | Finding a Cab, Waiting for Uber/Lyft | Cabs/Uber/Lyft |
| Not subject to other’s schedule | Where to park?? | Subject to bus schedule | Bus system |
| Can leave downtown area with ease | Insurance costs | Can’t leave downtown area | No Parking fees |
| Grocery Store options | Gas costs | Limited Grocery Stores | No Insurance costs |
| Extra-curricular options | Traffic | Limited extra-curricular | No Gas costs |
Yeah, it would be nice to be able to get around, but you still have pretty much what you need when you need it. There are times of inconvenience, but they are few and somewhat far between. It’s not so painful…and when it is, it’s only for that one occasion. No action is taken
Getting Into Action
In the stage of ACTION, the Negative consequences of NOT doing something outweighs the Positive consequences AND the Positive consequences of DOING something outweigh the Negative consequences.
Using the example of having a car:
Say you live in a rural area:
| Have a Car | Don’t Have a Car | ||
| Positive | Negative | Negative | Positive |
| Don’t have to wait for transportation | Insurance costs | Finding a Cab, Waiting for Uber/Lyft | No Parking fees |
| Not subject to other’s schedule | Gas costs | Subject to bus schedule (if there is even a bus route in your area) | No Insurance costs |
| Can leave area with ease | Can’t leave your area | No Gas costs | |
| Don’t have to carry Groceries far | Grocery Store 3 miles away | ||
| Can easily get to work and services | Work and service options 5-30 miles away |
It is only in the stage of ACTION that the scales tip to the point where action is taken. It is too painful and costly to remain inactive and the benefits of action are positive, so action is taken.
If you want to explore your own Negative and Positive Consequences, check out the Negative and Positive Consequences worksheet!