What you want is on the other side of what you won't do...Dr. S. Pierce
So many of us set goals in December 2012 and here it is February and if asked, we couldn’t tell you WHAT they are. We lack something that causes the “stick to it-ness” that it takes to be successful. We recognize the cycle. Make a plan, get excited about the plan, get back to everyday life, and forget the plan. What’s missing that will get us out of the rut of chaos?We turn our nose up at “Twakinisha” who may be a stripper at the local club. We say that her business is demeaning, inappropriate and unsuitable for a lady. I happen to agree, BUT there is something to be learned from her. Twakinisha will work out 4-5 times a week to keep her body tight. She needs to be in top form in order to do her job, so she makes the sacrifice in what she eats, she rehearses her routines until they are second nature. She will also stay up until 2-3 o clock in the morning if that what it takes to make her money.
Hate her if you will…but she has something valuable that many of us lack. Discipline; plain and simple discipline. Discipline is defined as training or a regimen to ensure proper behavior. Most of us don’t keep a steady regimen for anything that we do. We start an exercise program, and 2 weeks in we’re done with it. We start out going to work on time and after a while our laziness creeps in. We make goals on December 24th for the New Year and within the first month you find yourself clearly behind schedule (* writer raises hand and ducks under the table :/ ).
What do we need in order to develop a cadence or a regimen for making and completing our goals on time, every time? I have determined that these four things helped me JUST THIS WEEK to realign my discipline to be successful and get back on track:
• Make your to-do list “bitesize” so you can get them done easily and feel a sense of accomplishment (I had a lot to complete in January, but I kept getting overwhelmed by the massive plan I put on myself. Once I broke the tasks down to “Monday, I will do this piece and tomorrow I will do this section” I felt like I could breathe again). I’m going to lose 20lbs in a week is not a safe and doable task, but I will not eat any fast food or drink any soda this week is doable and will challenge you.
• Have a circle of accountability. People that will straight up ask you…How is your book coming? Did you get to the gym this week? I have an awesome circle of people that not only care about me, but they care about what I am trying to do. When I am off track or slacking, they check me and they check me HARD. We argue, fuss and fight. BUT I am grateful to have matured enough to know that, I don’t need people that make me feel “swell” about how wonderful I am and pump my ego. I need people that see what I can become and push me even at the risk of getting on my nerves..until I get there. People in my circle have pure motives. It’s not for what they can get from me or manipulate me to do for them, but they wish to simply see me succeed. You can’t buy that kinda circle; you have develop it from the ground up and be willing to pay a steep price for it.
• Don’t get flustered and throw the baby out with the bath water. That’s an “old folks” term that means not to get out of sorts when things don’t go as planned and throw away the good with what went wrong. Would I throw away my entire plan for the year because I got behind the 8 ball in January? Of course not, regroup and give yourself some grace. I do my best to stick to my plan, but life WILL get in the way and I have to get better at making allowances for that and moving on.
• Be willing to adjust the plan. Your overall goal may be to put 5000.00 in savings this year or take a vacation to Fiji. But to save 2000.00 over 6-8 months and take advantage of a deal you received to go to a resort in Key West for 1/3 of what you would have paid for Fiji is NOT a bad thing. Make the goals adjustable and overarching. In this case the goal is to go on vacation in a warm climate and to save more in your savings account this year than you did last year. Where you go and how much you save are adjustable details that you don’t need to stress about.
So back up a few pages in that journal or look at your Facebook page or twitter feed in January. What did you commit to do? Make a DOABLE bite size plan to work toward that goal, don’t get flustered, be willing to adjust your plan and appreciate your circle that is pushing you to be great. No, I am not suggesting we all become strippers and Twakinisha may not be your cup of tea, BUT she is working a principle that applies to ANYONE who does it..The diligent hand SHALL bear rule. Even an evil, nasty farmer can plant a seed, water it and see a harvest. Work the PRINCIPLE and you will reap the benefits
