Doing Things You Don’t Want To Do

Are you troubled by the thought ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’?

Life is a big work that comprises of infinite number of smaller tasks.

The process of these tasks is simple.

Our mind generates thoughts and based on these thoughts we do the tasks we need to do.

It seems a straightforward thing but it’s not.

Our mind generates a large number of thoughts in a given moment.

These thoughts often compete, overlap, and supersede each other.

So, many times you end up doing things that you didn’t want to do. 

This creates confusion, self-trust issues, and frustration within you.

It not only troubles you mentally and physically but also alters your personality to your liking.

Thus, we must find reasons behind doing what we didn’t want to do so that we can work on and minimize them.

So, what are the reasons behind your problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’?

Why Do I Do What I Don’t Want To Do

8 possible reasons explain ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’.

You need to find your reasons or combination of reasons from this list.

Fear

The first reason behind the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ is fear.

Fear is one of the primary reasons why you are not able to do the things you plan.

Fear may make you do the opposite of what you had planned.

Something that you did not want to do.

So, if you had planned to climb a mountain, due to your fear of heights, you may end up sleeping in your bed instead.

You fear being hurt, you fear failing, and you fear losing something valuable, which is why you do things you don’t want to do.

To start doing things you want to do, you need to minimize your fear to an optimal level and enhance your capabilities and skills to the required level.

The best way to reduce and ultimately minimize your fears is to face them and back them up with positive self-talk in the moment of truth.

When you release fear from your mind, you solve the problem of ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ up to a large extent.

Pressure

The next reason behind the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ is pressure.

Sometimes we expect too much from ourselves and then put undue pressure on ourselves to fulfill these expectations.

But excessive pressure is never good for us.

We may snap out of it or do something completely different from what we had expected.

Social pressure is another type of pressure that makes you do things you don’t want to do.

When we are dealing with people, some pressure is always involved, especially when the other person is older or stronger than us.

So, we may under pressure, do things that we don’t want to do.

The easiest way to rid yourself of undue pressure is to be as natural as possible in your thinking and your approach toward life.

When you are natural, you are peaceful which minimizes pressure in your mind.

And when pressure is minimal, you can do what you want to do.

Lack Of Self-Development

The next reason behind the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ is a lack of self-development.

Self-development means developing an organized and stable way of thinking and doing things.

When you have a developed self, your likes, dislikes, and ways of functioning are also developed.

You know exactly what needs to be done and you do not do anything that may surprise you.

So, you do not do anything that you don’t want to do.

Self-development needs patience, focus, and determination.

You need to consciously choose what you want to think, how you want to feel, and what you want to do.

And then you need to be disciplined enough to practice them so that you develop yourself into the person you want to be.

When you have a fully developed self, you won’t do things you don’t want to do.

Mental Unsteadiness

The next reason behind the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ is mental unsteadiness.

One very important requirement for doing what you want to do is a steady mind.

When your mind shows you only a few things with clarity, you can do them with conviction.

But if it starts showing you too many things at once and keeps switching choices & decisions, there is a high chance you would do things you don’t want to do.

Thus, having a steady mind is essential to not doing what you don’t want to do.

To build a steady mind and thought process, practice meditation, and deep breathing exercises.

You also need to develop self-confidence and self-belief to achieve mental steadiness.

When the stress within you is released from your system, your mind develops clarity, and eventually, steadiness.

Lack Of Self-Control

The next reason behind the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ is a possible lack of self-control.

Self-control is the ability to remain fixated on the things you want to do and reject the things you do not want to do.

Self-control is also the quality that is required for self-development.

Only when you have self-control within you, can you take yourself and your development in the direction of your choice.

And when you lack self-control, even though you want to do the right things, you may not be able to do them.

Negativity overpowers you and forces you into doing unwanted things that hurt you or pull you back.

When you do not have self-control, your thoughts and actions are all over the place and almost all your actions represent what you don’t want to do.

To develop self-control, meditation is a good beginning.

It will help you gain control over your mind which will eventually help you establish control over your actions.

When you develop self-control, there are minimal chances of the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ troubling you anymore.

Distraction

The next reason behind the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ is distraction.

You may have gained self-control or developed yourself, but if you are not free from distractions, you may end up doing unwanted things.

You need to build yourself in a way that you do not pay attention to the distractions around you.

And even if you do, they do not have any influence or control over you.

If distractions get the better of you, you will leave the things you want to do and get engaged in your distractions.

Distractions happen very gently without you even noticing them.

Thus, you need to be careful and focused enough to stay on the things you want to do.

When you remain motivated toward your goal, it becomes difficult for distractions to make you lose your focus and resolve.

Greed

The next reason behind the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ is greed.

The wish to have more of what you have, especially money and compliments makes you do things you don’t want to do.

The need to feel secure and good from within is difficult to ignore.

Money and wealth make you feel secure while compliments and popularity make you feel good. 

So, people get lured into doing things they do not want to do.

So, for money, you may get a job that isn’t your passion.

And for compliments, you may become a people-pleaser.

But greed is always counter-productive and it makes our lives less real and hence less qualitative.

Thus, you need to give up greed.

Become a strong character and personality with principles that stay unmoved in challenging situations. 

When you give up greed, you will only do those things that you want to do.

Compulsiveness

The last reason behind the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ is compulsiveness.

Habits are an important part of our behavior.

If you have developed the habit of doing things you don’t want to do, it won’t let you do what you want to do.

There is a simple logic behind this.

The things you do more times have greater control over you and you become compulsive about doing them.

They become a more natural part of you than the things you want to do.

As a result, you do them even when you want to do something else.

So, you mustn’t become compulsive about doing what you don’t want to do.

So, invest in the things you want to do in life.

Do not lose focus and do not do things you do not want to do even for a second.

When you are free from compulsiveness, you also liberate yourself from the issue of ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’.

Take Control

The issue ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ needs your urgent attention.

Doing what you don’t want to do takes your life in a negative direction. 

It frustrates you and also makes you a person you don’t want to become.

Thus, you must take control of the situation.

There are several interpersonal things you need to work on to be able to develop self-control.

When you are in a position to do what you want to do, you will be able to love yourself unconditionally.

And self-love will make your life the life you have always wanted to live.

So, be free of the problem ‘Why do I do what I don’t want to do’ and start living your dream life.