Being comfortable does not help you achieve your goals. Wishing does not help either. Action does.
“Comfort comes from stagnation”. I heard that from a businesswoman, Kim Walsh Phillips. She has a business that brings in six or seven figures a year. I would suspect she does not stagnate a lot in her business if she wants it to grow, right? She realizes that we humans tend not to do things that are out of our comfort zone, even if we want to change. In other words, the longer we are comfortable, the longer we stay in our comfort zone, the less likely we are to accomplish much of anything worthwhile. We usually cannot achieve any goals if we are too comfortable.
Are you too comfortable to change? Many of you want to go to college. Many are in college. That, however, makes you uncomfortable, because you are being asked to do things that you are not used to doing. You might, for example, have to give up bingeing on Netflix in order to do your homework. Doing homework will help you get that degree so you can have a better job and enjoy a better lifestyle, but you do not like giving up those things you like now.
You can achieve your goals by being uncomfortable and doing things or giving some things up, and you might not really want to do that. Be truthful now. Is watching Netflix more important to you than your dreams? Is a better future with a larger paycheck less important than eating in front of the television while you binge-watch a favorite show yet another time?
I am not the only one who will say this. Your mother probably said it. Others also say something similar.
https://patrickschriel.com/2010/01/09/how-to-change-and-grow-in-life/
http://lorierosenberg.com/article/change-is-how-you-grow/
Will today’s comfort give you a better life tomorrow?
You think of the trouble doing the homework vs the comfort of watching Netflix, or engaging in a video game, or getting involved in your social media. Ask yourself if watching Netflix, playing video games, or being engaged in social media is going to get you a better job with a better paycheck. Will your life in ten years, five years, one year, one month even, be better because of the activities you are doing today?
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Comfort is nice. I will not argue that. Comfort, however, will not get you to the place you want to be.
You need to take action and put energy behind your goals. If you do not, you will still be wishing for a different life.
Achieving your goals takes action, not comfort.
I have an unpleasant, radical thought:
If you are not going to do anything to accomplish your dreams and goals, then why bother dreaming about them?
If you are not going to work on making YOU thrive, then why should you even dream? Fulfilling dreams requires action.
What is the action you are going to take?
How to Break Bad Habits
Have you been trying to break a bad habit for a long time? You read about how to do it and give it a try. Time and again, however, you keep repeating the same bad habits. Perhaps it’s eating the wrong foods, or you are smoking and simply can’t kick the habit. These are just examples. Feel free to insert your own habit as you read this.
More often than not, people who do not achieve their goals have bad habits that get in their way. Before you break your bad habits, you must think back to how you started them. What kind of mindset did you have at that point? Were you a teenager with low self-esteem? That could be why you started smoking. You wanted to fit in. You could also be overeating because you are stressed out about your job.
Once you have identified how your habits started, it’s time to determine how important they are in your life. The correct answer should be, “they are not important.” They obviously are important, or you wouldn’t continue those habits. Try to list out why they are important. In other words, why do you need to continue with your bad habits? If you can get to the bottom of this important aspect of your bad habits, you have turned the corner on trying to break them. How to Break A Habit in 30 Days
If you want to achieve your goals, think about these habits. Do those habits help you achieve your goals or do they get in the way?
The reasons you persist with these habits are important. Do not dwell on them and beat yourself up about them. You cannot do anything about the past. It’s best to move on and try to stop them going forward.
The key to stopping bad habits is to replace them with good ones.
If you are a smoker and you have a craving for a cigarette, go out for a jog. Jogging can work for bad diets as well; it can take your mind off your cravings. If you don’t eat the right foods, another method is to have fruit and vegetables that are accessible. Ideally, you want to have these ready-to-eat, and place them right next to junk food. Of course, getting rid of junk food in the first place is a great way not to have it within reach.
The next step in breaking habits is to realign your mindset. You need to focus on what you are gaining by not continuing the bad habit. For instance, if you are having a problem with alcohol, try to keep focused on the way you feel without alcohol, which for most people, is better.
You can break bad habits, but it does take some effort and willpower. Your life will change for the better if you are willing to put in the effort.
When you believe in yourself, or act as if you believe in yourself, remarkable things can happen. To increase confidence, you need to believe in yourself.
Let me know if you want ideas/suggestions how to develop the habits you need to achieve your goals and dreams.
If you found this helpful, please share it with someone you think would also find it useful. I would appreciate it. Your friend might appreciate it too.
Have you ever lost points on an assignment because you forgot to do something?
My assignment checklist can help you remember the details.
Check it out! It is FREE!!!!
If you have any questions or comments, please leave me a note.
Valerie
Valerie@olderstudentscanlearnnewskills.com
If you found this helpful, please share it with someone you think would also find it useful. I would appreciate it. Your friend might appreciate it too.
I started a new Facebook group recently. It really is brand new. It is a private group with the goal of creating a safe place for adult students to get support and ask questions. I have ideas for things I might do in the future, but I will be guided by the desires of the group members. Please check it out. I would hope you would like to join and help me build the group into something useful.
Back to School: Supporting adults earning college degrees
updated 24 January 202