habits Archives - The Goalden Lady

The New Year Is Here Again

About this time, everyone starts to think about the New Year. Things like what they’ll do different, how it’s going to be better and the countdown begins. It’s a great time where everyone is motivated and inspired to become their best selves.

Many will make resolutions, only to go back to their old habits two weeks later. How can you avoid that trap of going back to being comfortable? What can you do different that will, at least, get you through the beginning of the year?

Start Super Simple

The first mistake is everyone is thinking too much. Yes, we all should think before we do things, but overthinking is what stomps us.

It feels good when we’re all on the same page and everyone wants to do well. The issue is, we think so much, we become stuck. We want something so bad, we just continue to keep thinking about how wonderful it’s going to be once it happens.

Your expectations may be great, but it’s not going to happen on it’s own. The hardest part is starting. As they say, “stop thinking and start doing.” Thinking about losing ten pounds gives you a positive outlook, but actually cutting out certain foods and drinking water is how you’re going to get there.

Daydreaming will spark the idea, but being active and following through will create the result. Motivation is warm and comfortable. You can imagine the outcome and it’s an awesome feeling, but what about the in-between?

If you’ve started thinking about your resolutions, think and then start. There’s something you can do at this very moment to get started – you don’t have to wait for January 1st. Go to the kitchen and drink a glass of water, open the book and read chapter 1 or put on your shoes and walk out the door.

The more you think about it, the more time you waste. It’s the same challenge every year, but this upcoming year, we’re going to make it work by starting simple, today.

Adjust Your Habits

By adjusting your habits, you’re reaching a new level. How do you work on your resolution for the New Year? You build new habits.

If your current habit isn’t helping you, change it. Humans are creatures of habit, so it’s understandable that change can be a difficult task. The unexpected can be scary.

Also know that if you don’t do anything, you’ll keep getting the same results. Nothing changes if nothing changes and it starts with your habits. Get used to doing things in a different way and exercise your “change” muscle.

Hanging around losers won’t get you to the winner’s circle. Your environment has a lot to do with the direction of your life, too. Get around people who speak life into themselves. Be around those who act upon their thoughts and solutions. This gets you to think out of the box, but most of all, it pushes you to take action.

Give Yourself A New Year Head Start

The New Year may begin on January 1st, but you can start today. That warm and fuzzy feeling of anticipation is a nice way of procrastinating. When it finally gets here, you’ve been so hyped and motivated about the possibilities, you’re now mentally exhausted. At this point, you want to put it off to another start date. Don’t give in – give yourself a leg up.

This is one of those times where it’s best to start ahead of the pack. Once the New Year gets here, you’re already on pace with your goals. Sometimes, it’s better to do things without an accountability partner, because they may try to talk you out of starting when you’re supposed to. They’ll let you slide when you’re supposed to be committed.

Start now and get used to doing the work. You may see results by the 1st and you’ll inspire yourself to keep going. While everyone is focusing their energy on an official start date, you’ll already be in a new pattern and experiencing the positive outcomes.

Make the commitment and follow through. Your New Year starts now!

#TBT: What’s The Excuse Holding You Back?

Everyday, it’s a different excuse. You’re having a bad hair day, the dog got away or the storm knocked out the internet. Therefore, you won’t take action.

These may be valid reasons as to why you won’t do anything, but in reality, they’re not reasons, they’re excuses.

We can think of many reasons not to do anything productive. Deeper than that, we’ll allow it to make sense, so we won’t feel guilty about not following through. How can we do better?

Time Is Not An Excuse

One of the biggest excuses is not having enough time. We tell ourselves that millionaires are millionaires, because they have all the time in the world. “If I had that kind of time, I’d be rich, too,” we say.

Millionaires may be rich, but with the exception of those who were born rich, what were they doing with their time, prior to being rich? Were they sitting around, talking about why rich people are rich?

