Achieve more by doing THIS

If there's one thing I've learned in this unpredictable labyrinth we call life, it's that we can achieve much more by complaining less.

Once you let negative thoughts creep into your head -- like "I can't do it," "I don't want to do it," and "this is too hard" -- your resolve is stopped in its tracks and you become paralyzed into inaction.

So how do you avoid this mental trap? You get to work -- without even thinking about it!

If you start thinking about the myriad reasons why you don't want to do something, the chances of you doing it drop precipitously. In other words, we won't be inclined to take action when we're subconsciously trotting out reasons for why we shouldn't.

For example, let's say you're trying to lose weight. If you find any excuse in the book not to go to the gym -- you're tired after working all day, you don't like to exercise when it's dark outside, you hate being all sweaty -- it's only going to be more of an uphill climb to reach your ultimate goal. Why not just head out to the gym without thinking about it? You can even leave your gym clothes in the car and drive there right after work so that you don't risk going home and changing your mind.

We need to be conscious of the mental roadblocks we impose on ourselves and preemptively find a way around them. We need to focus more on the end goal and less on the challenging steps it will take to get there. Again, if we ruminate over the latter, we won't get very far.

We should strive to become go-getters and action-takers, letting our excuses for not working toward our goals go out the window.

Does this mean you'll always achieve every single goal? I wouldn't say that, but at least you know you gave it your all. It's better to come up short after working as hard as you could than to fail because you were held back by the inertia and doubts you imposed on yourself.

Comments

This will spell the end of your relationship

When asked to think about the most common culprits for a relationship's going south, most people will point to cheating, complacency, and taking one's partner for granted. While these are all valid -- and documented in various posts on this blog -- there are certain habits on the part of partners that may not kill the relationship right away, but cause it to erode more gradually. Among the most egregious of these is expecting your significant other to be perfect. They pick at your follies any chance they get. Nothing you do is ever good enough. In fact, you will never measure up to an ex, neighbor, or accomplished co-worker. Perhaps this all sounds a bit familiar. When you feel as though you're constantly being put under the microscope, it can inflict lasting damage on the relationship and your self-esteem. You're walking on eggshells all the time, praying you don't say or do something that's going to trigger your partner. This is no way to live, let alone ca

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n

Misconceptions about quiet people

Earlier today, I came across a Facebook page that features motivational quotes intended to improve people's moods and enhance their overall self-esteem. Interestingly, I noticed two quotes that focus specifically on quiet people: "Be afraid of quiet people; they're the ones who actually think." "The quietest people have the loudest minds." I've observed that most people's views of quiet individuals can fall under one of two categories: 1. The ones who say quiet people are antisocial, suspicious, snobbish, and/or full of themselves. 2. The people who say their introspective nature and propensity to be deep in thought makes them smarter than their more garrulous peers. The quotes above speak to this mindset. As an introvert known to be quiet at work and at social functions where I might not know anyone, I feel I'm well positioned to dispel any inaccuracies surrounding quiet folks. First of all, the above statements misguidedly put

Understand People

Search This Blog