Efficiency Isn’t Always Successful

A friend of mine has trouble making a habit of exercise. He works out in waves, lifting heavy and often for about two weeks at a time. Then an injury, or a work trip, or a sickness will knock him off the routine for another three or four weeks. 

Technically, working out for longer blocks of time is more efficient. Sticking to a program that targets specific muscle groups maximizes time and energy. But it’s not always the most psychologically successful. You see, my friend knows the most technically efficient way to work out. But if he can’t get in a solid hour with the right gear or the best program, he doesn’t exercise at all. 

Dave Ramsey, the personal finance guru, tells people to pay off their debts with a strategy called the “debt snowball.” He discourages people from paying off loans with the highest interest rates first, which is technically the most efficient, cheapest strategy. Instead, he tells people to pay off their smallest loans first, in order to build momentum with a sense of accomplishment. Dave Ramsey has helped millions of people pay off their student loans and credit card debts with this strategy. 

My friend would be better off exercise snacking–a 1-mile run here, 50 pushups there, a 10-minute yoga session when he can. Even though this isn’t the most technically efficient, it’s much more successful than going two weeks on and three weeks off. Building an exercise habit contributes to a healthy life, even if that exercise isn’t totally optimized.

Supreme technical efficiency often doesn’t take human fallacy into account. We lose motivation. We have trouble sticking with it. The trouble with self-development research is that it can create a mental barrier to entry. But everyone knows it’s better to brush your teeth daily, even if it’s just sort of okay, than it is to wait for the dentist to clean your teeth perfectly. 

Successful habit builders take their own limitations into account, just as much as the technical advice.