This is the part that no one talks about – the late nights and early mornings, making ends meet, putting in time with the kids, keeping up with awkward schedules, etc. For the most part, they were working towards their goals and they never gave up. You’ve heard stories of people who work on their side business for 4 hours, after they came home from working 2 jobs. There’s discipline in that type of work ethic and it pays off.

Remember when you never had the time? Well, it’s up to you to bend it to your benefit and leverage it as much as possible. It’s all the same 24 hours, so if you want it to work out, you have to make it work for you.

Our minds tend to keep us on a schedule of daily habits. If you want to have a chance at reaching your goal, enhance your routine. Stretch, adjust or eliminate the details in your daily pattern. Disrupt your autopilot habits and become more aware of the goal you’re trying to achieve.

You could shorten your time watching television and replace it with creating a plan. Maybe you could research while you eat dinner. Or, you could listen to a podcast while taking a shower.

There are many ways you can make more time – it just takes a little altering to make it work towards your advantage.

It’s Not In Your Control

Everything that happens in life is not controlled by you. If you can accept that simple fact, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress.

Some of us get upset when life happens – we become emotional and start having negative thoughts. Like a child, we have a tantrum and we let it stop us from doing what we planned to do.

Yes, this presents a challenge, but at the same time, you have the ability to think your way through it. There may be a change of plans that have to take place, but it can be done.

Some of the things we tell ourselves is, “It is what it is…” or “I’m not about to do that, just so I can do this…” We make up these ridiculous excuses to justify our laziness. Now, you’ve allowed the situation to hijack your progress.

It’s difficult to get up after being knocked down. It becomes comfortable to stay there, because it’s easier than getting knocked down again. Why even try? Get rid of this excuse – it only puts you on a path to nowhere.

Don’t let the things you’re unable to control, have control over you. Have a ‘can-do’ attitude when things happen unexpectedly. These are the small battles that need to be won, so that you can move closer to your results. It’s not the end, there’s just another way to do it.

How Do You Want This To End?

The easy part of this, is that you get to make the decision on the outcome you want to see. The hard part is, you must consistently get up and take action, if you want to get there.

If you were in a physical fight, it’s natural to defend yourself and fight back, because you want to win. You’re doing your best to prevent yourself from being hurt. It’s the same with accomplishing your goals. When an obstacle hits you, don’t just lay down and take it – get up and take another swing.

Use your mind in the right way. That involves thinking positive thoughts and creating a growth environment for yourself. Instead of lingering on the problem (challenge) at hand, linger on finding a solution. How you respond to a challenge determines if you’ll be successful or not.

Don’t make a convenient excuse – overcome them. Whether you create them or life creates them, don’t let them get in your way. You are more than capable of changing your direction in order to make it happen and win.

#BeGoalden

The Power Of Your Potential

When you know that you have great potential, it can work in your favor. The world is so full of distractions and negativity, it can be easy to forget the power we have in our own lives.

We’ve been so used to listening and following instructions as children, but as adults, we simply forget that we can follow our own paths. You don’t have to allow others opinions to set the trajectory of your life.

Your Potential Has Always Been There

Your potential is what you’re capable of doing. The possibility is there, but some of us don’t know how to realize it and make it real.

You’ve heard people say, “You have potential…”, or “You’re not living up to your potential.” Yes, you can do better – there’s always room for improvement. The idea is that you KNOW it, even if no one tells you.

Sometimes, you wait on someone to give you a good feeling before you start that project. You’re waiting on that vote of confidence from them, but why?

It gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling, knowing that someone else believes in you. Allowing someone to make you feel this way can be detrimental, because you’ll get used to waiting on someone else before you start. You should already know you can do it and move forth, anyway.

Compliments and encouragement are nice to hear, but even when no one is around to say those positive things to you, you need to know and believe that you already have that ability. Create the habit of starting those ideas on your own.

That hobby you’re interested in? Stop thinking about it and start doing it. Considering a new project? Don’t sit and watch how well someone else does it, do the research and find a way to take the first step. Whatever it is, it’s all in your control – use your potential to your advantage, because it is your advantage.

