Today, I didn’t want to, But did it anyway.

 One of the biggest discussions I have had with successful people and those that continue to stay disciplined, no matter what their profession, specialty or passion is, is what they do when they don’t feel like doing whatever it is they need to do or know they should do. The most common response and even in my own life is that they do whatever it is whether they want to do it or not. 

Success, in no matter what areas you want to succeed in life many times will involve doing things you don’t feel like or don’t want to do.  I’ll use myself as an example.  Today, I am at work, at the fire station, day 4 of 5 at work, working 120 hours before I go home in total.  Today, we had hose testing and training at the station and a ride-along (granted it was my son, but an extra person nonetheless).  It was a busy day.  I didn’t feel like working out, walking for an hour, lifting and moving my body.  So after lunch, I completed my reports and went to the treadmill and walked for an hour, and I didn’t want to.  I stepped on the treadmill, and took one step after another and soon, an hour had past.  I had walked the three miles I  try to get in every day and had watched a show while doing so.  Instead of settling down and resting for a bit, I walked.  Then, after further training, and running calls, when I was tired mentally, and physically from being day 4 at the station, i sat down for a second.  I forced myself to get up, head into the station gym and started lifting weights,  Low and behold, I went harder than just going through the motions and got a great lifting session in.  

My why- it guides me.  Even on days I don’t want to do it, I do it.  Even if it means just going through the motions, I do it.  Even if I am tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, under rested, I do it.  I may not go as hard, I may not go as fast, I may not go as long, but I do it.  I do it because I want to be healthy for my family.  I do it because I have a 3 year old grandkid that requires me to run around for her spurts of excitement. Lil do it because I want to be around for my family for a long time.  I do it because the why is bigger than me.  

One of the things I have learned is to allow myself some grace.  I used to be intense about everything, and now I am intentional.  Successful people are intentional in their actions, but they take action.  It doesn’t matter how large or how small as long as you are taking action towards your dream, goal, desires.  No matter what they are.  Watch the patterns of successful people.  Watch how they work when they are tired, when they are energetic, when they are stressed, overwhelmed, underappreciated.  They are crazy enough to believe in their dream, passion, desire, their PURPOSE that they continually work towards it, even when they don’t want to. 

YOU have the power within you to make what you want become a reality.  It simply takes action, many times even when you don’t want to do it.  

• Don’t want to get out of the warm bed, do it anyway.
•  Don’t want to workout today, do it anyway

• Don’t want to read that book today?  Do it anyway. 

•  Don’t want to study today? Do it anyway.
• Don’t want to make that phone call?  Do it anyway 
• Don’t want to deal with the challenges?  Do it anyway. 

Whatever it is in your life that will progress you towards the life you envision, Do it whether you want to do it or not.  You’ll thank yourself later.  

     

You have the choice and the "Responsibility" for your own life

Lately, I have been around people in my own life whom have been stuck where they are in life, in being "scared" of being vulnerable, "afraid" of the future and what it might bring and "have fear" of the what-if's in life.  So I have thought a great deal on this fear, the reactions we have to life and what our lives are to become.  And as I was thinking and coaching my last seminar, i starting speaking a great deal about the choices we make in life.  You see, we have the responsibility to live our lives any way we choose.  What do I mean by this?

Let's break down the word- Responsibility into it's components:
Respond Ability- Yes, the ability to respond.  You see, we all have the ability to respond, or essentially the "Choice" to follow our hearts desires, or not to.  We all have challenges placed in front of us all the time.  it is how YOU CHOOSE TO RESPOND to these challenges and situations that will dictate the outcome.  Let's use an example.

Let me use as I often do, the choices we make regarding our own health and wellness.  You see, we are all given 24 hours in a day.  We are all given the time we need to accomplish the things that we need to do.  Here is the challenge.  Are the choices you are making allowing you to progress towards your goals.  In the event of fitness, I spent a number of years working for a large globo-gym style gym convincing people they need to work out.  Wait a second, I had to CONVINCE people they needed to move their body in order to be healthy and well.  And here is what I thought about as I was doing so.  isn't it a choice to move your body?  Isn't it a choice to do what it takes to stay healthy.  Isn't it a choice to do the things that inherently we know are going to be good for our body?  How often in yopur own life, have you made the choice to put your own health on the back burner and go do something OTHER than take care of yourself.  Let me put it another way.  If you were given the choice between all natural food that you had to prepare and food that was already prepared for you, what would you choose?  (those of you whom are close to me know how I choose to live about 85-90% of the time)

It is your ability to respond to the hours given to you in any day that help to dictate the choices you make.  Let me also take this from another angle.  The choices we make to be emotionally attached to a situation, a person, or a feeling also are dependent upon YOUR CHOICE.  Let's say for example. someone close to you does something that completely destroys the trust you had in that person.  You now have the ability to respond in any way which you see fit.  You see, most people tend to carry that with them between themselves and that person forever.  But it is YOUR CHOICE to be open and learn to trust again.  You have to be willing and make the choice to put that past you.  You can make the choice to forgive and maybe not forget.  The ability to make a choice to get beyond an incident or situation comes down to personal responsibility.  the ONLY thing we control in life is our own thoughts, feelings and actions.  I once heard that change the things you can, and for those you can't change the way you look at them.  What great advice!  This can be true of our own emotions and feelings.  Choose to look a things differently when you are challenged.  Choose to change how you feel, choose a different emotion.  Choose a different path.  It is your responsibility!  It is your life!! MAKE IT WHAT YOU WANT!

Sometimes I see people who make a choice not to make a choice.  Realize this is again exercising your ability to respond to a given situation.  You are now choosing NOT to make a choice which inherently keeps you right where you are.  If you are comfortable with this and the storyline you tell yourself (your emotions) are copasetic with that "Choice" then by all means, don't make a decision.  One of the hardest things we do when we make a choice is face our own fears and stigma's associated with it.  It means things may be uncomfortable.  It means we may have to get out of our comfort zone and make progress or stay right where we are.  It means we may fail... but that is all part of the process.  It is all part of taking responsibility for who we are and what we want out of our lives!

The past is done, so live without regret, the future is tomorrow, so don't worry about it, Today is here and now, that's why it's called the present.  Open up the gift you have been given and choose to live the life you want.

Next topic... how to accept and create change in your life.