I’d like for you to think of yourself as a t-shirt.
A t-shirt that gets thrown into the closet and lays with the weight of other garments
on top of it is going to get wrinkly, lose its form and start smelling funky.
A t-shirt that is washed according to care instructions and folded properly is going
to be as good as new and last longer.
Don’t treat yourself like a t-shirt you don’t care about.
I know what it’s like being at a low point and feeling like nothing is in order.
Where the smallest of tasks feel daunting.
I’ve been there more than once, and I’ll probably be there many more times throughout
my life.
That’s okay.
We all go through circles.
But right now, I’m at a place in my life where I’m really taking care of myself like
I’m someone who matters.
I’m waking up at an early hour, reading books I can’t put down, eating well, working
out, pushing myself to work on projects that scare me a little but that at the same time
excite me so much.The list goes on.
I’ve just been feeling motivated to do those things.
The more good decisions I make for myself, the more I want to continue making better
decisions for myself, because I observe how Small, Smart Choices + Consistency + Time
= RADICAL DIFFERENCE” as Darren Hardy wrote in his book “The Compound Effect” which,
the compound effect essentially means “the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series
of small, smart choices.”.
I truly believe that it is the small choices we make in our everyday lives, the ones that
we often don’t even think about, are ultimately what has the biggest impact on our lives long-term.
And so today, I’d like to share some things that I keep in mind whenever I feel like something
needs to change in my life and how I sort of go about doing that.
Body
Asking myself what I want out of this chapter of my life (the what)
I think this is underrated.
Sometimes, the reason the advice we hear from others doesn't work for us is because it’s
simply not where we’re at in our life and it’s not what we actually want right now.
So, when you’re watching a video like this, even if you may pick up a few things or value,
I don’t want you to use it as a blueprint for your life.
You and I may be in very different life cycles.
What do you want?
Stability?
Fun?
Convenience?
Adventure?
Peace?
It can be multiple things, of course, but what’s the most important thing right now?
When I was in college, for example, I WANTED to get 8 hours of sleep and cook healthy meals
every day and whatnot.
But I also wanted to create as many memories as possible.
It was more important for me to “say yes” to going out and getting to know new people
and possibly staying out quite late, than it was to be in bed by 10 and feel well rested
the morning after.
Right now, I’m at a completely different stage of my life.
I prioritise maintaining my healthy habits.
Point being, you’re constantly changing and so am I.
So take a seat, grab a pen and paper or open up a document on your computer and ask yourself:
what do I want out of this chapter of my life?
Finding reasons that are genuine to me (the why)
As I mentioned, I’ve been waking up fairly early because it makes me feel great.
Mornings are quiet, and once they’re over, there’s no moment like that until the next
day.
I don’t want to miss it.
But this is where the importance of having a genuine “why” comes to play.
I don’t think “Ugh, I guess I should wake up early because all the successful people
are doing it”.
NO!
I think, ahh my bed is so warm and cozy, I guess I could lay here for another 30 minutes…
But I also know that, if I get up now, I’ll be able to enjoy a slow, peaceful, quiet morning,
and I know that’s going to have a positive impact on the rest of my day.”
Also, my dog has to pee.
And so I know that, if I just get myself through those 5 seconds of resistance to actually
get up, the reward that awaits from doing that…
It's been worth it every time.
I don’t remember ever regretting getting up early, wishing I would’ve stayed in bed
instead.
Now, that’s what’s genuine TO ME.
You need to figure out what the genuine reasons are for you.
Now it’s worth mentioning that I don’t always have a 100% success rate.
Not at all.
Especially when it comes to… well, see for yourself: (INTEGRATION)
Continuously taking tiny steps that serve future me (the how)
I suspect most of us, myself included, have gotten sudden bursts of motivation after reading
a book or watching a video and deciding what we’re about to totally reinvent ourselves.
I’ve come to learn that I’m not the “switching things up overnight” type of person.
Going from zero to a hundred has never worked for me.
Instead, I believe in taking the tiniest of steps over a long period of time; of focusing
on small, doable commitments throughout the day.
So, as an example, since I’ve started working out regularly, I’m upping my protein intake.
There are no drastic, dramatic changes to begin with, I’m simply adding an egg to
my breakfast in the morning.
THAT’S IT!
And throughout my day, I continuously ask myself “okay, what choice can I make right
now that’ll make life easier or better or less stressful or whatever it might be, for
future me?”
Future me might be a year down the line, or it might be tonight or tomorrow.
For example, I know that if I do all the dishes the night before and wake up to a clean kitchen,
I’ll feel more excited to make myself a nice breakfast, than I am if I were to wake
up to a mess of a kitchen.
I know that if I always put my yoga mat in the same place and if I make sure my workout
clothes are always clean and folded away where I know they will be, I’m more likely to
workout.
It’s all about removing resistance; so we don’t let don’t let momentarily inconveniences
win over long-term contentment.
I don’t set myself up for failure
I guess the opposite of serving the future you would be to set yourself up for failure,
so these two go hand in hand, but I’d like to give you some examples of what this may
look like in my own life:
If I’m trying to stay away from sweets, the only bullet-proof way for me to do that
is to not keep any at home.
If I have snacks in my drawer, I’m more likely to eat them.
Actually, I WILL eat them.
There’s no chance, exactly zero chance, I’m just going to let them sit there.
Thy chocolate shalt be indulged.
Or, if my phone is low on battery, I’m also not likely to workout because that’s where
my workouts are right now with Co-Pilot.
So by not charging it when it needs to be charged, I’m setting myself up for failure.
As human beings, we’re typically very impatient, we want things to be ready to go, and I have
a feeling we’re getting even more impatient.
So help yourself out as best as you can by being one step ahead!
Baby steps.