If you want a healthy body, you have to eat first! You can worry about eating healthy after. That's a second order detail.

If you want a healthy mind/relationship, you have to listen first! You can worry about how to respond after. That's a second order detail.

If you want healthy finances, you have to look at it first! You can worry about what to do about it later. That's a second order detail.

If you want to create something of value, you've to produce first! You can worry about producing something valuable after. That's a second order detail.

We forget the most obvious, basic things all the time.

Most important, first order ideas are obvious. So obvious that they become invisible to our conscious mind. So obvious that if someone bring them into focus we dismiss it, because it's basic knowledge. So obvious that we forget to consider, are we even practising the obvious?

Easy to know does not mean easy to do! What you consciously know, has little to do with what you actually do. Do not dismiss basic but obvious suggestions, until you've incorporated them into your actions.¹

Achieve the basic requirements first. Their obviousness does not make them less important.

The conscious mind flinches at considering such obvious suggested ideas, because talk is a signalling game. It is meant to show others what we know, rather than what we practise. So we talk about interesting things, rather than about what we need to.

Kids, our great mirrors into societal values, make this apparent. You'll see kids running around proudly parrotting facts. I used to find the facts parrotting funny, until I realized what I was actually laughing at 😒; at our disposition to use talk to signal knowledge.

Remember the big picture. Do the basic things first. Do not dismiss basic, obvious things until incorporated into your actions. Talk about actionable stuff, about things you can change. Avoid getting got by signalling games.

Footnotes