Don’t Miss Out On Life

We hear people talk about FOMO (the fear of missing out), but mostly, it’s talked about in a negative way. Fearing that you may miss out on things that make no real difference in your life can be a disappointment, but what would happen if you used in towards yourself?

FOMO can work well with your potential. When you feel self-doubt about starting something new, think about what would happen if you never start. Think about missing out on creating opportunities for yourself, as opposed to waiting for them to happen to you.

This type of FOMO thinking shifts your perspective when you use it in the right way – it leaves no regrets in your mind, because you’ll act upon whatever you’re thinking about. Whether it turns out good or bad, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you did your best and you tried.

Free yourself mentally from hanging on to other people’s words and thoughts about you. Your potential is already there, you just need to put it to work. Be forward thinking and put in the effort. No one has to tell you that you can do it – have the courage to step into it.

Activate Your Potential

Everyday, you should set out to win at something. Having a target to shoot for is what activates your potential.

If you’re going to have FOMO, have FOMO about missing out on your own life. Waiting, wishing and wondering won’t help you achieve your goal. The longer you procrastinate, the closer you’re getting to that later stage of regret.

Time is your most precious asset – once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. We waste so much time with distractions and pleasing other people. Be wise and start living YOUR life. Everyday is a chance to get it right.

Get out of your head and get into your life! Those goals won’t achieve themselves. Use your potential and discover just how far you can take it. You’ll be surprised how far you can go when you put forth your full potential!

7 Habits That Will Give You An Advantage In Life

How do you build winning habits? The first thing you have to do is start, but where?

No, there isn’t a pamphlet on success, but here are 7 habits that can give you an advantage. Here’s a list:

Be helpful and encouraging of others. In order to be successful yourself, you should be supportive of others. This allows for a positive environment, which benefits everyone around you. As opposed to being critical, be helpful.
Hold yourself accountable for your actions and decisions. Personal responsibility will take you further than excuses and complaining. When things go wrong, instead of working together, most people will place the blame on someone else. The truth is, the sooner you accept responsibility, the sooner you can move on. Blaming others only allows you to become stuck and stagnant. There is power in responsibility.
Take your emotions out of it. Having emotions has it’s place, but it shouldn’t be overdone. Being emotional takes energy and it can contribute to making bad decisions and can stunt your personal growth. Some people like to whine and be in their feelings, when they can simply choose to move on. Don’t stay stranded – feel it for 10 minutes and get on with your life.
Build your standards. You don’t have to ‘find’ yourself – you can create yourself. This is done by coming up with standards. What characteristics do you need to work on? How do you see your future self? Start with actionable habits that will shape you into that person. For example, if you want to become more disciplined, make your bed every morning. Be intentional.
Don’t expect anything. When you have expectations of other people, there’s always the possibility of becoming disappointed. You can’t control what other people do. Have expectations of yourself, but never of others.
Spend time outside. Technology has done wonders for communication (among other things), but it’s imperative to step away every once in a while. As humans, we’re not made to sit and stare at our wonderful devices all day, everyday. Get outside and take a walk – you’ll be surprised at how much it helps to clear your mind and allows for new ideas and solutions.
Be solution-oriented. This ties in with being accountable. Instead of blaming and complaining, be the one to find a solution. It may not be the right solution, but at least you’ll be moving forward and figuring it out – don’t be afraid to be the captain of the ship.
BONUS: Always keep it moving. It’s important to take a break, but some of us stay on break. No matter what it is, always figure out a way to move. Being complacent is comfortable, but it’s not productive. Life doesn’t stop for anyone. Physically or mentally, always keep it moving.

Begin building your habits. You don’t have to do them all at once – start by focusing on one per week (or month). If you ever find yourself stuck, follow any one of these suggestions and it will put you on a productive path to progress.

Don’t Find Yourself, Create Yourself

No one ever talks about how to create the person you want to become – it’s always about “finding” yourself. The way you use words matter and in this case, it can mean the difference between drifting through life and living intentionally.

