The Problem With Letting Someone Else Hold the Carrot

Way in the early bowels of my career, I worked as a proofreader at an ad agency.

One of our clients was a grocery store chain, whose tag line had been, “Where the carrots are.” 🤔

On my first day at the job, I met a guy who’d been on that account for a while. He was a really cool guy, so I felt okay asking, “What did that tag line mean, exactly? I bought way more than carrots when I shopped there.”

He said that it referenced holding a carrot in front of a horse to incentivize it to action. So, come in to the store because we have something you want.

“Ohhhh, ok, yeah, that makes sense,” I told him. And we both laughed because the line had recently been retired.

The problem was that I didn’t need them to incentivize me to just shop at their store.

I shopped there because I found I was consistently hungry, and they had stores everywhere.

I went into the store to meet my need, not think about how I would be rewarded for doing something I needed to do anyway.

I wasn’t looking for a reward, but I did need them to be open and well-stocked so that I could go home and cook.

The store was a tool to get me to the healthy meals that were my bigger priority.

This little carrot drama still pops back up when I find myself waiting for someone to tell me what’s next for me.

The real incentive has never been what someone else can put on the books for you.

But the opportunity they bring can absolutely be a tool to get you to something you want, even if you never collect a dime from it.

The reality is that this isn’t just about the carrots placed in front of you. It’s who’s holding the carrot.

Real incentive comes from knowing what you want most and feeding your own hunger for it.

Because 15 minutes after eating a carrot, I’m hungry again.

So I set out the next one, and the next one, to keep me moving toward what I want.

But we so easily let someone else set out those carrots. What if it’s going somewhere you don’t want to go?

Don’t wait for someone else to decide what you want for yourself.

You’re a grown up, which means you’re allowed to move toward what you want, however you want to do it.

But it starts by knowing what you want.

What do you want?

MORE FROM THE LAB