Why Do You Do Exactly What You Did Yesterday, Even Though Yesterday Was Crap

So, How’s Your Life?

Just asking.

Do your best to answer that question honestly and courageously. If you can, avoid the flippant, generic (“great thanks Craig”) response. Think carefully for a minute and give your authentic answer; the truth behind the ‘you show’. If you are great then that’s… great. Good for you. You can come back tomorrow. If you’re not great, then that’s okay too. I’m not asking you to be a victim, just honest. Aware.

Mouse on a Wheel

Right now, are you where you want to be mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, financially, socially and practically? Are you managing your life or is it managing you? Are you the controller or the controlled? Are you living proactively or reactively? Consciously or unconsciously? Are you making do or making a difference? Are you doing different to create different or are you like the mouse on the wheel?

The truth is that many people will get out of bed today and do exactly what they did yesterday, even though yesterday was crap. Yes, we humans are very predictable and habitual creatures. In fact, some people will get out of bed and do what they did last week, last month and sometimes, last decade, even though they’ve been complaining about their life for years.

Complaining but not changing. Hoping that things will ‘somehow’ work themselves out. As they do.

Not.

Truth 1: Many people are unhappy and unfulfilled because they keep doing what doesn’t work. And if nothing changes (attitude, behaviour), then nothing changes (results, reality).

A Rhyme and Reason

Could you imagine building a house with no plans? No checks? No assessments along the way? Could you see yourself getting up each day and pouring concrete, cutting timber, hammering nails, laying bricks, hanging plaster and building your new home with no rhyme, reason, strategy or logical process? That place would surely look disastrous. It couldn’t possibly function properly. It would be dangerous. Unstable. Sooner or later, it would fall down. And, if you happened to find yourself in the middle of it, you would be hurt.

For some of us, that house is our life.

Truth 2: Success is not random or accidental. We don’t deserve it, we create.

Here’s What I Know About You

I know that you’ve read enough, heard enough and learned enough. I also know that right now you have enough talent, time and skill to transform your life. Even if you don’t believe it. Of course, I acknowledge that the transformational journey might not necessarily be a quick, easy or painless process but right now I’m not talking about what’s easy, I’m talking about what’s possible for you. Could you learn more, know more and understand more? Yes, we all could. But the smart question here is: In the quest for a better life (your better life), what will create positive shift in your world – more theory or more doing?

More information or more application?

The fact that you’re reading this article tells me that you’re probably educated, intelligent and wanting to change something (or things) about your life. It also tells me that (statistically) you’ve probably read many similar personal-development-type articles. And I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that you might have a history of over-thinking, under-doing, not completing stuff and wasting much of your considerable potential.
Or, I could be totally wrong.

Truth 3: Knowing (what to do), hoping (it will happen), wanting (to change) and intending (to take action) isn’t enough. Transformation lives in the consistent and courageous application of the information.

Here’s What I Don’t Know About You

Everything comes at a cost. I don’t know if you’re ready to pay the price of change. To get uncomfortable enough. To ask the hard questions and make the tough decisions. To finish what you start, even when it hurts. To be honest enough – with yourself and others. To step out of the theory of success and into the messy reality of it. To do what most people won’t. To persevere when, previously, you would have given up. To choose your own rules, beliefs, values and standards. To be you, no matter what.

I don’t know if you’re willing to step out of your ‘safe’ mindset and into the vast expanse of uncertainty and excitement that lives in the exploring of your potential and the building of your best life.

I don’t know but you do.

Truth 4: In the pursuit of success (whatever that means for you), the only person who can get in your way, is you.

Peace.