Leaving the Dishes to “Soak” Will Ruin Your Life

An innocent mistake, or a life-ruining crime?

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash

Do you leave the pot to soak so it’s easier to clean? Or is there a hidden reason? 

Do you skip your workout because of that nagging injury? Or is there another reason? 

There’s one person in this life who you must be truthful with. 

And my question to you is this: 

Are you so afraid of telling yourself the truth that you’re ruining your own life? 

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the real reason you leave the dishes to soak 

I lived in a share-house with 4 other boys in my early twenties. 

We’d cook together, laugh together, exercise together — but one thing we didn’t do too well was the chores. 

I remember Lee had this pet peeve — it bothered him. 

He’d wake up, and decide to head to the kitchen for his morning breakfast — but there was one problem… 

Someone had left the pot to “soak” overnight. 

The more I think about it, the more I doubt Lee cared about washing the pot.

It was because we’d all convince ourselves that the pot needed to soak to put off the chore.

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But this article isn’t about annoying the people in your house by not washing dishes. 

It’s about lying to yourself — and damaging your relationship to the future you. 

A life of lies starts with a small one 

When you convince yourself to soak the pot — you’re lying. 

You’re a liar. 

You (unconsciously) lie so that your present self is easier off — but at the expense of future you. 

But if you were to meet someone who constantly did things to make life easier for them, but at your expense — what would you think of them? 

That’s a selfish, nasty and greedy person. 

Well, guess what? 

That’s you. 

That’s you when you: 

• skip the gym because you’re “too tired”

• get takeout because you “don’t have time”

• don’t work on your side-business because you’re “too busy”

Whether or not you wash the dishes right away is representative of how you live your life — because it shows you how much you respect yourself. 

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When someone lies to you, you lose trust in them.

And when you lie to yourself, you lose trust in yourself.

be truthful, and do what’s right to reward your future self 

“Your future depends on what you do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Instead of lying to your current self, choose the truth. 

Deep down, you know the truth. 

Shame and pride are your in-built truth meters. 

Which actions make future you feel proud of yourself, and which ones bring you shame? 

When you’re staring at that pot, and you don’t want to wash it, think of future you — you want them to feel proud of the present you. 

The truth is: 

• That pot only needs to be soaked for a couple of seconds. 

• I feel tired, but I know I’m not too tired to get this workout done. 

• I don’t have a lot of time, but I could replace some of my phone time when I get home and spend that 45 minutes working on my business. 

Then one day you’ll look back and realise that you’ve cultivated your dream life just by telling yourself the truth. 

You’ve built your dream body and business by by telling yourself the truth. 

And you’ll look over at the sink and you won’t see a soaking pot. 

That’s when you know you’re telling yourself the truth. 

And you’ll sit and feel a sense of pride, knowing you did what was best for yourself. 

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Thank you for reading.

To change your life, all you need to do is change your mind - change the way you think.

I hope my articles can plant a seed. A seed that you must water.

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