When Life Gets In The Way.. Find Another Route...
By: MrJackBrickhouse (@mrjackbrickhouse -IG)
It's been awhile since my last blog post. I like to take time and genuinely become inspired to attack a subject instead of writing just because we need a post. Well, it's safe to say that the inspiration for this topic struck me like lighting. I've noticed an epidemic of the phrase "Life Got In The Way" when individuals fall short of their goals. The first question I asked myself as I came to this realization is how often is this a genuine statement. I reflected a bit more and asked myself, in what circumstances can life actually get in the way. I then began to reflect on how to be proactive when in fact "Life Gets In The Way" and I will dive into my thoughts in the body of this post.
"Life Got In The Way!" What does that really mean? It can and will probably look different for each and every one of us. For some it may mean turmoil in a personal or business relationship. It could include depression or low self esteem for some. For others, it may be a death, divorce, or demotion at their place of employment. Regardless of how it looks for each individual, I believe that the genuine instances where life really can slow you down or reroute your path, are far less than the amount of times the phrase "Life Got In The Way" is thrown around. Let's visit both sides of this "Life Got In The Way" fence.
Sandy made a New Year's resolution to get in shape by the summer. Not an unusual goal at all. Very common in my opinion. Sandy is up early in the morning for the first few days hitting her local gym. She is extremely motivated and feels she is off to a great start. On day 4, Sandy over sleeps and doesn't make her early morning gym run. She doesn't panic. She decides she will make it up on her weekend off day. During her workday she deals with a number of distractions that suck the energy right out of her. She has a meeting that doesn't go well with a client. An old flame begins to trash her on social media. Her kid got suspended from school and on the way home she receives a speeding ticket. When Sandy finally gets home and squares her child away, she cracks open a bottle of wine and begins to chug away as she defends herself on social media. After a few conversations with her friends, Sandy finally ends the night about 1130p. Hungover, Sandy presses the snooze button and before she knows it, she has missed the gym for a second day. Just a minor setback she decides. I'll make it up on Sunday. She heads off to work again and receives a message from a guy she has been seeing with an offer for dinner that Friday evening. Sandy accepts. The two get together, have dinner, and end up at his place. Sandy stays until about 2a and heads back home. Saturday rolls around and Sandy feels drained from the week. She decides to start fresh again on Monday morning and of course it never happens.
So for Sandy did "Life get in the way?" Many of you may say yes, it absolutely got in the way. I disagree. I believe Sandy got in her own way. Sandy was presented with a series of choices to make and her decision making allowed her to be distracted from her goal. There will always be hurdles and obstacles thrown at you in life. How you react will determine how successful you are at attaining your goals. Sandy has an accountability issue that she has to address as many individuals who have experienced similar outcomes also have. It's much easier to say "Life Got In The Way" when you realized you have made poor decisions. It's an accepted excuse by other people who don't believe in accountability so it gives you an out. This excuse works well to save face with your peers, but you are only fooling yourself at the end of the day. The thought of failure will constantly haunt you each time the goal you previously set reveals itself. When a friend asks Sandy how the resolution is going, she will reply "I was going good the first week, but life got in the way and I got side tracked." The friend will accept and move on but Sandy will have to face the fact that she failed yet again in her life. Successful people don't make excuses which is why they are successful. They do what others are not willing to do. Most of us genuinely don't like heading to the gym early in the morning, but Serena Williams, Steph Curry, The Rock, and Kevin Hart's of the world all make a choice to do so. If they can hold themselves accountable, so can you. Success starts from within. Choice by choice you can obtain your personal success story.
What are some times that "Life Got In The Way" are acceptable. If your house looks like the one pictured to the left, life clearly got in the way. That is a game changer as your central operating hub has been destroyed. However, even something as catastrophic as this can only be used for long. The bills will continue to accrue. The kids still have to get to school and your life has to continue. The problem many individuals have is a hard time accepting is that the tragic or traumatic event that occurred in their life, didn't happen to the world, it happen to them. That can be a tough pill to swallow for many, however, get that glass of water cause you will have to swallow it. Again, accountability is the issue. Instead of lashing out at others or playing the blame game, reset, regroup, and reorganize and put together a strategy to pull your life back together. The other option of course is not to do any of those things. Sit back, scroll on social media and be bitter about your peers who showcase their success from their hard work. The choice is yours!
Below are 7 tips on how to stay focus when life gets in the way of achieving your dreams, goals, wishes and desires from Author, Blogger, and Entrepreneur Sarah Prout. Visit sarahprout.com
By: MrJackBrickhouse (@mrjackbrickhouse -IG)
Buy our book here: Cigarettes & Bad Decisions, The S*** I Wish I'd Known
It's been awhile since my last blog post. I like to take time and genuinely become inspired to attack a subject instead of writing just because we need a post. Well, it's safe to say that the inspiration for this topic struck me like lighting. I've noticed an epidemic of the phrase "Life Got In The Way" when individuals fall short of their goals. The first question I asked myself as I came to this realization is how often is this a genuine statement. I reflected a bit more and asked myself, in what circumstances can life actually get in the way. I then began to reflect on how to be proactive when in fact "Life Gets In The Way" and I will dive into my thoughts in the body of this post."Life Got In The Way!" What does that really mean? It can and will probably look different for each and every one of us. For some it may mean turmoil in a personal or business relationship. It could include depression or low self esteem for some. For others, it may be a death, divorce, or demotion at their place of employment. Regardless of how it looks for each individual, I believe that the genuine instances where life really can slow you down or reroute your path, are far less than the amount of times the phrase "Life Got In The Way" is thrown around. Let's visit both sides of this "Life Got In The Way" fence.
