How many times have you sworn to yourself that “you’ll start tomorrow”? That THIS time you’re going to do ‘it’?
Maybe your ‘it’ was to make $5,000 per month. Then by the third month when you see that you’re still barely making $1,200, you decide to scale back on your goal because maybe it’s a bit too lofty right out of the gate and that’s what has been throwing you off. You know, your subconscious and all.
So you do what any rational adult would do and you revise your goal to $3,000 per month. Fast forward a couple of months and you’re not hitting that one either.
Hmmmm…Okay, okay, you decide to baby step this… $2,000. Surely, an $800 increase is doable?! But in spite of scaling back, you’re still not making traction.
You can replace the $2,000 goal with:
Lose 10 pounds
Pay off debt
Get more fit
Eat cleaner
Quit smoking
Write a book
Or any other desire you have.
With the internet at our finger tips, the how bit is readily available. The part that’s tripping you up is the actual showing up and doing the work bit.
It’s the lack of follow-through.
The do-overs.
The “I’ll start tomorrow”.
The ‘reasons’ you keep you telling yourself (and anyone who questions you) why you can’t.
Wait, do you hear that? Tic Tic Tic Tic
No, that’s not the sound of time slipping away. (although it could be)
That’s the sound of your self-belief being chipped away at bit by painful bit.
That’s what happens EVERY TIME you don’t honour your commitment to yourself.
PLEASE know that I’m not pointing fingers here. The things I write about are messages I need to hear. I have things on my list that I have been putting off like a muther.
Here’s my list …
Workout 5x per week.
Save $2,000 each month.
Grow my list by 2,000 people.
Post on Instagram every single day.
Say no to everything for the next 30 days and just focus on my stuff.
Walk every day.
Go for a swim each week.
Read one book per week.
Stop overcommitting myself.
Release my podcast every Sunday/Monday.
Write a blog each week.
Do a cleanse.
Some of those things I have done after many failed attempts.
Some I have yet to do.
Some I do consistently now.
And others I do but need to work on the consistency part.
And although I give myself points for being a persistent little bugger, the whole part about falling off the horse and getting back on it can become a habit as well.
So what can we do to make deposits into the trust account?
Strip it all down and start small.
Make small commitments AND follow through.
The small commitment could be as simple as brushing your teeth before bed — Assuming you don’t normally brush your teeth before bed. AND don’t commit to doing it forever. Remember this is about starting small.
Commit to brushing your teeth before bed TONIGHT. Put a sticky note on your pillow, the toilet…wherever you need to have it so that it reminds you. And of course, FOLLOW THROUGH NO MATTER WHAT. Even if there’s a zombie apocalypse – finger brush if you have to.
“The way we do anything is the way we do everything.” ~ Martha Beck
(Don’t worry, I just gave myself an eye roll as well for using one of the most overused quotes.)