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Having strong habits are important to building your foundation for success. When you have success-building habits, failure doesn’t scare you and setbacks won’t stop you.

Do your habits encourage your growth or hold you back? How can you develop the type of habits that will promote your positive intentions?

Habits That Destroy You

You may have a string of habits that you perform daily, but do they help you move forward?

When most people think of habits, they think of the good habits. On the other hand, there are habits that destroy your progress.

Eating unhealthy food or frivolously spending your money are examples of bad habits. These habits will lead you down a destructive path that will be difficult to recover from. Once you’re in an environment that favors a bad routine, it becomes comfortable to be there.

If you want to be lazy, broke and unintelligent, you’re on the right path. Otherwise, bad habits will stunt your potential. You’ll end up in a negative setting that discourages positive thinking. It’s best to turn those bad habits around, before they become too hard to break.

Constructive Habits

Constructive habits are the good habits – they reward you with success. You take actions that force you towards your intended outcome.

Exercising regularly, saving your money and studying your craft are examples of constructive habits. These habits offer you a chance at achieving your goals.

Instant gratification is not a result of performing constructive habits. If you save money today, you won’t be rich tomorrow. It’s a process that requires patience and dedication.

Most people give up because they don’t see results right away. It’s the same with bad habits – you don’t eat junk food one time and the next day, you’re overweight. It takes time to build a foundation, whether good or bad.

Success-Building Habits

Habits contribute heavily to the outcome of you goals. If you want to be successful at anything, you must perform success-building habits.

Your thinking is the foundation for supporting successful habits. It’s impossible to have negative thoughts and expect a positive outcome. Your mindset is where it all begins, so you must think in a productive manner. If you want to achieve your goal, your thoughts have to support it.

Building success habits also requires repetition. As mentioned before, doing a habit once will not create an automatic result. Repetition is key. Eat healthy for 30 days and you will see improvements with your body. Save money for 30 days and you will see an increase in your bank account.

Create Your Desired Results

By creating your success-building habits now, you will gain more control over your life.

Be responsible and be the example. Instead of waiting for things to happen, be proactive and make it happen. Take ownership of your circumstances and guide your plan to accomplishing your goals.

Having success-building habits can only make things better for you. It promotes action, it helps with overcoming procrastination and it gives you confidence to destroy your self-doubt.

You have a choice: you can be stuck for the rest of your life and live as a victim, or, you can pull yourself up and become what you envision. Choose dedication and begin creating your success-building habits today!

#BeGoalden

Commitment begins with a thought or an idea. The goal is to stick with the task, so that you can incrementally improve day by day.

You have an unspoken responsibility of becoming the best person you can be. No one has to tell you this, you just know. Laziness can kick in at any time, followed by complacency.

To become better and more productive, you must make a commitment. How do you start? What does it mean to be committed?

Identify Your Commitment

When you commit to something, you make a conscious effort to do it consistently. No matter what you decide to do, a commitment has to be made first.

Do you want to lose weight? Start by committing to drinking a glass of water and an evening walk everyday. Are you ready to take control of your finances? Commit to saving ten dollars a week. Want to study history? Do the research and find the right books to read and documentaries to watch.

Identify what you want to do and go for it. Most times, we think about what we want to do, but we never get around to actually doing it – that’s because a commitment was never made.

Establish what it is that you want to achieve, commit and take the first step.

How To Make Your Commitment Stick

It may be difficult for you to commit to a personal goal – it happens to everyone. Comfort sneaks in and takes over any challenge you had in mind. How can you make a commitment stick?

One strategy you can use is writing it down. Creating a list of things to do will hold you accountable for taking action. Instead of relying on your memory to do something, write it down. Writing it down makes it official. You won’t get away with conveniently forgetting about it and it allows you to ‘see’ what needs to be done, so you can plan accordingly.

If writing it down isn’t your thing, find a responsible person to hold you accountable. This should be someone you trust. If you don’t perform your committed task, the consequences should be something uncomfortable, like paying them one hundred dollars. You wouldn’t want to give up that kind of money, therefore, you’ll do your best to follow through. Check in at a certain time with this person everyday to be sure you are staying committed to your goal.