Sandy made a New Year's resolution to get in shape by the summer. Not an unusual goal at all. Very common in my opinion. Sandy is up early in the morning for the first few days hitting her local gym. She is extremely motivated and feels she is off to a great start. On day 4, Sandy over sleeps and doesn't make her early morning gym run. She doesn't panic. She decides she will make it up on her weekend off day. During her workday she deals with a number of distractions that suck the energy right out of her. She has a meeting that doesn't go well with a client. An old flame begins to trash her on social media. Her kid got suspended from school and on the way home she receives a speeding ticket. When Sandy finally gets home and squares her child away, she cracks open a bottle of wine and begins to chug away as she defends herself on social media. After a few conversations with her friends, Sandy finally ends the night about 1130p. Hungover, Sandy presses the snooze button and before she knows it, she has missed the gym for a second day. Just a minor setback she decides. I'll make it up on Sunday. She heads off to work again and receives a message from a guy she has been seeing with an offer for dinner that Friday evening. Sandy accepts. The two get together, have dinner, and end up at his place. Sandy stays until about 2a and heads back home. Saturday rolls around and Sandy feels drained from the week. She decides to start fresh again on Monday morning and of course it never happens.
So for Sandy did "Life get in the way?" Many of you may say yes, it absolutely got in the way. I disagree. I believe Sandy got in her own way. Sandy was presented with a series of choices to make and her decision making allowed her to be distracted from her goal. There will always be hurdles and obstacles thrown at you in life. How you react will determine how successful you are at attaining your goals. Sandy has an accountability issue that she has to address as many individuals who have experienced similar outcomes also have. It's much easier to say "Life Got In The Way" when you realized you have made poor decisions. It's an accepted excuse by other people who don't believe in accountability so it gives you an out. This excuse works well to save face with your peers, but you are only fooling yourself at the end of the day. The thought of failure will constantly haunt you each time the goal you previously set reveals itself. When a friend asks Sandy how the resolution is going, she will reply "I was going good the first week, but life got in the way and I got side tracked." The friend will accept and move on but Sandy will have to face the fact that she failed yet again in her life. Successful people don't make excuses which is why they are successful. They do what others are not willing to do. Most of us genuinely don't like heading to the gym early in the morning, but Serena Williams, Steph Curry, The Rock, and Kevin Hart's of the world all make a choice to do so. If they can hold themselves accountable, so can you. Success starts from within. Choice by choice you can obtain your personal success story.
What are some times that "Life Got In The Way" are acceptable. If your house looks like the one pictured to the left, life clearly got in the way. That is a game changer as your central operating hub has been destroyed. However, even something as catastrophic as this can only be used for long. The bills will continue to accrue. The kids still have to get to school and your life has to continue. The problem many individuals have is a hard time accepting is that the tragic or traumatic event that occurred in their life, didn't happen to the world, it happen to them. That can be a tough pill to swallow for many, however, get that glass of water cause you will have to swallow it. Again, accountability is the issue. Instead of lashing out at others or playing the blame game, reset, regroup, and reorganize and put together a strategy to pull your life back together. The other option of course is not to do any of those things. Sit back, scroll on social media and be bitter about your peers who showcase their success from their hard work. The choice is yours!
Below are 7 tips on how to stay focus when life gets in the way of achieving your dreams, goals, wishes and desires from Author, Blogger, and Entrepreneur Sarah Prout. Visit sarahprout.com
1. SCHEDULE EVEN THE TINIEST ACTIONS TOWARDS YOUR GOALS
Mark in in your calendar and stick to it. This was you create the accountability you need in order to build some momentum.
2. REWARD YOURSELF FOR YOUR COMMITMENT
When you can tune into the sense of self-satisfaction that you’re committed to your goals, then make sure you treat yourself to something nice to reinforce the behavior.
3. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS WITH DAILY GRATITUDE
Thank the Universe on a daily basis for clarity, focus and determination. When you feel grateful for those qualities, even if you don’t quite embody them yet – you will start to behave that way sooner or later. Remember that anything you state with an ‘I AM’ is a command to your subconscious mind.
4. RELEASE EXPECTATIONS OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS
Be gentle on yourself. And also don’t count on others to make you happy. Be independent and walk through life being grateful no matter what shows up for you.
5. STOP COMPARISONS
Comparison is the thief of all joy for a reason. If you hold jealousy in your heart then you will suffer. Make sure you feel happy for the success of others and stop comparing where you’re at, to someone else. Everyone is unique and different and have something special to offer the world.
6. REALLY ENJOY THE JOURNEY
People tend to forget that happiness and achieving your goals is all about the journey. One day you’ll look back on this time and see it as magical.
7. CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS
Similar to the theme of ‘comparison’ you need to surround yourself with people that have achieved their goals or experienced success. Success stories help you to stay on track, such as this one.
That was such a needed post. A lot of us just don't want to take accountability. This was very nicely put. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. Happy you were able to take something from it! ~MJB~
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