When Are Your Default Tendencies Helping You...Or Blocking You?
What are some of your default tendencies?
I did something today that I rarely do — I played hooky when I had a looming deadline.
I happily left my house at 10:30am and didn’t get back until almost 6:00pm because I spent the day at the New York Botanical Garden — taking in the beautiful Orchid Show after enjoying a lovely lunch with a dear friend I hadn’t seen since the start of COVID.
It was one of those days where afterward I wondered, “Why don’t I do this more often?” (I do intend to fix that!)
But it’s also one of those days that only happened because I interrupted a default tendency of mine.
What struck me later is that this had very little to do with the deadline itself.
It had everything to do with my thinking about the deadline.
My mind immediately defaulted to a familiar pattern:
Be available.
Be responsible.
Don’t create unnecessary friction.
Make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
None of those instincts are bad.
In fact, they’re the kinds of instincts that often help us succeed.
But they can quietly shape our decisions — often without us realizing it.
And this is exactly what happens with money.
We all have default tendencies.
When money is tight, do you instinctively start budgeting harder?
Do you download another spreadsheet template hoping it will help you “fix” the numbers?
When business slows down, do you immediately assume you need to work more?
Or discount more?
Or panic a little?
When you’re tired, do you simply push through?
Those reactions feel practical.
But more often than not, they’re actually thinking patterns.
When I’m on deadline, I’m hypervigilant and protective of my time — to the exclusion of having fun. I’m this way whether the deadline is self-imposed or driven by a client.
Today’s deadline happened to be the latter.
For the last two weeks, I’ve been working on something connected to an upcoming speaking engagement — something that materialized almost a month after my friend and I made our plans.
When it comes to deadlines, I have a process — it’s to have everything done the day before it is due because I like to let things breathe overnight before I press send. (I’m the same way with my weekly missives, too.)
This approach gives me a chance to review what I’ve written with fresh eyes and energy, so I can minimize any boo-boos and make clearer any ideas that require it.
Yes, I got everything done yesterday.
But then I had to decide: do I send the email and attachments in the morning before leaving for my day of fun? Or, do I wait until I get back home?
I chose to wait until the evening and I’m so glad I did.
Especially since I caught a few typos that I didn’t notice during earlier read-throughs. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to rewrite a few sentences that would strengthen my ideas. Things I may have missed in the rush of trying to catch the train.
To a large extent, I was definitely over-thinking the timing of when to send what was requested.
However, my biggest fear was simple: What if they emailed asking for a status update while I was out having fun?
I started noticing how often this same kind of thinking shows up in the realm of money.
You encounter a financial challenge and immediately move into action mode:
budget tighter,
work more hours,
lower prices,
take on another client,
download another tool to help you track or “fix” the numbers.
Those responses can be useful.
But they’re rarely where the real issue begins.
More often than not, the issue begins with the thinking shaping how you interpret the situation you’re in — the assumptions you’re making, the pressure you’re responding to (real or imagined), or the priorities you haven’t fully examined.
And when that thinking goes unquestioned, you end up trying to solve a thinking problem with a mechanical solution.
Which is why before you try to tackle a money challenge, it helps to pause long enough to examine the thinking shaping your relationship with it.
Because the numbers usually follow the thinking — not the other way around.
So the real question becomes:
What thinking is shaping the decisions you’re making with your money right now?
And if your first thought went straight to pricing, you’re not alone.
That’s exactly what we explore together inside the Pricing Made Human® Masterclass.
About Jacquette
I love to ask questions and spark aha moments. I love to talk about why success with money is about more than just the numbers, and how the cultural impact on the intersection of money, business, and life matters–A LOT! And, I really hope I help people feel seen, heard, and not judged—especially since money is emotional and personal.