Be Relentless

Making a commitment doesn’t work unless you’re consistent with your actions. You have to be ready to see past the distractions and adapt to change. If not, the whole idea of being committed to your idea simply won’t happen.

If you make a commitment and it doesn’t work out, that’s fine. It’s not the end of the world. You always have the choice to do it again. Has success ever come easily on the very first attempt?

Your will encounter adversity of some sort. You will have to shift in order to keep going. Be relentless with your commitment. If you’re serious about reaching your goal, you’ll do what’s necessary to get there.

Your ambition and determination should drive your commitment. You must be convinced that no matter what happens, you won’t give in to negative ideas and people. When it does happen, you must make the adjustment and adapt to the new plan.

Are You Ready?

Making a commitment says a lot about you. It says that you’re focused and decisive about what you want to do. Too many people drift into a life of nothingness, by giving away their advantage. The power is within you, but you have to be intentional and use it proactively.

Like anything else, it takes time and effort to be committed to your plan. Don’t be the one who stops at every obstacle you come across. Trust yourself to build the future of your dreams. You don’t have to start big – don’t let someone else’s accomplishments deter you from beginning your journey. Everyone has to start somewhere.

It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Take baby steps. Make the commitment and take the responsibility to grow into your greatness.

#BeGoalden

Making progress will get you there, one step at a time. People will procrastinate, just because they can’t take that one huge step to make things happen all at once. We all want the beach body and large amounts of money in the bank without putting in the work, but everything has to go through a process.

The way to make it happen is to take smaller steps. When you were a baby, you didn’t start walking immediately – you learned to scoot, roll, crawl and eventually walk. You were building a foundation by making progress.

Many people are stuck today because achieving their goals will take too much time. If it can’t be done in a day, it becomes mentally overwhelming and they quit altogether. The desire for instant gratification will have you living in your head, unable to move.

You have to “get out of your own way.” Sometimes, you are the cause of your own downfall. Don’t get caught sitting in the same place for the next ten years – use time wisely and start making progress.

Progress Is The Path To Success

Whatever you do, there’s a process involved. A doctor didn’t take one class before performing surgery. An athlete didn’t just wake up and have a machine for a body. No one has great knowledge without studying.

It takes time, but it’s the process you must go through. Within the process is where you make progress. Although it looks easy when someone else has already done it, if you want similar results, you also have to plan and go through your own maze.

Instead of doing something each day to enhance your growth, you prefer to do other things that are instantly satisfying. Waiting for your reward a month from now isn’t exciting at this moment, therefore, you procrastinate by watching TV, scrolling on your phone or avoiding what’s necessary.

Understand that there’s nothing wrong with doing those things, but it should not be the bulk of how you spend your time. If you think back, you can find wasted time when you should’ve been doing something productive. Now, the time has passed, but no progress has been made.

There’s a series of actions you must take in order to see results. No blueprint is the same – everyone has their own challenges and obstacles to overcome. It’s not hard – all you need to do is start and do something each day.

Time Keeps Moving

Time never stops moving. We unconsciously think that we have so much of it, but we really don’t know how much we have. It all seems so easy to accomplish in our minds, but how do we actually lay the groundwork to get there?

Time gives us the opportunity to make progress. Day by day, you can write down and track how far you’ve come (you’ll look back and be amazed). Those bricks suddenly become a building and that 500 piece puzzle suddenly becomes a clear picture.

That’s how you make progress in real life – little by little, day by day. The smallest tasks will ultimately contribute to the final goal. Be disciplined enough to work your plan and resilient enough to overcome the obstacles. Give yourself time and grace to see it through.

In order to run a 5K, you have to see the success in your mind and create a plan to perform your best. If you practice a little everyday for a month, your chances of completing it are much better than if you just practice the day before. Time is an enormous factor in seeing the results you want. You can’t skip the process if you want the best outcome.

Don’t ignore the fact that your tasks and goals need time to work out. It won’t happen with the snap of your finger. Some people quit ahead of time and become frustrated – others keep making progress until the project is done and they are rewarded in the end.

