“Excuses make today easy but tomorrow hard. Discipline makes today hard but tomorrow easy.”
A friend shared this quote the other day, and it had me thinking how easily we stand in our own way at times, making excuses for our actions or inaction, instead of making things right by ourselves.
Even with all the talent in the world, experience and qualifications, natural intelligence, the perfect personality and a seemingly perfect fit anywhere in any team, without the right attitude and self-discipline, you may never reach your full potential.
In life, many of us tend to stand in our own way and block our blessings with toxic habits.
Wanting something is one thing; working towards achieving a goal is another.
And when things do not work out how we expected – which is very much part of the process – we cannot keep making excuses or finding something or someone else to blame for our own shortcomings.
Nobody is perfect, so of course mistakes will be made, but when we shift blame instead of admitting our faults, we shun responsibility over our own lives, giving away our power little by little each time.
In order for us to steer our lives in the direction we actually want to go, we need to take charge of the steering wheel and steer the ship.
And for us to change things we are not happy with, we must first admit how harmful our actions are to others and ourselves.
Even though others may play a part in our successes or failures, we ultimately have the final say and make the final decision about which direction our life goes.
Some things are hard to accept about ourselves, but admitting there is a problem helps to create a mindset to begin working on these issues.
Once you take full ownership of your ship, you must then decide what habits are worth adapting to and which you should let go of.
It makes no sense to keep doing something that brings you neither satisfaction nor growth.
So, if it is not adding value to your life, remove it.
It is easier said than done I know, but you will need to go through the process step by step to get out of it.
It is not a simple flip of the switch, but remember whom you will be doing it for – the most important person in your life – you!
Yes, in many cases, it will also be for the benefit and peace of mind of our loved ones and those close to us.
So, if not for yourself, do it for your children, your parents, your partner or anyone who hates to see you throw your life away.
Change is hard but it is incredibly empowering once you have shifted your life in a direction you can be proud of.
* Paula Christoph’s column concentrates on positive and inspirational write-ups.