A few weeks ago I started going to a gym after a long break from regular exercise. I had put physical fitness as one of my important goals, so needed to execute on that 🙂 So, I got all prepared, selected a gym, bought a monthly pass and was excited to start. But within 15 minutes of starting the first exercise, my excitement was gone!..
There I was in the gym, 15 minutes into the exercise and sweating as if I had been running all day. Well, this is what you expect when you don’t exercise for a long time, right? I had two thoughts running through my mind: “What in the world am I doing here? This is so hard I just can’t stand it anymore,” and “When will this end?” 🙂
Have you ever felt like this when starting something new or starting over?
But instantly I remembered two important principles of success that enabled me to continue and feel better about the pain.
1. Take action – the start may be painful, but it’s worth it
The first thing was the importance of taking action. At first it seems hard and may bring some pain, but afterwards you’re glad you did it.
I have experienced this before during business startups and even with launching this blog. Thoughts like, “ Will I succeed?”, “Will anybody like it?” or “Let’s do some more planning” enter my mind, but these are just thoughts. The challenge is to not think about the bad things that might happen if you start, but instead to think about the opportunities you will miss if you DO NOT get started – on something important, meaningful today!
Whether it’s managing your time better, achieving your dreams and goals, improving your performance at work, starting a business, or enriching your relationships – don’t wait! Start taking action today!
It is now been a few weeks since I started going to the gym, and as time goes by, I find myself getting used to the effort and pain, and my first thoughts have been replaced with these: “I’m glad I got started, it feels so good now,” and “I’m a winner, since I set a goal and took steps toward achieving it!”
Remember: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!”
2. Take small steps – making progress is more important
The second principle I remembered is this: It’s better to take small steps toward a goal, then not taking any steps at all. Remember the ancient Chinese saying, “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”
Once you get started, you will make progress toward the goal and things will get better in every area of life. Why? Because small achievements and victories help you see yourself as a winner (“I can do it”) and improve your self-image. How you see yourself determines how you act and what you do, which in the long run either keeps you defeated or enables you to achieve long-term success in life.
Start with one goal today, develop a simple plan of action, and work on it for a few weeks. You will be amazed at the results and will have more courage and energy to work on other goals!
Have a meaningful day! 🙂
You might also enjoy these posts:
How To Use The Domino Effect For Extraordinary Results
How to Make Sure You Reach Goals for This Year
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