Time is going to pass, no matter what you’re doing. Would you want to waste it away by procrastinating and giving in to distractions? It would be best to maximize your efforts and use it to your advantage. Taking the time to go through the process will get you there. There’s no need to waste time thinking about it – just do it and keep going. You’ll end up starting one of the most amazing adventures of your life.

Some people choose to settle for what they already have. It’s not such a bad thing, but know that you are capable of more.

As 2019 comes to a close, think about the goals you had in place to accomplish this year. All of the challenges and obstacles you faced have brought you to this point.

The end of the year is quickly approaching, but don’t let that stop you from making progress. It may be the end of the year, but as far as your goals are concerned, it’s not over.

Even if you’ve achieved way more than you thought you would, it’s no excuse to settle and coast these last few weeks – stay 5 steps ahead and finish strong.

What Happens If You Settle?

You may not have hit your target before the end of the year, but don’t beat yourself up over it. Take a look at where you are now, compared to this time last year.

There are new things you have learned on your journey. You may have even met some new people along the way. You’ve made it farther than you’ve imagined and that’s something to be proud of.

If you decide to settle and stop working towards your goal, nothing will happen. All of your hard work will have been for nothing. The most disappointing part is, you will live wondering what would have happened if you would’ve kept going.

Settling Is Comfortable

It’s easy to settle. You don’t have to spend any extra time and energy with all the thinking and being productive anymore. It feels rather comfortable and nice.

Some people are glad you stopped going so hard – now, you’ve made them feel comfortable, too. They don’t feel threatened by your ambition anymore and everyone is on the same level again.

This isn’t what really needs to happen. Actually, you should probably just take a break and then get back to taking action. Don’t be so quick to give up. Taking the easy way out may be convenient at the time, but don’t settle, just continue to be persistent. You’ll be glad you did in the end.

Your Potential Is Greater Than Fear

Many things will make you want to give up. It seems like nothing is working out and you’re just tired and ready to tap out. Distractions will present themselves as opportunities to quit.

You begin to think it’ll never happen. It may take longer than you thought. Maybe it’s time to cut your losses.

Actually, who knows how much longer it will be until you succeed? What if it happens tomorrow? How will you know?

The key is to keep going until you find out what happens. Allow your potential to light your path to the end. Remain positive and ignore the comforts of complacency.

Never Cheat Yourself

Other people’s success always looks simple. The fact is, you didn’t see them when they were going through the same struggle as you. You only see the results.

They wouldn’t have arrived at that outcome, had they settled. If they listened to their friends and family, they never would’ve seen those results.

Discipline, focus, a strong mindset and the ability to overlook the naysayers will give you the ability to finish strong. Whatever others say about you should not dictate how you feel or how you move. Realize that you’re more than that!

Never cheat yourself by settling. Keep going and see what’s in store. Work through your fear and the negative talk in your head. No matter how long it takes, it’s better than giving up and settling for nothing.

What’s stopping you from becoming the magnificent person you want to be? There are 3 things that stop you before you get started and today, you’ll get past those challenges to get on the right track!

When you look in the mirror, there’s no one else there but you. You are responsible for your life and what you tolerate. Own your life – the good things, the bad things, the mistakes – take control of it all.

What’s Stopping You?

1. Other people. This is the most common culprit. We allow other people’s thoughts and opinions to direct our lives. If we do something that someone doesn’t like, we let it affect us. If someone else is having a bad day, we let it bleed over into our lives. Learn to separate your life from someone else’s. Your life is your own – don’t be so quick to hand it over to someone else. Have sympathy for others, but live your own life.
2. Excuses. Stop giving yourself an out. Giving yourself an excuse to feel better gets you no where. The entire point is to improve yourself and to become great. You deny every chance of your growth when you give excuses. Life may happen, but there’s still an opportunity to work around it. You can still choose to wake up earlier or stay up later – eat clean or eat junk food – save a few dollars or spend all you have. It all comes down to choosing an excuse or choosing that extra push.
3. Your inner voice. It’s not too late. You’re not too old. Just because it didn’t happen when you were 12, doesn’t mean it can’t happen when you’re 52. Don’t kill your own dreams. Anything can happen at any time. The negative chatter in your mind was put there by someone else, but you have to let it go. It only holds you back from your limitless potential. Every time you hear that negative inner voice, chase it with a positive answer.

