Use It or Lose It: Why Consistency is Key

How to Make Sure You Don't Lose Budget (or Brainpower)

It’s that time of year again… No, I’m not talking about stores playing Christmas music way too early… I’m talking about clients reaching out because they have leftover budget to use before the end of the year. 

Fabian Blank from Unsplash

It’s a seemingly strange system. If you don’t use all of the budget you were given this year, you risk getting less funding next year. That means you have to find almost anything to spend money on, just so you can have enough money for the projects you have to do in the future. It’s silly, but there is a logic to it.

If you’re trying to best allocate where money should go in the future, you look at where it went in the past: how much did a function need before, how well did they use it, and what might they need going forward.

If you don’t spend it, the assumption is you didn’t need it—and therefore, you probably won’t need as much in the future (like the boy who cried for too much money).

But this principle doesn’t just apply to budgets; it applies to our bodies and minds as well. Skills, habits, and abilities function on a "use it or lose it" basis. The less we engage with something, the more it fades away, deemed unnecessary by the efficient-but-ruthless accountant in our brains.

The Budget for Life Skills

Imagine your brain as the CFO of your personal life (it’s also the CEO, VP of sales, and overly arrogant new-hire). It tracks what you use most and invests resources accordingly. 

Haven’t spoken Spanish in years? That part of the "budget" shrinks y olvidas como hablarlo. Skipped workouts for months? Your muscles say we’re out of here and doing a pull-up now feels impossible. Neglected your sense of humor? You might forget just how much it contributes to stress relief, creativity, and connection.

(Weirdly song lyrics are immune to this as you will always remember the words to K-Ci and Jojo’s All My Life.)

The truth is, we can’t rely on intermittent bursts of activity to maintain proficiency. Just like an organization needs a steady flow of funding to stay operational, our minds and bodies need regular input to stay sharp. A one-off effort doesn’t cut it—physically, mentally, or comedically.

Humor as a Muscle

Humor is a skill like any other. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes. Whether it’s finding the funny in everyday situations, cracking jokes with colleagues, or lightening a tense moment with levity, maintaining a sense of humor is like going to the gym for your wit (and sanity).

So how do you keep from "losing it"? By creating small, consistent opportunities to "use it." That doesn’t mean you have to become a stand-up comedian. Want to sharpen your problem-solving skills? Try puzzles or brainstorming games. Want to keep your humor fresh? Commit to finding one thing that makes you laugh each day.

That’s why we’re such strong proponents of keeping a humor notebook. It’s simply a spot where you write down the funny things that happen to you, the interesting ideas you have, or even the silly jokes you come up with when you’re playing with your daughter:

Where do sharks come from? Finland.

(Okay, not every joke is going to be great, just like you don’t hit every ball in batting practice…)

Consistency compounds, just like interest—or year-end budgets. When you invest in yourself regularly, the returns come naturally.

What Will You Use Today?

Take a moment to think about the skills, habits, or talents you value most. Are you giving them enough attention to keep them sharp?

And let me know, what skill will keep working on? I clearly need some practice with my puns.

(an)drew

PS. If you’re one of those organizations that have budget leftover, there are a few ways we can help:

1. Team Workshops: Book one of our workshops to get interactive training on topics ranging from managing stress, improving sales, or enhancing leadership, for teams as small as 4 people to as large as 10,000.

2. One-on-One Coaching: Join the hundreds of professionals I’ve coached to learn how to use humor as a competitive advantage to stand out, make an impact, and advance your career. Most clients are able to get this paid for by their company.

3. The Whole Humorist Course: Join 500+ students to unlock your skill of humor to be more productive, less stressed, and happier at work. We can even create a specific cohort for your team.

Hit reply and I’d be happy to chat!