As someone who prefers to downplay everything I do in life, how much I own, where I live, and everything that I know, Iām proud to state how my habits have worked for me, not to me.
Let me explain.
Self-help gurus tend to tell you to adopt habits.
It will take you 30 days to quit smoking, establish a good workout routine and be on your way to becoming the next riped, hip JLaw, JLow, or JHud.
They all sound like good role models so might as well.
But that is a J.
Really!
It is a joke.
As much as we want to believe it isnāt it truly is.
Why do we look up to them?
Not because we know them but just because they possess something or many things (usually) that we donāt have.
They hack the entertainment business and are top performers in their field so they must be great contenders to work with for a DIY crush your life Master Class course.
If you want to become a global superstar, your best bet is to follow one of these chics.
But one of the problems is that we have no idea how they got there and we will never be able to replicate it.
Luck is luck.
We all have it and cannot spot it.
We don’t know when it will happen but it does present itself to everyone.
Those who have more of it tend to be patient and not search for it.
That leaves most of us in the dump.
We see a toned body online and although it might be photoshopped or not, we want to trust ourselves that we can achieve it in no time.
The next morning, we are on a motivation high!
We wake up 10 minutes earlier to get a kick start on our workout until we realize that it is just not sustainable.
Iām not here to change how you work, your lifestyle, or what you want to do.
But I hope I can *help* not adjust because we become very defensive by that word, you take everything a bit lighter and also see results faster.
As a reminder, if you couldn’t tell from my writing and awkward spacing,
Iām a teenager.
But have I ever acted like one?
Maybe but do I chose to?
Never but I still wish to stay young.
As an only child and the way Iāve grown up in a structured, orderly household with bed no later than 9 pm and 3 hour reading time after lunch, Iām come to appreciate the things that I’ve tried to avoid and be embarrassed about as a child.
Of course, our parents only want the best for us and we never appreciate it until now.
What strikes me is that the way we act today is 87% dictated by the way you grew up.
It isnāt striking to me that I cannot see that because I certainly do, but it surprises me when I see people accept that fact and not want to change it.
We are all lazy but also productive when forced to by someone else, not ourselves.
If we don’t mind being dictated for money but not for any other incentive, why do we choose to live our life that way?
At school, we assume if we work hard and meet some networks at the company, we can reach back out to them when we need something and they will help, or if we help our neighbor wash his car, rest assured, he will get you a puppy for your birthday.
We are such an egotistical society and that is the core of it.
But besides elaborating on why we are bad becuase we all aren’t trying to be unless you acknowledge you are, we cannot fix the main concerns that are impacting your life.
I take things with a grain of salt.
What I mean by this is not taking things lightly and not caring about them, but I realistically weigh the options.
I donāt think about much, especially things that I dread doing. I just face the fact that I know it is better for me and will feel 110% better if I do get them done.
Regrets are the enemy.
Chew gum to distract yourself from the so-called pain.
When you start talking to yourself and coming up with bogus reasons why something isnāt right, it will work against you, not with you.
Listen to Nike.
Just do it.
There is nothing to lose from trying and I understand you might be bored, tired or simply being your lazy old self but tomorrow you will not feel good about it.
Trust me, if Oprah has time for hundreds of individual meetings, of course, now on Zoom, you have time to get up and head to your Peloton in the dark basement, take a walk outside, phone a friend or start that essay.
Make yourself a priority inside not on social media to impress others.
Make procrastination your pet peeve.
I’ve officially established this motive as the #1 thing on my list, for now, a decade becuase doing so it has always lead me to think forward, never in the past.
Sure, it is great to live in the present but it is even better to think about how you will feel tomorrow since today will soon be gone.
Rewards donāt work. Think about your intestines. Yes, thatās not a typo.
Your internal gut is more powerful than the external results you want.
You can go post on social media all the self-love butt and stomach fat you want, but that won’t make you feel as good as eating a healthy meal and getting down to work.
Have FOMO of the things that will truly benefit you in the long run.
As much as it is tempting to get on social media, if you can prevent it, you are the 1% of people who are able to control their feeling and temptations over satisfactory temporary pleasure.
It is important to put your mental and financial health first, no one else’s.
It’s not being selfish it is being realistic for the long run, the path that we are all embarking on right now.