THE KEY TO EVERY GOOD HABIT
Today I changed a few things in my Bio. Just little tweaks that in my opinion make it better. Things that aren't important to anyone but myself. I added ages. The age I was when I had both my boys & at my "feel good" weight. The age I was when my boys voiced concern over my weight & I decided to cut that weight in half. The age I was when I set out on my Life Transformation Journey here on FatSecret.
Looking back over what I had written I can see how easy it would be for someone to get the impression that I have wasted my life but *I* don't feel that way in the least! However because of the "impression" I decided to write in my journal today!:D
Zusake's Story:
Zusake sat down to write a story.He mapped out The Beginning & The End. He listed chapter headings & their pages,some of which made it into his final story & some that didn't. Then after he wrote the story itself,it wasn't what he had expected it would be. He again sat down to rewrite it. This time doing so from a different perspective. The story still did not meet his intended purpose. He revised his work time & time again. He changed things & edited things in hopes of getting it the way he wanted it to be. According to him,he rewrote the first part 150-200 times! In the end he went back to the original & rewrote it. And this time,the 200th time,he got it! It took him 3 yrs to write his novel for his liking. After its release he was quoted in an interview as saying: "In 3 yrs I must have failed over a thousand times, but each failure brought me closer to what I needed...& for that I am grateful."
Zusake said what I felt as I looked over my Bio & the time frame I have covered. Each time I didn't reach a goal or didn't do as well as I had hoped I would do it brought me closer to what *I* needed TO BE.
"Dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It's hard work that makes things happen. It's hard work that creates change."--Shonda Rimes
LIVE the Dream
If it's our dream to live a healthy lifestyle. To be fit & in the shape we desire in our minds eye then we must do what it takes to make it happen. If our dream were to travel we would need to GO. If we wanted to be a Writer we would need to WRITE. To live a healthy lifestyle requires that: we STOP eating JUNK,BE active DAILY...to DO *now* what we dream of.That's how it works! When all is said & done,the truth of the matter is: *We* must DO!However,there is a catch to this truth.We are imperfect beings,who more times than not,create imperfect results.That being the truth of the matter, HOW do we ever succeed in making our dreams come true? In being CONSISTENT in what we DO? The fact that not one of us can know for certainty when our attempts will meet our expectations,shows the importance of being consistent with what we do. The BEST way to ensure our success is to do as much as possible,giving ourselves more opportunities to reach our expectations.We give MEANING to what otherwise may give an "impression" of failure. We give every *attempt* PURPOSE!(Read here,we are NOT wasting our time) This month I am a participant in a FS challenge which the creator of it describes as NOT a challenge :D please look at it if what I have said here interests you even in the slightest. I am enjoying the NO challenge challenge & disagree that it is NOT a challenge. To change the way one *thinks* can definitely be a challenge & perhaps moreso to change mentally than physically. But this challenge brings AWARENESS & that is what I am loving! I want to add before I continue on with the KEY TO EVERY GOOD HABIT that I do believe whole heartedly that once we do a "mind makeover" our physical transformation becomes easier. :D
Just as Zusake in his attempts at writing his book,time after time,problem after problem,he KEPT working *until* he got it right. On his 200th time he got it right thru what he *continued to do* because what we continue to do becomes our habit! Once we have formed the habit,work stops! Think about your habits, are they what you would describe "work"? No. We go thru our days doing our habits without even being aware at times that we are *doing* them! A habit is not dependent upon our being motivated to do it. It isn't dependent on us having enough will power or not,in fact to stop it takes the will power! A habit IS dependent upon what we do day in & day out. If we are SERIOUS about living a healthy lifestyle we need to QUIT waiting on willpower or motivation & simply BEGIN.Begin DOING,day in & day out the ACTIONS that are called for.
EASIER SAID THAN DONE?
Who of YOU,dear readers, think that setting goals & reaching them are what makes your dreams reality? I challenge YOU to TEST *this* theory:
SCHEDULING IS THE SYSTEM THAT TURNS OUR DREAMS/GOALS INTO REALITIES
It doesn't matter what we want to be good at or better at if we only work on it when we feel like it,when we have the motivation to do so or when we get inspired. BUT when we schedule it & stick to that schedule of action,even when we don't feel like it,we get GOOD,we get BETTER,we become AWESOME at it!!! Haven't we all noticed that?! It really is so simple. So powerful. So difficult.
What? You weren't expecting me to say that?! Its true right? It's easier said than done to stick to a schedule. THAT IS WHY IT SEEMS TO TAKE FOREVER TO REACH OUR GOALS: WE TAKE THE *easy* way out! IT TAKES WORK TO STICK TO A SCHEDULE!
But when we "keep at it" *especially* when we don't want to, when we refuse to let "life" get in our way of living our dreams we prove to *ourselves* what sort of person we are! We show *others* whats really important to us,we put MEANING to our words & actions rather than being someone who says one thing but doesn't follow thru.So here it is. The simple,powerful,difficult key to every good habit!
SIMPLE: Decide what you want to be good at. When we know what we want it becomes easier to get.
POWERFUL: Set a schedule for the *action* you want to be good at.To lose weight is NOT an action but "activity" is. Losing weight is a result of activity. Schedule your action not its result.We track our results.
DIFFICULT: DO your scheduled action.Don't worry about what needs to be done in a month or a yr. Think only on doing it *today* once you do it today then go for *tomorrow* do that day in & day out until you are GOOD at it. Once you are GOOD at it then try getting BETTER...do it for a week or two. Got it? Now beat your best & do it for a full month! Keep at this *until* it isn't "work". You have just created a habit that you wont need to think about doing,wont need motivation or willpower to keep it up. :D The KEY to every good habit eliminates the need for decisions.(What should I do? When should I do it? How should I do it?)
If YOU choose to TEST this out please let me know what you discover! :D