The Jockey & The Horse
Got your attention? This post is not about horse racing but about your BRAIN! And it could be one of the most important posts I ever wrote… When you understand how your brain works, you got some critical insights to successful change. Read on…
“The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.” – Robert Frost
What is happening around us? We are enlightened and well educated. We know what is right and what is wrong. Many of us claim that we really want to change. We have the best intentions BUT smokers keep smoking, fat people keep eating junk food while others are glued to the couch watching other people change on TV. People keep trying to change but they seem to keep failing.
So what is going on? It comes down to this. Basically we are schizophrenic! Let me explain. It is all happening in our BRAIN! We have two different parts in our brain that constantly aim to work together to do what is right for us. The problem is this – one part is rational and the other is emotional. The rational part is located in prefrontal cortex. We call it the Jockey. The emotional part or our brain sits in the limbic system, which is in the center of our brain. This part of the brain is much older and more developed. We call it the Horse.
The Jockey is logical and rational. He knows what is right and what is wrong. The Jockey understands the consequences and he thinks about the future and the direction. The Jockey is also our willpower and self-control.
The Horse is emotional and instinctive. The Horse feels pain and pleasure. It is driven by fundamental desires such drinking, eating, sleeping and sex. The Horse is lazy and often looking for immediate gratification. When we fail changing and crash, it is usually the Horse getting in our way settling for the quick fix.
“There is a foolish corner in the brain of the wisest man” – Aristotle
The Jockey sits on top of the Horse and seems to be in control. The Jockey has a plan and wants to reach the goal. However, the Jockey is a small guy. The Horse is much bigger and stronger. Change efforts often fail because the Jockey gets tired and simply can’t keep the Horse on the track until it passes the finish line. We all know the voice of the Horse: “Just 5 min more, then I get up…”, “Just one more cake”, “One last cigarette, then I quit…”, “It is not that important after all”, “Tomorrow is an even better day to start…”, “It’s a party, why not have some fun?”.
However, the Horse is not just a bad animal. It has some fantastic strengths. The Horse possesses passion and energy. It has drive and once it’s motivated, it gets things done!
On the other hand, the Jockey is not just the good guy. Being our analytical side, the Jockey can at times end up in analysis paralysis being unable to make a decision. He will not even pass the starting line as he does not know which direction to take.
When people want to change, they are often told to use their willpower and be strong! Make a decision and stick to it! The Jockey makes the decision, however, with willpower being a limited resource the Jockey can only control the Horse for a while before having to give in. Consequently, willpower is never enough.
“I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it.” – Mae West
Our bad habits have over time become automatic. We have repeated them so many times that we don’t need to think about how to do them anymore. Since they are automatic, they require little supervision from the Jockey. However, when we want to kick them and replace them with new habits, the Jockey has to go to work and carefully supervise the new behaviors. The bigger changes, the faster it will drain the Jockey’s willpower.
Consequently, the key is to have a plan that speaks to both the Jockey and the Horse. It has to satisfy both the rational and emotional side of your brain. In short, we need a plan that will allow the Jockey to provide the direction and the Horse to provide the energy!
More later on what you can do to satisfy both the Jockey and Horse to win the race!
Beat It!
Coach Bay
Related posts you might also like: