A Kick On The Backside

I don’t know about you but I definitely need a kick on my backside every now and again. This could be because of something I’m dreading doing, conflicting priorities, laziness, procrastination and sometimes, yes, even a mild case of imposter syndrome.

For whatever reasons, there are times when I don’t spring into action at the right time. It’s great when, at these times, trusted friends and loved ones challenge my actions or lack of it thereof.

I’m sure I’m not alone in this and if we all look closely we will find abandoned projects, ideas or goals. The question we should ask ourselves and others is, ‘Why?

Was it a conscious and deliberated decision to abandon them or was it due to a natural process of evolution?

One of the top reasons we will find for abandoned project is a loss of motivation after the excitement and adrenaline fuelled stage wanes.

I came across a quote that sums it up nicely and it says, “Don’t expect to be motivated every day to get out there and make things happen. You won’t be. Don’t count on motivation. Count on discipline.” Jacko Willink

On a lighter note, I saw a pictogram asking the question, ‘what do you want the most? The donut or achieving your weight loss goal?’

Many things we give up on are because we wanted something else more. You want that sleep more so you press the snooze button instead of gaining an hour to devote to your goals or morning exercise.

Discipline is all about what you want more versus what you want the most. We are constantly making decisions and some hinder us while others advance us.

Long after we’ve made a decision that will advance us, we still need to follow through and this comes through discipline.

Here are some of my thoughts.

Accept some basic truths

There are some truths that we all have to accept which includes the fact that we won’t always feel motivated. We may not get the recognition or response we want straightaway. People may not always appreciate or support our endeavours.

The road may not be easy and others on similar path will be ahead of us and some behind us. That’s why it’s called a race but your race is yours alone and not about others. Your terrain and journey will be different to others so there’s no basis for comparison.

Form the right habits

Applying discipline will help us to form the right habits. Habits are formed when we repeat the same process, thought and actions over and over until they become second nature to us and we do them subconsciously.

Create simple and repeatable steps that will get you to your goals. Wake up everyday and follow those steps without fail.

Celebrate your small wins

In life or career, there will always be small wins along the way to our desired big victory. If we are not attentive enough, we would lose sight of these small wins and get discouraged.

When we learn to find those gratitude moments in the everyday, we will have many reasons to celebrate.

So maybe you didn’t get into the next round of interviews but getting this far forced you to review your CV and career history so you’re better positioned the next time.

Recognise when the person in the mirror is taking the ‘mickey’

One of the best gifts we can give to ourselves and to others is the gift of honesty. We know when we are making excuses or being lazy, we know when we are not pulling our weights and taking short cuts.

The ability to call ourselves out on those poor choices is paramount to our successes in life. At the very least admit when you are just making an excuse, being lazy or procrastinating for no good reason.

I find that acceptance of my poor choice always stops me in my track because I can see the problem is the person in the mirror.

Thanks for reading and sharing my post. Please leave a comment and share your lessons.