What does it mean to “find” yourself? Have you been lost all this time? Is life already planned out, without your input? Would your thoughts and ideas even make a difference?

What Is “Finding” Yourself?

Life as a young adult can be an adventure. We have many options, depending on our situation – going to college, finding a job, sitting at home or just figuring things out.

There’s another option what some people like to call “finding” yourself. This phrase is mostly used when you don’t know what you’re doing, where you’re going or how you’re going to get there.

Fast forward five years and ask the person who was “finding” themselves what they are doing now. Some will have a story to tell, but most will still be stuck at figuring out who they are and what they want to do.

When you’re “finding” yourself, it implies that you’re lost. It seems like you must go somewhere and reclaim an identity that someone stole from you. There’s nothing lost about you – who you are is not randomly waiting for your surprise arrival.

Sometimes you’ll find things and sometimes you won’t. Do you want to take that chance in the peak of your life? Or, would you rather be deliberate about following a path that will lead you close to where you really want to be?

How To Create Yourself

Taking some time to “find” yourself should be phrased differently. We like to call it creating yourself (words matter).

Instead of “finding” yourself, create yourself. This gives the idea that you are in control of directing your life. “Finding” yourself happens by chance, but creating yourself happens with intention.

If you don’t know who you want to be, this is the perfect time to begin building a foundation for yourself. You get to develop quality standards and enhance certain habits, everyday.

Start by doing research on the person you admire most. Do they wake up early in the morning? Do they read ten books a month? Are they only working four hours a week? Where do they live? Do they work more than they sleep?

These are lifestyle habits that give you an idea of how to follow your own path. You don’t have to do everything single thing that they do, but it gives you a sense of building yourself. This is how we all start – we pull what we admire from others and piece it into our own lives.

At the same time, if there’s something that doesn’t work for you (like waking up every morning at 5am), don’t be afraid to change it. Make adjustments to your liking. Everyone’s blueprint isn’t the same. Some people are early risers and some are night owls.

This is where the creating comes in – this is you building yourself. If a certain routine doesn’t work for you, create another one. Take responsibility for your actions and decisions. Don’t be timid about making mistakes and experiencing failure – they only point you in the right direction.

Be Proud Of Your Progress

Eventually, creating yourself will put you on the right path to the life you want to live. Don’t just set out to “find” yourself, be intentional and have a purpose.

Be thoughtful about who you want to be and what you want to do. Don’t leave it up to the world to tell you who you are, CREATE who you are! The power is in your hands – you are the writer, director, actor/actress and the editor of your life’s movie.

Take what you already know and use it to your advantage to grow even more. The progress you make will inevitably lead you to your success!

Change Is What Grows You

Change is a scary concept to most people. Depending on how you look at it, it can be a terrible thing or life-changing.

We’ve been taught that change means something negative is about to happen, or that whatever it is, won’t work out.

As a result, we avoid change as much as we can. This stunts our growth and keeps us in the same place, year after year, yet, we wonder why nothing good is happening to us.

Change Your Perspective

Certain words strike a certain meaning when we hear it. We think failure means it’s over, a mistake means it can’t be done and a problem means to stop after the first attempt.

We associate all of these words in a negative way, but in reality, we can give them a more positive meaning. Failure means you’re learning, a mistake means you’re receiving feedback and a problem is simply a challenge.

Knowing that these words hold a different, more positive meaning, how does it make you feel? Do you think there’s a possibility that you can achieve your goal or do you still think it’s impossible?

Changing your perspective with words and different situations can help you become more productive. As you can see in the example above, words have power. When you change how you define those words, it changes your thought pattern and your habits for the better.

Fix Your Actions

Are you one of those people that does the same thing day in and day out and wonder why nothing is pushing you forward? It’s because you haven’t changed anything to spark something different to happen.

You must take responsibility for your own actions by changing what you do. Develop a different way to achieve what you want. We all hit a plateau after a while – that means it’s time to take it to the next level.

