Changing your habits can be a huge struggle. There are always things that seem to take up our time. Correction: There are a lot of things we prioritize over our goals. For some, this is hard to admit; still, you will spend six hours catching up on the latest eye-catching tv shows. This is a habit that I am guilty of, which I have labeled chronic procrastination.
Chronic procrastination just means spending too much time doing side tasks while constantly putting off your main tasks, which are the tasks that hold the most weight in your life. For some reason, we always have an excuse to complete your side work and make plans to come back to your main work. Though we push it back so much that we either never get it done or we have to rush to get it done.
We all know good things take time, so why not cherish the time we have and use it more wisely?
Now, I’m not here to shame you. My intention is to help you develop a mindset that benefits you and your goals.
Step 1: Evaluate Your Life
Are you seeing the desired results in your life? Are putting in the necessary effort to receive those desired results? Why or why not? Often times we fail to look into our own lives in search of toxic habits. It is very easy to point out the troubles and problems of other people but looking within requires wisdom and patience.
Looking within is tough, it’s scary admittedly.
Ask yourself, “What are my goals?” Think about them, talk about them but don’t leave it there. Write your goals down, bring them to life.
Invite your dreams into this reality and watch them flourish. Water them or let them die. Your choice.
Photo by Randy Jacob on Unsplash
Step 2: What is preventing you from accomplishing these goals?
Those things that seem to get in the way? Yeah, the things keeping you up at night. For me, it is the television, gaming or maybe I just can’t put an intriguing book down. Whatever is keeping you up at night is taking away from your time developing, or metaphorically watering, your goals.
What will you do? Entertain or maintain?
Step 3: How Do You See Yourself Accomplishing These Goals?
Is it changing the way you perceive yourself? Or letting go of a toxic friend? What will you sacrifice to accomplish your goals? What will give?
For me, it was staying up late. I would stay up late watching Netflix or playing COD Mobile. This was not a beneficial quality for many of my life goals. Going to sleep earlier would mean, I could wake up earlier and accomplish more on that day. This way I wouldn’t just be waking up and heading straight to work.
I wanted to do more with my time like working on my books, articles, and trading.
These are a few of the goals I set pertaining to this single goal.
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Choosing my outfit the night before and set it aside.
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Making sure my bag is packed for the next day.
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Doing all of my pamperings at night.
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Go to sleep before 12 am if I didn’t work and 2 am if I did work.
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Wake up by 8 am and be up and ready by 8:45 am.
The way I see it, after accomplishing all of this, I would then be able to increase my energy and fully utilize it for a more productive day.
You want to do this, that and the third. What are your goals? Sometimes it is just talk, ideas. So, what are you willing to put action behind? What do you want to see fully developed?
Photo by Jared Erondu on Unsplash
Step 4: Choose
Let’s move towards containing your toxic habits. Don’t give in to staying up too late doing unproductive things.
Take small steps. Don’t overwhelm yourself because that is the quickest way to become discouraged. Choose one thing to start working towards and put all of your energy into learning.
Keep in mind that things you are doing now will help you greatly in the long run even if it is not directly related to your main goal. Be patient with yourself.
Everything is a choice. You don’t HAVE to do anything because the good Lord gave us the gift of free will. The day you decide to work on yourself and take those small steps towards improvement, a plethora of doors will begin to open for you and you will be PREPARED to bear good fruits.