Choose to Take the Journey

What goes on in your head when you don’t do the right thing?

I’ve been asking myself this question whenever I’ve failed to act in accordance with my stated goals. You know what you should do, I tell myself, but you don’t always do it. I know you, reader, have been through the same thing, because we are human, and by our nature we are imperfect.

For me, it begins with a tightening of my chest, followed by the thought “No, I don’t want to!” This is then followed by a series of rationalizations, always different in their content, but identical in their energetic frequency, a frequency of resistance. I’m too tired. I had a hard day at work. I ate a big meal and I’m feeling lazy. I think I’m getting sick. I might still be sick. I don’t want to push myself too hard and burn out. I’ll start tomorrow.

Over and over again, you will rationalize why you know what you should do, but why it is okay for you not to do it. Whenever I fail, I reevaluate 2 issues:

#1 Logistics. Logistics has to do with how you position your resources. I create favorable logistics for the results I want and unfavorable logistics for the results I don’t want. This is why aspiring actors move to Los Angeles, why aspiring investors move to New York, or why aspiring stage performers move to Las Vegas. Those are examples of large-scale logistics, but there are also small-scale logistics that are equally vital to realizing your vision.

Where do you encounter the most resistance? Is it going to the gym? Then move to an apartment building that has a gym built-in. Is it getting out of the house? Then move to a neighborhood with restaurants, bars, and cafés surrounding you. Is it eating healthy? Then move to an area filled with whole food markets and salubrious eateries. Can’t afford to do that? Then create better financial logistics by paying down debt or moving to a city where you will earn more and be able to invest that money into better lifestyle logistics down the road. On an even smaller scale, put fruits and vegetables in the front and center of your refrigerator. Put healthy seeds, grains, and oats at eye level in your pantry.

Where are distractions pulling you off course? Create unfavorable logistics for them. Uninstall those smartphone games. Remove time-wasting websites from your bookmarks. Unsubscribe from e-mail lists that burden your inbox. Bury those ice cream bars in the back of the freezer, or better yet, don’t buy them in the first place! You want to distance yourself as much as possible from the conditions that will tax your willpower and cozy up to the ones that will make taking right action a foregone conclusion.

#2 Draw a Line in the Sand. You must have a minimum standard for yourself, a line in the sand beyond which you will not allow yourself to slide any further. Without this line, you will fail even with the logistics of a king. Think about how most people brush their teeth twice a day. Even though this habit has been instilled in almost all of us since childhood, if you are tired, you still might be tempted to just gargle with mouthwash or go straight to bed without doing anything! I know because I’ve been there. It is not okay. It is never okay to not brush your teeth. It is pathetic and you need to tell yourself that whenever you fail to do it. If you fail at a task as simple as brushing your teeth twice a day, how can you possibly accomplish all of those amazing things you said you were going to do? Really. Draw a line in the sand. Stick to it, and if you fail, which you eventually will, allow yourself to feel the pain of that failure and redraw the line. Don’t go easy on yourself and move the line further back. Don’t go easy on yourself by lowering the bar. Reset the bar exactly where it was and try again.

Understand that if you can stick to a habit for at least a week, then you will eventually be able to stick to it for at least a month, and eventually an entire year… then 5 years… and then for the rest of your life.