As the New Year hits, so do the resolutions, the desires, the aspirations. We get a spark of the person we want to become, the life we want to create, the things we want to accomplish, and the places we want to travel to. It sounds good, and we might accomplish some of our goals for a couple of days, weeks, or months, but then we fall into old habits. The habits that we said we’d turn around in 2017 go back to the habits we had in 2016. A New Year, but not a New You. So, how do we accomplish these goals, how do we stop putting off and start doing?
1. Remember YOLO
Remember how long you’ve been putting this off, how many extensions the gods gave you, and you didn’t use them. At some point you have to recognize what world it is that you belong to; what power rules it and from what source you spring; that there is a limit to the time assigned you, and if you don’t use it to free yourself it will be gone and will never return.
-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Thanks Drake! Honestly, “You only live once,” is a huge reason for my motivation. It’s easy to slack off on a day-to-day basis because there’s always tomorrow to get something done. But that’s the wrong way of looking at it. Instead we should think “We only have one life, maybe only one more day, let’s make the most of it.” Instead of spending time watching TV, or following the news, we need to spend more time doing our goals.
2. Moving Forward Feels Good
I don’t know about you, but when I take a step forward I get an adrenaline rush. I really enjoy improving myself and my capabilities. Maybe it’s lifting a 30-pound weight instead of the 25-pound weight. Or it’s being able to write 500 words without thinking about it when last week it was a struggle to write 200 words. No matter what you accomplish, if it’s a step forward, it’s going to feel good. Each step forward, makes the next step easier.
3. The Snowball Effect
This is my favorite reason to start doing. Once you start your dreams get bigger, your aspirations get higher, and your abilities skyrocket. If each day you are improving the skill you learned yesterday then in 30, 60, 90, 365 days your skills will be exponentially greater. What started out as a snowball soon turns into an avalanche. Instead of trying to achieve a small improvement, your skills become honed and the old you won’t even recognize yourself.
4. Putting It Off is Fear-Based
Fear-based actions lead to trouble. Why don’t we look at our credit card statement? Because we’re afraid to look what we’ve spent money on. But by not looking, we hide our fears from ourselves. Putting it off creates even more problems down the line. Instead, we need to focus on eliminating fear. Getting rid of fear-based actions, and start doing something about it. Doing is the greatest eliminator of fear. Stepping up to the plate with confidence and taking control of ourselves helps alleviate fear.
Start Doing Now
We only get one chance to live. We don’t know if we’ll even be alive tomorrow. All we know is today, the present. We must strive to make ourselves better today, and we can’t do that unless we take the time to get things done right now.
For me, the beginning of 2017 is all about now. It’s about doing something this minute that’ll pay dividends for me in the future. I don’t know when I’ll reap the benefits, but I know if I slowly build, the snowball effect will take over, and I’ll be rolling full steam ahead. By doing right now I am also eliminating my fears. Instead of worrying what might happen, I’m more worried about what might happen if I do nothing.
Take a step forward, turn into a better person today, and start doing now.