Have you ever started a new workout program or diet only to last a few days before throwing in the towel?
You promise yourself that this time would be different. And that those other attempts weren’t the right fit.
So you forge ahead on this new path only to find out it’s miserable.
It’s tough, probably tastes bad, and just makes life no fun.
Been there done that.
But after several failed attempts, I realized something.
You Have Good Intentions? So Does Everyone Else
I was relying way too much on my good intentions.
I thought if I wanted it bad enough, and for the right reasons, then I could eventually earn whatever it is that I had my eye on.
But guess what? As you can imagine, I didn’t get jack sh!t. And maybe you can relate too.
The truth is, there are very few people in this world who don’t have good intentions.
We all want to live healthier. We want to workout more. We want to earn more money. We want to win the lotto….etc, etc.
Unfortunately, these wants are not enough to get us there.
What it really takes is hard work, discipline, and consistency.
And. That. Sh!t. Is. Hard.
The good intentions are the easy part!
Heck, it takes a few seconds to want something.
But it takes countless hours to actually achieve something.
That’s where most of us fail, sadly.
When it comes time to roll up our sleeves, we get a little dirt on our pants and run for the hills.
We stop just before things really get hard.
The mere thought of a hard time ahead makes us uneasy and inevitably what starts the I quit snowball.
It happened to me.
I started this blog exactly a year ago.
My goal was (and still is) to help one person a day.
I planned on posting weekly and staying active on social media.
All good intentions right?
Yeah, I stopped at this exact point.
I barely posted monthly and my social media was a ghost town.
And then I wondered why I felt so bummed.
My good intentions didn’t get me there. (How rude)
Repeat after me: good intentions are not enough to get me what I want in life.
What will you ask?
Yep, She’s on that Discipline Train Again
I found out the hard way that my lack of discipline was one of the many things holding me back in so many areas in my life.
We talked a bit about discipline in this article so we’ll simply expand on that now.
Discipline is doing the things you know you should be doing even when you don’t feel like it.
I’ve mentioned it here that you will never feel like doing anything that makes you uncomfy, is hard, and has no guarantee of results.
You’re also more likely to take the easy route anytime it’s an option, according to Brian Tracy.
Here’s what the easy route looks like:
- Hitting the snooze button instead of working out
- Sitting on social media so you can avoid doing important things
- Doing the bare minimum at work and counting down the hours until you’re done
This is where your good intentions won’t help.
They won’t force you out of bed and into the gym.
They certainly won’t kick you off of Facebook.
And they won’t help you make more money.
That’s where discipline comes in.
Showing up when that’s the last thing you want to do.
Adulting is Hard
I get it.
Life knocks you down….repeatedly.
It throws you curveball after curveball and then eventually dumps an avalanche on you.
But you have to keep picking yourself back up each and every time.
You have to dust off whatever crud is leftover from that avalanche and you have to move on.
You Need a Better Plan
And you have to update that ol’ plan of yours. You do have one right?
If you have good intentions, chances are, you have a plan in the works.
Now it’s time to fine tune the plan.
If you want to lose 10 lbs, write down everything you can think of to get you closer to that goal.
You could (A):
- Workout 4-5 times per week
- Plan your meals so you have healthy options on hand
- Forgo happy hours and eating out
You could also (B):
- Workout 1-2 per week
- Aim to eat healthy when you can
- Enjoy happy hour and eating out in moderation
Which route do you think will come back with more results?
Obv A, yet most of us (including me) choose B and wonder why our results are lackluster.
Instead, I want you to turn your B list into anything that pushes you further from your goals.
So in addition to everything I listed in option B, you’d also see:
- Watching more than 2 hours of TV per day
- Logging more than 3 hours per day on Facebook
- Sitting for extended periods of time
Once you have your two lists, stick to the plan.
If an activity falls under the B list, you avoid it at all costs. The more you do this, the more discipline you’ll build.
Eventually, you’ll build enough positive momentum to keep you rolling.
So keep those good intentions of yours handy and start putting them to use.
Instead of wanting things, work towards them.
And if you need my help, I’m only an email away! Reach out: devan@behappynothangry.com