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.
