Have you ever met someone who is just genuinely inquisitive about, well, everything? They take nothing at face value and want to know the meaning and motivation behind everything they and others do.

It can be incredibly frustrating to deal with someone like that but they do have something going for them. People who get curious and dig deep to understand the why behind what they do and why they do it are usually incredibly self-aware and self assured. They don’t second guess themselves and they seldom suffer from decision making fatigue. They hold back from making decisions until they have all the information they need to make a firm, not going back choice.

And that’s admirable.

It might seem overwhelming (and sometimes annoying) to put that much research, effort, and energy into making choices in life. After all, going with our gut has been shown to be an incredibly effective way to do things as well. And the messy middle between those two is where the magic actually happens. Our gut is what pushes us to consider making a change or a choice in our lives. How often has that nagging discomfort in the pit of your stomach and that undercurrent of doubt in your mind been the reason you started exploring making a change in your life?

Was that the impetus behind searching “How to control alcohol” late one night?

Is that feeling what propelled you to check out those Mediterranean cookbooks from the library?

We have to feel something (or desire to feel something different) to get motivated to change. But that’s not enough. It’s how we approach things after that makes that change stick. So no matter how annoying, overwhelming, or frustrating it might seem, keep asking why. Keep getting curious, and keep gathering information and knowledge. It matters. Understanding why you want to change and how to do it matters.

It’s the difference between fleeting change and lasting change. Which will you choose?