Don’t keep eating fast food and expect to lose twenty pounds. Ignoring your homework assignments won’t help you pass that class. Spending your money without saving or investing won’t get you closer to retirement. Something has to change.

Yes, change may be difficult, but if you want to be successful, it’s mandatory. You’ll have to change your habits if you want to see change in your life. You’re playing life backwards if you think you can get the best out of it by not putting in any effort. Even the best habits could use a little improvement.

How Do You See Change?

All change is not bad. It’s what promotes growth, challenges you and allows you to step into your greatness. Don’t be afraid if it comes up in your life – switch your perspective and follow through with confidence.

As long as you can control your response to what happens, you can make change positive. There are some things that happen out of your control, but if you can do something to make it better on the other side, change can be your friend.

If you want different results, you must be willing to shift. Everything you’ve done up to this point doesn’t have to stay the same – you can adapt and adjust at any given moment.

Nothing is written in stone. If you don’t like it (whatever it is), get up and do something about it. Make a change and watch how life opens up to progress and opportunity!

The Standards You Set For Yourself

Standards give us something to live up to. It’s a way to improve ourselves without the constant influence and competition of others.

People who lack standards usually remain stagnant. There’s nothing to convince them that they can become better than what they already are, because they’re comfortable.

What happens when you become stuck in a rut and you’re unable to hold yourself accountable for your own actions?

Why Have Standards?

Standards allow you to elevate in life. When there’s a certain desire you want to live up to, it motivates you to improve and become better.

Having standards and rules for yourself promotes growth in life. You know how you want to live, how much money you want to make, the type of family you want to have, etc. – these things are thoughts and ideas that you hold in your mind while you strive and make them come true.

You also set yourself apart from others who have no ambition or goals, and you become the type of person you aspire to be. It’s not easy to live up to your own personal standards – it takes resilience, discipline and focus (among other characteristics), but if you make a plan to get there, it’s definitely possible.

Your Potential

Becoming a more productive version of yourself everyday is a great foundational standard to live up to. As mentioned before, it inspires your ability to grow.

When you hang around people who don’t seem to care about what they do and who don’t have any goals, it’s easy to adopt the same attitude. As they say, birds of a feather, flock together.

This can damage your potential, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. By changing your environment and who you hang around, you can adjust your standards and goals to new and more productive levels.

Always put yourself in a place of advantage. Once you master a task or situation, move on to something else. See how much you can learn and how far you can go. Push your limits and discover your capacity. Never allow anyone to bring you down to their level.

Holding Yourself Accountable

Part of living up to your personal standards is holding yourself accountable. You are your own responsibility – the only person that can save you, is you.

How many times have things gone wrong in life, whether you planned for it or not? Did you sit there and accept the outcome or did you take the time to reassess and create another solution?

This is where most people become stuck – things don’t always go as planned, but it’s your job to get up, figure it out and make one more attempt. You must hold yourself accountable in order to move forward.

Most people like to have “accountability partners” or someone to help them along their journey. That’s fine, but ultimately, the responsibility is yours. Your accountability partner may tell you it’s okay to eat a slice of cake or to buy one more lottery ticket. Sometimes, they can be your worst enemy, as opposed to helping you become better.

What Standards Do You Have?

If you have plans on becoming a better person, then you have standards. Anything you want to do to improve your place in life is a standard you have created for yourself.

Understand that you are your only competition – you should strive to be better than the person you were yesterday. It may be a challenging task, but that’s how self-improvement works.

Create your standards and work on them daily. Develop your daily habits to match the person you want to become. It may seem like a difficult task, but all you have to do is take one step at a time and you’ll become the successful person you’ve always imagined.

#TBT: Why Consistency Is Key

Consistency is key when it comes to making progress in life. The daily habits you develop play a major role in being consistent and can help with making incremental improvements over time.

Why is consistency so important? What happens if you don’t follow a certain pattern everyday? Will consistency enhance your life?

