With warm and sunny days becoming more frequent, do you struggle to stay motivated to work throughout the day?
I sure do!
During the summer I often argue with myself: should I keep working or take a break and go outside to take advantage of the beautiful weather?
More often than not, I keep working until something tells me that’s its time for a break, and I get to enjoy the sun.
But what’s that something inside me that tells me why I should keep working or when to take a break?
The basics
We make decisions every day. Yet, some - like this one - are harder than others.
But, what do we mean by “making a decision” anyway?
Simply put, deciding involves comparing and contrasting each of our options, in order to pick the one with the greatest benefits and the fewest costs. Sometimes, there is a clear winner, like choosing between multiplying 541 by 3 and listening to your favorite music. While solving the multiplication is likely hard and not very interesting (few benefits, high costs) listening to your favorite music is both entertaining and relaxing (many benefits, few costs).
In contrast, other cost-benefit analyses don’t have a clear winner, and these are the decisions we struggle with. Should I take a break to enjoy the sun or stay hard at work?
On the one hand, studying means you’re more likely to pass your exam (benefit) but it also means missing out on a perfect day in the sun (cost). On the other hand, if you opt to enjoy the balmy weather, you may have a great time (benefit) but you also risk failing your exam (cost).
While you could decide either way, it seems wiser to keep studying and enjoy the sun later when it doesn’t involve such a downside. So, with some struggle and perhaps a disappointed look on your face, you decide to keep working.
But that’s only half the story. There is something else that makes this decision hard to make: we don’t like to think hard!
Avoiding mental effort