How many, “Starting now Mondays” have you had?

It’s Monday: are you starting a new diet, budget, exercise routine, reading more, looking for a job, signing up for a school or some new learning opportunity, dressing differently, putting your foot down with a recurring problem?

How many times have you said, “I’m going to finish X this week” and didn’t (and you know the reason for not finishing was not a great one)?

You’ve circled this mountain long enough! You know what you want to do, but you haven’t restructured your time, your budget, your thought-process to create space and opportunity to win.

The more you keep saying, “I’m gonna” and don’t, the more you lose your confidence in yourself and your word. Yes, even you start doubting you when you don’t see progress.

Let’s talk about what’s in your way:
1 – you have so many obligations that you don’t have time
2 – you don’t have the budget or enough money
3 – the change affects other people and you’re concerned that they won’t support you
4 – you need to set new goals because the ones you have aren’t particularly compelling
5 – you are scared of failure
6 – you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start
7 – you’ll be letting down someone who needs you.

Your fears and these obstacles can be overcome! How do I know?

I live it everyday, and I work with people who are doing the same. I’ve figured out how to disentangle myself from other people’s never-ending needs and drama – I’m not fixing everything and everybody. I’ve learned to respect other people’s choices, even if they’re self-destructive.

I’ve committed to personal integrity: if I’m going to do something, I must do it with a good spirit. I’m no longer willing to do things and complain the whole time. Why kill my own joy? This decision alone has freed up mental energy, time, and lots of my money.

I’ve made choices to stop half-stepping: either do it well or be honest about whether I really care. If it’s not worth doing well, is it worth doing at all?

Finally, I’ve given myself permission to grow, grieve, and change. You can too.