Daily Habits

We all have different daily habits that help move our day along. We perform most of these patterns unconsciously and it provides a foundation for the rest of the day.

Habits, such as brushing your teeth and taking a shower, are things you do from a necessity standpoint. If you weren’t consistent with these things, no one would want to be around you. Hygiene habits are critically important.

Other habits, such as folding your clothes or writing down your expenses, are things you choose to do to keep organized. No one has to do these, but it helps you on a personal level and allows you to promote your own development.

Consistency Has It’s Benefits

Being consistent naturally falls in line with your habits. Since you do them everyday, you’re already consistent with them.

Imagine if you didn’t brush your teeth everyday. What would happen? It definitely wouldn’t be in your best interest personally and it could lead to possible health issues. The fact that you brush your teeth consistently, is beneficial to the people around you and your health.

When folding your clothes, you are prepping for when you have to choose your outfit for the day. If you didn’t fold your clothes, you could waste time looking for something you need, as opposed to knowing where it is and putting it on right away. When you’re organized, you can focus on more important things and avoid draining your energy on the simple things.

The Power Of Consistency

Having a habit of consistency enhances your life, especially when you have productive habits.

If you exercise on a daily basis, you’ll see and feel the results throughout your body. Not only will you look good, you’ll feel good. This is a powerful habit that leads to being physically healthy, along with other advantages.

When you develop a habit and you’re consistent with it, you’re ahead of the game. Others who aren’t consistent with their good habits will have a harder time becoming more productive and won’t enjoy the perks from being consistent.

It’s a win – win situation. The more consistent you are with your good habits, the more progress you will make in your life.

The Key To Being Consistent

Don’t overwhelm your mind with how hard something is – if you do, it will seem hard and you won’t even begin.

The key to being consistent is to keep going. Start small and take action everyday. As time goes on, you will become better and it will allow you to put your mind power towards accomplishing your goals.

Consistency also helps with your confidence and puts you on another level. Because you take the time to enhance yourself on a regular basis, your confidence will rise, which prepares you for the next level of your life.

Unless you practice being consistent with the productive habits in your life, you will remain stagnant. Growth doesn’t happen where consistency is absent.

Develop some good habits and don’t allow any distractions to get in the way. You’ll soar beyond your potential when you continue to be consistent with the good, productive habits in your life.

#BeGoalden

#TBT: The Best Investment To Make When You Have Nothing

#TBT: The Best Investment You Can Make when You Have Nothing

What is the best investment to make, when you have nothing? Is it stocks? Real estate? Car collection or hand bags?

Before you even think of making an investment, you must have a lot of money, right? Wrong. There’s one thing you can invest in that’s free and well worth your time and energy.

The returns on this specific investment is infinite. All you have to do is have a mindset of discipline, confidence and resilience to begin.

What Can You Invest In Without Money?

You don’t necessarily need money to invest in something. People invest their time and energy into things they want to see grow and become better.

The biggest investment you can ever make in your life, is investing in yourself.

Yes, you! There is something that you enjoy doing or want to know more about – this is what you invest in. You put forth extra effort and stay up late because you want to see it develop into something more.

Throughout that process, you are learning and building yourself into a valuable resource. You are investing the time and energy it takes to become an unstoppable version of yourself.

How do you invest in yourself?

Know what you want to do. What are you good at? Is there something you do everyday, flawlessly, that is hard for others? There is something you’re awesome at. If you’re not, you can become awesome at it. Know what you want to do (or have an idea) and be clear on it. Some people get caught up in the idea of knowing and they forget to take action, but the process doesn’t stop there.
Read and research. Learning never stops. You can always read and discover something you didn’t know and apply it to your life. It doesn’t take money – you can do research on the internet or listen to a lecture full of gems. Have an open mind when it comes to new information. Improvements can always be made.
Develop strong habits. Habits create your identity. Routines put those habits into practice. It’s good to be spontaneous, but habits must be in place to promote productivity. No one is spontaneously successful. Constructive habits and skills will increase your personal value.

