Have you ever heard of the Region Beta Paradox?

It states that if you need to travel one mile, you may likely decide to walk that distance but if you need to travel two miles, you’re more likely to bike it. Normally, it takes longer to travel two miles than it does to travel one but because you choose to walk one mile versus biking two miles, it takes longer to travel the single mile.
The paradox is that if you had biked the shorter distance, it would have been faster (and possibly more fun) but, instead we are willing to tolerate the mild discomfort of the one-mile walk, rather than go through the perceived hassle of getting out your bike, finding your helmet, unlocking the shed and figuring out what to do with your bike once you get there. Thinking about the many steps required to deal with the bike doesn’t seem worth it for just one mile. However, once the distance is greater, say two miles, the workload appears more difficult, so we are forced to come up with a better solution, thus making the idea of taking the steps necessary to bike seem more worthwhile.
What does this mean?
The beta regions are those times when we endure a mild irritant longer than we would have tolerated a more serious one. Basically, it states that we will settle for slight discomfort for a very long time but when the discomfort becomes greater, it is then that we decide to do what needs to be done to create a better solution.
Examples of this can be found in many aspects of our lives. Many of us, settling for mediocre jobs, barely tolerable relationships, suffering with physical, mental & emotional issues and only doing something about it, once we are forced to make a change. You get fired, your spouse leaves you or you find yourself in the hospital and suddenly, things become clear, and changes become urgent. It is then that we make the move to a better job, to getting healthier, to finally leaving that stagnant relationship. Examples might be, finally getting into shape, once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, enrolling in courses to get that degree AFTER you lose your job, fixing the broken step, AFTER you trip over it and sprain your ankle and all of those things that we just don’t deal with until we have no other option. These are all part of this paradox that shows how we tend to do better at handling very bad situations than we do at handling the things that are only a little bit bad.
Recognizing the beta regions in our lives and acting to fix an issue that is only mildly annoying or difficult, before it progresses to the point of urgency, can greatly enhance the overall quality of life we live. If we only act once the issue has passed a certain point of badness, we are spending much of our lives settling for less than life has to offer.
Why do we do this?
It’s human nature, that’s why! However, this paradox is not exclusive to humans. Take the story about the toad in hot water. This story tells of a toad who is immersed in cool water that is gradually heated, versus being thrown into a pot of boiling water. When he is dropped into boiling water, he immediately responds, bouncing with the momentum of the fall and jumping higher than he ever thought possible. The same toad, when placed in a pan of cool water as it gradually heats to boiling, never jumps out but rather allows himself to boil to death. He does not notice the gradual discomfort as it grows, until it is too late, until the heat has robbed him of his energy, and he can no longer jump high enough to escape.
I’m not sure if a toad will really allow himself to boil to death before he jumps out, and I am not going to experiment to find out, but I do know that I have been guilty of settling in a situation that “isn’t that bad”. Guilty of being the toad, slowly boiling, and unknowingly forcing myself to acclimate to the situation rather than muscling up the energy to take the steps to change it. I have spent way too much time being still, waiting, tolerating and mildly suffering. I have been guilty of convincing myself that change is just too much work, too hard, too inconvenient or simply not meant for me. I have been my own victim, wasting this precious life, letting opportunity and time slip by while I sat & settled for “good enough”. Not always though, in fact, probably even more times than not, I have stepped up and made changes in my life (both proactively & reactively) and every single time, my only regret has ever been not having done it sooner.
So, with this New Year, my vow to myself is that I will no longer endure the beta region, even part of the time. I will recognize the “toad” in me before the water gets too hot. I will make my move before my energy is depleted, before the momentum is used up and before I am forced to make a change while in a weakened state. I will take the time to bring my bike up from the basement, even if I am only going a mile.

I will do this because, going into the second half of my life, I know, wholeheartedly, that it is those steps that seem so complicated, so time-consuming, so out of reach and so hard, that are the very ones that will make my life easier, better and more beautiful than ever imagined!
May 2025 be your year to jump, to make that move and to stop tolerating the BS that you have allowed to become your normal. Let’s get going on living our very best lives!
Happy New Year & many cheers to a wonderful 2025 for all!!!


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