Designed to Drift

Welcome to module 2, where we are going to be talking about intentions and actions. You have a sense of who you are. You have a sense of the kind of life you want to live. And yet, you might feel like you’re not really living it.This module is here to explain why—and what you can do about it. You probably think of yourself as being at least somewhat in control of your life. You make choices, set goals, and have intentions. But then—somehow—you still find yourself acting in ways that don’t align with where you want to be.This looks different for everyone. Maybe you’re working a job where you know you’re not reaching your potential. Maybe you’re struggling to be the kind of parent, partner, or friend you thought you’d be.Or maybe you’re tired of making the same resolutions—whether it’s getting in shape, being more present, or finally tackling that personal project—only to slip back into old habits.It’s frustrating. And often, we blame ourselves. But here’s the thing: you both are and are not to blame.It’s not your fault in the way you might think. The real issue? Your brain wasn’t designed for the world you live in today.And once you understand that, you can start designing your environment to work with your brain, rather than against it. Our brains are amazing. They process vast amounts of information, solve complex problems, and help us navigate the world.But they also have a massive, built-in bug—one that ever-so-subtly shapes our lives without us even realizing it.And that bug is that we are disproportionately influenced by small things we aren’t even aware of. When we think about changing our behavior, we usually focus on ourselves. We tell ourselves to be more disciplined, to try harder, to have more willpower. But the truth is, that’s not the most effective way to change. The most powerful way to change your behavior isn’t by focusing on yourself—it’s by focusing on what’s around you. Tiny, seemingly insignificant details in your environment are constantly nudging your decisions. And while we know to some extent that our surroundings affect us, we dramatically underestimate just how much. So in this module, we’re going to break that down—understanding just how much our environment influences us and, more importantly, how to use that knowledge to our advantage. We often go about this the wrong way because we have such a strong sense of self.We believe that if we just muster enough determination, we can push through and make lasting changes. But this mindset is actually doing us a huge disservice.We need to respect the power of our brains to lead us astray—not because they’re broken, but because they’re doing exactly what they were designed to do. Our brains evolved in a world where the environment was much simpler than todays —a world with fewer distractions, fewer choices, and far fewer things competing for our attention.Back then, it made perfect sense to be swayed by whatever was in front of us—because what was in front of us was usually important for survival. But today of course, the world has changed. And our brains, for the most part, haven’t.This is why we struggle to follow through on even our best intentions. It’s not a failure of willpower. It’s simply that our brains are designed for a different time—a time when attention was a survival tool, not something constantly hijacked by modern distractions.Where in your life do you feel a disconnect—where your actions don’t quite match the life you want to be living? Maybe it’s your health. Or your career. Or the kind of parent, partner, or friend you thought you’d be.But here’s what we often miss: It’s not just the big decisions that shape these outcomes. It’s the small ones—the ones we barely notice.Because every day, we’re faced with hundreds of tiny, invisible inflection points. All these tiny moments that steer us—often without us realizing it.That generous portion of dessert after dinner—maybe I’m not even hungry anymore, but I eat the whole thing just because it’s there.Or I’m in the middle of a conversation with my son, and I hear my phone ping. Even if I don’t pick it up, part of my attention’s already gone.I’m sitting in a waiting room and flip through a magazine, and without meaning to, I start comparing myself to the images I see.And these moments don’t just happen once in a while. They happen all the time. Seriously—at least a hundred times a day, we encounter these decision points. Tiny moments where our environment nudges us in one direction or another.And over time? Those tiny nudges add up.One day, you wake up thinking, Huh. This isn’t how I had envisioned my life. But that gap didn’t open up overnight. It was built—choice by choice, moment by moment. That’s the big idea: The little things aren’t just little things. They are the decision-makers of our lives.So to sum up,-  our brains are a bit buggy and don’t always direct our behavior in ways that have our best interest at heart.-  This means there’s often a disconnect between who we feel like we are and how we are actually living.-  This is normal. You are not alone. This is just a by-product of having a perfectly functioning brain!  Once we truly appreciate this, we can use it to our advantage—hacking this bug to work for us instead of against us.