Here’s a question worth sitting with for a moment:
Are your desires getting in your way?
Recently, I’ve returned to an intermittent fasting routine. I’ve done this before, found it valuable, and even shared lessons from it in a past Remarkable TV episode. As often happens, this experience has sparked new learning—learning that has nothing to do with food and everything to do with leadership and life.
Let me be clear up front: I’m not a health professional, and I’m not suggesting you should or shouldn’t try intermittent fasting. That’s not the point. What I want to share is a metaphor—and a powerful one.
A Simple Metaphor With a Bigger Lesson
Intermittent fasting, at its simplest, means eating during a defined window of time and not eating outside of it. In my case, that means not eating for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window.
What I’ve noticed this time around is fascinating.
I desire food. That’s not a surprise. Most of us do. But what has surprised me is how predictable that desire is—and how often it has nothing to do with actual hunger.
I find myself wanting food at certain times or in certain situations simply because that’s what I’ve always done. The desire is triggered by habits, routines, and environments, not by need.
That realization leads to an important insight:
Situations create desire.
And that’s not just true with food.
When Desire Becomes a Distraction
We often think of desire as a good thing—and it is. Desire fuels motivation. Desire helps us move toward what we want.
But here’s the other side of that truth:
Some desires pull us away from what we want most.
The desire of the moment can be in direct conflict with our long-term goals. In my fasting example, the short-term desire to eat runs counter to the longer-term purpose I’ve chosen. Giving in might feel good in the moment, but it works against the outcome I actually want.
This happens in leadership and life all the time.
- The desire to avoid a difficult conversation
- The desire to choose comfort over growth
- The desire to react instead of respond
- The desire to say “yes” when you should say “no”
None of these desires are inherently bad. But unchecked, they can quietly divert us from our intended path.
Perspective Is the Key
Desire is powerful—but it must be held in perspective.
If we allow ourselves to simply follow whatever we want in the moment, we trade intention for impulse. Over time, that trade adds up, and the gap between where we are and where we want to be grows wider.
Leadership—especially self-leadership—requires awareness. It requires noticing when a desire is serving us and when it’s steering us off course.
Desires of the moment can divert us. Which desires are taking you off your intended path—and how often does that happen?
When we become more aware of our desires, we gain the ability to choose rather than react. And that choice makes all the difference.
0 comments