Let’s Get It Started

Commit to yourself and your future. No one can stop you unless you allow them to stop you. Get out of your own way and make progress.

Anything can happen, but you must decide to start and take action, one step at a time. Don’t get used to turning down what you really want to do, just to satisfy someone else.

Distractions will pull your attention away from your plan. Do what it takes in order for you to be productive and move forward. Your focus will ultimately drive you towards your desired goal, so concentrate on what’s important and do your best to get it done.

The Final Outcome

Own your life without feeling guilty. It’s okay to say ‘no’ to others, so you can get started working on yourself. In the end, you are the only one accountable for your results – it’s in your hands.

Give yourself permission to start. Stop thinking that other people are right when it comes to your goals. Protect your mindset and step into your confidence. Success is earned by those who have the courage to start and focus on their plan.

We spend our lives waiting on things to happen at the right time. Although obstacles occur at the worst possible moment, there are some things we can take responsibility for, so we can improve certain situations as we move forward.

People have their own challenges that they are fighting through. Waiting for help or for someone to save you is counterproductive. You can either waste time and wait, or spend it wisely and make your own progress.

Procrastination Is Hesitation

Procrastination presents itself in many different forms. Just about anything negative comes from, or leads to procrastination.

“I’ll do it Monday – I’m too tired – it’s raining…” are examples of the excuses we give ourselves to put things off. Some may be valid reasons, but for the most part, we’re justifying our laziness by creating convenient explanations, so we won’t have to follow through.

Making excuses makes us feel better – we don’t have to think any further or take any specific action at that moment. The excuse allows you to procrastinate and put off opportunities that may have been on the horizon.

There are times where you’re certainly unable to do something at that very moment – this a reason, more so than an excuse. When you have a reason, it’s not a challenge to you because you know you’ll do it. An excuse is wiping something off of your plate, just to move on to something else or to prevent taking action due to fear.

Instead of putting it out of your mind and depending on your brain to remind you later (later never comes), set a deadline. “I’ll start Monday” can happen, but only if you begin to prepare to begin on that day. Don’t lie to yourself – make a decent effort to follow through and start.

Don’t Wait, Make It Happen

Waiting for something to happen is completely out of your control. Who are you waiting for? What if it never happens?

Other people may or may not have your best interest at heart, but that doesn’t matter. You are responsible for what you can control and that’s the bottom line.

Depending on the system (or anyone else) to come through for you is unreliable. Take people’s concern for you with a grain of salt. Don’t be disappointed if they aren’t there for you – it’s not their responsibility.

Taking control of your habits allows you to direct the outcome of your life. If you eat a balanced diet, you’re moving towards better health. Other factors may be involved, but you are pointing yourself in the right direction to get the best results. Waiting on a new diet fad won’t help you now.

Even through all of the mistakes, obstacles and setbacks, you can always go back to the drawing board and enhance your strategy. If there’s a possibility for you to make it better, do it. Giving up or moving forward is your choice.

It’s better to be prepared than it is to wait on someone or something to help you. When going through certain situations, think 5 steps ahead. Prepare for what might happen, so you can be ready to take care of it. As they say, you must stay ready, so you won’t have to get ready.

Be proactive with your life. Make that phone call, walk that lap, save ten dollars – it doesn’t matter what it is. Build the habit, put action towards it and get the ball rolling. If you’re unable to control the circumstances, do your best and move on to what you can control. It’s better to go ahead and start, than it is to procrastinate by waiting on someone else.

Success Waits For No One

Some people wait on the right time and place for magic to happen in their lives. This doesn’t work because they’ll be waiting forever. Do what you can and stop making excuses to start.

Own your future. Whatever happens, take responsibility for it and move on with a positive plan. Success doesn’t just happen to anybody – you have to make it happen. Give it a push, adjust it along the way and the opportunities will come. When they do, you’ll be ready because you didn’t wait.

#BeGoalden