Try as you might, but the fact remains that you can have no reward without commitment.
This is especially true when it comes to making a commitment to yourself AND keeping it.
It is too easy to abandon when you get busy.
Or overwhelmed.
Or tired.
Or when it simply gets hard.
And it will – so there goes your commitment to yourself right out the window.
About that Hamster Wheel Life
The scene in your head when you think about your schedule is like: watching a hamster go, round and round for hours with no particular destination.
To break a commitment or a promise you have made with yourself isn’t difficult to do.
Let’s tell the truth if no one else knows, no one else is the wiser and the commitment falls off the list.
Guilt is a bear though.
It won’t let you go and it chases you around the hamster wheel.
The faster you run from it, the more you feel bad, like a fraud, afraid to stop because if you do you will be gobbled up by the guilt monster.
It is daunting because now you are out of breath and tired of running.
You decide to recommit and trust yourself to get it done THIS time.
Productivity Hack: Decide to recommit and trust yourself to get it done.
Has this ever happened to you?
You Feel Motivated To Do A Thing.
It Is Outside Of Your Normal Routine. You Want To Do This Thing (For Example: A New Workout With A New Teacher), But It Is 15 Minutes In Another Direction.
You Actually Made It To This Class Before And You Felt Amazing.
You KNOW It Is Going To Get You Great Arms In X Time, Which Is Why You Are On Board To Implement This Into Your New Lifestyle.
You Begin To Think: Why Is It All The Way Over There, Why Can’t They Teach The Class At Your Current Gym, You Just Don’t Have The Time, Your Arms Don’t Look ‘That’ Bad Anyway, Yada Yada.
You Forget Your Gym Bag, You Open That One Last Email That Has You Jump Down A Rabbit Hole, Which Delays You Leaving On Time.
Pick One Or Both, Now Your Ego Is Tap Dancing On Your Self-Promises.
This Is The Ego’s Playground, It Plays Into The Night With A Flashlight In Your Dreams, Right In Your Eyes And Hola-Hoops (Constant Loop) In Your Wake State.
Ha, Ha It Says. You Can’t Do It.
You Will Never Get There.
It Wickedly Laughs When You Make Another Attempt, In The Hopes That You Won’t Even Try Again.
Motivation Ain't Enough
If You Believe The Hype Aka The Noise, You Will Never ‘Get There’.
You Get To Stay Where You Are, Smaller Than What Your Spirit Is Now Calling You To Become.
It Is Internally Painful.
A Quiet Numbing Hell.
At Best, Motivation Is Fleeting, But Motivation Alone Isn’t Enough.
Some Trickery Is Necessary Until You Grow The Muscle Of Follow Through.
You Have To Have Some Traction Of Feeling Good And Getting Better In Order To Continue.
Commitment Is Like Picking Up A Loved One From The Airport.
They Have No Other Way Of Getting To Their Destination:
You Are IT.
They Are Depending On You.
Come Hell Or High Water, You Are There, ALWAYS.
Tell Yourself You Are Going To The Airport To Pick Yourself Up If You Have To, Whatever Works.
It Is Acute, Definitive And It Has A Deadline.
If It Is A Big Goal, Tell Yourself You Are Going To The Airport Daily Until Completion.
Just Like The Dial Of Time Gets Reset For A Fresh 24 Hours, Who Cares If You Tell Yourself Daily, That You Are Going To The Airport.
Get On The Floor And DO The Pushups, Make The Call, Go To The Networking Event, Get The Business, Make The Meal, Go To Sleep Earlier.
Preferably, Say The Thing Out Loud To Yourself.
Better Yet, Say It To Someone Who Will Hold You Accountable.
Here are 5 things you can do to move the needle in your favor:
- Decide to decide: Ask yourself: how do you want to feel at the end of the day (see yourself at the end)
- Make a list of 10 values that are vitally important to you
- Look for ways to incorporate those values into your daily life
- Make a short list. Look it over and bottom line it: what has to happen TODAY?
Think methodically, if this then that.
For instance: I will only turn on my computer after I journal or eat breakfast.
Create a schedule, so that you create some structure to your day, you can block time for activities AND bend time.
A plan will keep you out of analysis paralysis.
Please note, you can always renegotiate your plan.
Tweak it so it feels best for you. You are allowed.
There are times when you must bend to the events of the day and you must react accordingly.
The plan allows you to get back to your goal/your reward as quickly as possible.
Write down your commitments every day, say them out loud and tell someone you trust.
When you consciously create ways to stay committed to your success, you can give more attention and love to yourself and those who depend on you.
Forward motion is delicious! Now ask yourself the following questions:
- How will it feel to accomplish this thing?
- What do I need to learn?
- What do I need to NOT do?
- What comes naturally to me?
- Am I having fun? What sucks for me?
Cumulatively showing up for yourself allows all that is important to you to flower and it creates personal proof that you have the goods of following through and keeping your trust-bridge intact.
This book frees you from society mind control
