Give Yourself The Time You Need
Posted: February 11, 2015
It seems like we switched over to the New Year just yesterday. But can you believe it’s been almost a month and a half? The older I get, the faster time flies.
By now, we’re used to writing the “15” on our checks. Old habits are hard to break, right? If your like me, you probably wrote “14” a couple times. But necessity drives change, and given enough time, we’ll catch up.
I wonder what other changes we’re making that are starting to stick. This is the time when I see lots of new members at the gym. Unfortunately, not all of them will stay with it.
Experts say doing something 21 days will help create a habit. So if you’re doing something daily, like changing your diet or starting an exercise program, that amounts to at least three weeks of new programming.
Anything less and you’re fighting your own conditioning. And if you’re trying to change a lifetime’s worth of habits, it’s going to take quite a bit longer.
I think one problem is that people find it hard to meet their own expectations. We live in such a fast paced society, that even a few moments delay has become unacceptable.
Our smart phones are smarter than computers used to be. I can order anything online, send emails, instant message people, transfer funds, check Facebook updates, read today’s Bible verse, and even write this article, all at the same time.
We get news banners underneath our news, and commercials inside our “newsfeed”. I know, I’ve put a couple there myself. And it works. I connected with people.
The problem is, some things just take time. It takes time to lose weight. It takes time to get in shape. It takes time to keep making better choices in our diet.
At the same time, it takes a dedicated, continual, intentional effort to do all those things. It takes repeating those behaviors until you get your result.
So here’s what you need to do. If you made a decision to start in 2015, make another decision to keep at it. Make a decision to not to quit trying.
Don’t let frustration get between you and your goal. Don’t get caught up in the “got to get it now or else” syndrome. Be willing to wait for it.
Nothing worthwhile ever came easily. There is always great effort and preparation behind it. So cut yourself some slack, and give yourself the time you need to make the changes you want.
2015 can be the year we turn it all around. If we just keep at it!