You were made for greatness
Tuesday, December 31, 2013 Have you ever found yourself awake at 1 am and having an epiphany about the great things you are capable of, all the things you want to do? You make a pledge to yourself, things will be different from here on out! You'll finally do the thing, win the points, and play the Rocky theme song while you're doing it. There's a rush of euphorea as you imagine yourself as a superhero of productivity. You fall asleep with a sense of pride in the changes you'll make, the epic battles you'll win.
Then morning comes. Oh morning. Didn't I just wake up yesterday? You know what sounds really excellent? Some coffee, puttering around on the internet, and a nap. But why?! I was going to be awesome today! Sigh. Maybe tomorrow.
So, in all seriousness, why do we tend to have such grand plans to be productive tomorrow but have trouble following through today?
We know that in the long run work is more valuable than slacking. But slacking pays off right now, while work usually pays off later. And our brains aren't very good at weighing future benefits against current benefits. We tend to overvalue things that are enjoyable right now.
Unfortunately, we can only ever make progress by implementing good choices in the moment. Thinking about making good choices in the future may make us happy temporarily, but it won’t actually do anything for us unless we follow though. So we have to make an effort to always make the harder decision in the moment. This exact moment. As in, right now.
I have failed recently to update my blog as often as I would like to. I am currently at a friend's house waiting for a New Year's Eve party to start in less than two hours. I figured this would be the perfect time to write this post. It's not the most convenient time, but it's what I have. It's right now. I could put off posting for a little longer, but it won't be any easier to write tomorrow.
So this year, make the best choices everyday and you'll see all the little victories carry you towards your goals. If you want to be a writer, write. If you want to be an athlete, practice. If you want to lose weight, eat lots and lots of vegetables. Be the person you want to be! Our character is the sum of all the hard choices we make in the moment.
You were made for greatness, not comfort.
Reader Comments (1)
Sum of all choices. 4 words that really define the entire mindset. Real practical, everyday examples of how you have managed to achieve this. Congratulations on your 550! That's incredible! 205 on squats is fantastic. Your dedication is great and succeeding at getting to this point shows your level of commitment.