Are you Stubborn or a Procrastinator?
Stubbornness is often seen as negative, whereas motivation is seen as positive. However, when one starts to make the connection to habit building, you may think otherwise. Let me explain.
Motivation needs momentum. Stubbornness is an innate character trait of human beings. Motivation needs drastic situations that cause the human to react to the need at hand, which then drives the motion towards momentum. However, this is often temporary since drastic changes and situations are usually far in between, causing that momentum to eventually lose its drive once the human is back to their comfort zone, once all is back to normal.
Stubbornness will force the human with this innate character trait to want to keep going; it has a drive that doesn't lose momentum but rather an "I will do it,” “I have to do it this way,” “It needs to be done this way” kind of a motion towards the momentum. Stubbornness is usually not temporary; it’s a permanent characteristic that some humans possess. In trying to move the negative away from the word stubbornness, words like grit, perseverance, diligence, and go-getter will be used for a more positive tone, but they are all forms of stubbornness!!
So, let’s think about what is needed for habit change. What may be needed is constant consistency to form a habit eventually. This is usually around 21 or more days of consistency. Momentum is temporary, and Stubbornness is long-term. Do you see the connection yet?
Let's go even simpler. Newborns, our little humans, are born to a blank slate with a stubbornness innate character, which helps to create the habits to survive and succeed. They learn to eat by understanding where the food source is and how to get it. A breastfed baby will always go to the breast versus grabbing the bottle, but a stubborn baby that knows the food source is no longer adequate will be stubborn and cry and get the bottle and eventually the solid food. This usually happens by forcing the food source into motion to find a new solution.
BUT, here's the kicker what if the food source is also stubborn and insists on patience and perseverance to form the habit they want for the little human or even the negative counterpart, the use of force to create the habit that will eventually get the little human to adapt and form the habit of what the "other" wants or does not want to happen? That's what parents try to do all the time with their children. The more stubborn one usually wins the consistency challenge and forms a new habit for himself, herself, and the family. Now, take this at an organizational level.
Now think about how self-stubbornness or outside source stubbornness can form a habit that may be very hard to break - not willing to change eating habits, not willing to change work ethics, not willing to change just about anything one can think of. That's probably where the negative connection to stubbornness comes from. The dark and moot habits that stick around for a long time. Whereas the positive and productive habits that stick around for a long time are not credited to stubbornness.
We need stubbornness to create a habit. Still, it’s up to parents in their early years and grown humans in their later years to use their innate stubbornness for the well-being of themselves and their loved ones and as leaders for their organizations to promote positive change and drive positive change.
NOW, this brings me to the side effects or consequences of persons who have no innate character of stubbornness or have lost it somewhere in their childhood years. Procrastination is the enemy of habit formation—which do you think will permanently break the procrastination habit?
Motivation or Stubbornness?
Something to think about:
How do we once again instill stubbornness into people who have lost it?
How does one come to understand the importance of collaboration and cooperation when dealing with two or more stubborn persons?