As the end of the year approaches, many people are looking forward to 2021. This year was make or break for many of us. The global situation has cast a shadow of doubt over many, however has also woken us up to the realization that there are certain things COMPELTELY WITHIN OUR CONTROL, in addition to those things we cannot control.
So, what can we control?
The biggest thing within our control---
Mindset
Despite what's happening outside of you, there is one thing you can always control - your mindset. In Stephen Covey's 7 Habit of Highly Effective People, he defines "responsibility" as our "ability to respond". There is a gap between what happens, and how you react to it, where you have the ability to make a conscious choice to choose your reaction to what's happening.
Make the decision that you are responsible for you. Anything that has happened this year is in the past, and from this moment forward you are going to take full responsibility for your health - mental, physical, and spiritual.
This means choosing discipline.
The hardest part of about changing, is taking important actions that are not necessarily urgent. It's easy to put out something that's on fire, do something your boss or wife is asking you to do, or eat a steak because you're hungry. The difficult part is keeping clearly defined goals in mind and taking actions you do not want to take toward achieving them.
This might look like:
- Doing the AM Cardio
- Eating the bland chicken
- Forcing down your post workout shake
Whatever the action, there are uncomfortable actions you can take on a daily basis that lead you closer to your ideal version of you.
Set specific goals, and visualize in your mind not only how you will look, but the feeling of gratitude from having achieved such goals. "Beginning with the end in mind" is how you will figure out how to accomplish your goals, no matter what.
The important thing about setting goals in this manner is you are not stressing over "how" they will be accomplished. You are simply choosing the end result and letting it manifest itself.