I’m one of those people that has to keep myself in check at all times to make sure I don’t fall back into bad habits of the past.
I know the new year is coming, and I feel this when people put way to much pressure on themselves to do something. Lose weight, eat healthy, stop smoking, and most of the time you fail. Instead start by reprogramming your thinking first. Trust me, that’s the hardest part!!
Here’s what I try to do, and for the record, I stole a lot of these ideas from successful people that I believe to be not full of shit.
1. Make a list of all the things you want to change in your life, things you won’t tolerate from yourself any more, from the biggest to the smallest and do one at a time. I learned this trick from Joe Rogan, and it’s changed my life. Joe also has one quote I live by, “Pretend your playing the role of the hero in you life’s movie. What would the hero of your life’s movie do right now? Do that!!”
2. I’ve learned that doing things and challenging yourself with uncomfortable tasks makes you a better person on all levels.
If there’s something you’ve always wanted to try, but are scared of it, go do it now. Emerge yourself in things that you suck at, and that make you uncomfortable. Being in a consistent state of “uncomfortable” will teach so much about yourself.
This past year I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I was scared to death to even walk in the gym the first day. I remember canceling on my Professor 2 separate times before we finally had are one on one meeting. I signed up and went to my first class May 22nd 2017. Since that day, I can’t tell you how much my life has changed for the better. I suffer from anxiety and depression, it’s all but disappeared from my life. The new relationships I’ve made with positive, truly good people from all different walks of life has been the best part. I’ve learned so much about my fears, my insecurities, my strengths, and the best part?
I’ve learned how to be a better husband, friend and person. All of this through constantly being in uncomfortable situations.
3. Eat right. Come y’all, you know this. It’s basic common sense. If you put crap into your body, your body will respond accordingly. This is one of the hardest things for me, but I do it, because the rewards of feeling good far out way that cupcake or peice of pizza. Damn right I cheat once a week, I go nuts one day a week. The funny thing is, I’m finding that I want to cheat less because I feel like crap the next day.
Basics? Surger is SATAIN!! Sugar is responsible for more health problems than anything else. Before you call me crazy do your reasearch.
You may want to look up what carbohydrates are the highest on glycemic index, and avoid those. I didn’t say don’t eat cabs, I said eat the right ones! Eat vegetables, lean proteins and drink tons of water.
4. Wake up every day and for 10 min write down things and people, whatever you are grateful for. Hell of a positive way to start your day.
5. Don’t hit the snooze button, time is something you never get back. Think of it this way, the sooner you get up and knock out all the stuff you hate doing, the more time you have to do things you enjoy!
(Once again a lot of these are not my own ideas, but things I’ve picked up from successful people. I simply put them to use in my own life.)
6. Please for the love of god stop expecting to feel perfect every day. No one feels perfect every day. You can’t let being tired or stressed, or to busy get in the way of making yourself better. You know that old saying, “showing up is half the battle?” That’s the truest statement ever made! Just get there, get it in, and I promise you won’t regret it. It’ll probably turn your whole day around.
7. What’s life really about? Money, cars, big house in the right part of town, fancy ass clothes? By the way, there’s nothing wrong with striving for those things, but you have to do it the right way in the right mind set.
To me, life is about love, relationships, and being a good dude to other people. I haven’t always thought like that. I was a real prick at one time in my life, made a lot of mistakes, burned a lot of bridges. My point is, none of that defines me, and none of your past mistakes define you. So stop using it as an excuse to keep sucking! lol, sorry. You know what I’m saying, hell I lived in the past for years. It’s not a place you want to hang out.
That’s the past, I can’t fix it. I can only be better every day as the person I am now. For the first time in my life, I’m getting.... not all the way there, but getting closer to liking the guy I see in the mirror every day.
One of the hardest and most painful things you can ever do in life is take a hard look at yourself and write down all your flaws. If you’re really honest with yourself, you will walk away from that peice of paper wondering how you’ve ever made this far.
That’s the feeling you want though, because that gives things to improve on. Take one thing at a time and slowly you will start to notice things like positivity, happiness, your job options, the people in your life, your physical and metal shape change for the better.
8. Finally, and this one sucks! You have got to clean out your life. Get rid of the people that drag you down. Some of these people you may have known for years, even since you were kids. If they cause BS in your life that goes against what your working to change, you got to say goodbye. It’s okay to be picky with who you let in your inner circle.
Be guarded as hell! Surround yourself with real friends, people you’d do anything for in the drop of hat. People that elivate you, make you think, laugh your ass off, call you on your bullshit, and don’t care if you cry in front of them, you know? Real effing friends!
Sorry for the long rant. I’ve just been doing a lot of work on myself this past year, and have just started to crack the surface of who I want to be. I don’t know if this will help or motivate any of you, but I hope you kick some serious ass in 2018!!!!!
Scotty