Make Time For Your Personal Investment

Most of us are looking for ways to impress other people so we can get a job, be in a certain circle or get to the next level. We do things to gain attention from other people, as opposed to building ourselves.

When you invest your time and energy into others, it can be a disappointment. They may not see your significance and dismiss it, without a thought. You’re at their mercy.

Now you’re stuck, trying to figure out who to impress next so you can move on. Instead of making other people see your value, see the value in yourself. Why not attempt to put your future into your own hands?

Invest in yourself. Benefit yourself before you give your benefit away to others. When you invest in yourself, you open up doors to new possibilities and endless opportunities. It also gives you the highest advantage of profiting from your own skills, first.

The investment that you make in yourself is priceless. You are the best investment that you could ever make and no one can take that away. Stocks and real estate will go up and down on a whim, but the constant investment you make in yourself will allow you to grow in many ways throughout life.

#BeGoalden

#TBT: How Creating Better Habits Can Prevent Future Problems

By not having strong habits in place, we can become our own worst enemy. Potential obstacles can be a challenge, but it can be handled effectively, beforehand, with the right effort.

Little things that we tend to overlook for too long, can become big distractions. If we aren’t careful, snowballs can become avalanches and spiral out of control.

Yet, some of it is in our control. There are many situations we can prevent from happening, but we must intentionally practice building our habits in a productive way.

Weak Habits Won’t Help

Building powerful habits can help you avoid falling into small, predictable traps. By procrastinating on the little things and putting them off, you forget about it and then it becomes a bigger issue that should have never happened.

Let’s take paying monthly bills, as an example. Most bills are due at the same time, every month. We know this, but we’re so used to the thought of it being due, that it slips our minds and we forget to pay it on time (or some of us just ignore it completely).

Before you know it, the lights have been turned off, due to our lack of attention. Now, we have to make phone calls and wait for the services to be restored. Late fees have to be paid and we may have to wait 3 business days before they can turn them back on.

Time and money have been lost, due to weak habits.

It Happens In All Areas Of Life

You know what needs to be done, but for whatever reason, you decide to procrastinate and do it later. It doesn’t just happen with bills – it happens in all areas of our lives.

The diet that was supposed to start today, doesn’t start because you didn’t prepare for it. You’re still eating entire pizzas and cheeseburgers for lunch and dinner. In your mind, you’ll start tomorrow, but you need just one more day.

Every weekend, you’re still shopping online and buying what you want. That’s fine for some people, but if you want to improve your life and you keep telling yourself that you’re going to save money, that’s not going to work.

How To Advance Your Habits

Everything seems simple in your mind, but it’s hard to do when it comes to taking action. If you want to make a change for the better, here’s what you need to do:

First, make the commitment. You’ve already done that part in your mind, but now, you must physically act on it. Your commitment to yourself should be held to a high standard. Give yourself consequences, if that helps. If you eat that doughnut, you must do 50 push ups. Think before you procrastinate.

Secondly, prep yourself. Put your bills on auto-pay. Get rid of the junk food in your house. Put internet controls on your computer to limit your lazy time. When you prep yourself, you put yourself in a better position to be successful.

Third, take action. Even if it’s not perfect action, do it anyway. The worst thing you can do is nothing at all. You learn along the way and get better as you go along. If you have to do it over, do it over, but don’t stop. Always move forward.

Always Think 2 Steps Ahead

Once you develop these productive habits and more, you’ll experience less of those ‘preventable’ situations. This part of your life can run on autopilot to your benefit.

Think prevention – what can I do so this won’t happen, again? Are there routines I can put in place to avoid these annoying interruptions? Figure it out before it happens.

By being a progressive thinker and action taker, you will be able to stay 2 steps ahead of the game. Reacting at the last minute, especially when you were capable of handling it earlier, places you in a better position to be more productive and ready.

Don’t wait for it to become a problem – position yourself to manage it ahead of time. When you think 2 steps ahead, you win back your money, time and energy.

#BeGoalden