When something needs to get done for someone else, you probably jump right on it, right? When other people are depending on you, you rarely let them down. It’s just not an option. Your boss needs a huge project done by the end of the day? You probably do it, and do it well.
So here’s my question for you. How often do you treat yourself the same way? When you spend your whole day doing things for other people, I’m sure you’re exhausted by the end of the day and would rather sit and do nothing. Which is perfectly fine. I feel that way almost all of the time. And often all those little “todos” that I overzealously wrote down in my planner end up circled with a huge arrow pointing to the next day. Over. And over. I’m constantly putting what I want aside for the sake of a paycheck, which is completely necessary most of the time.
Basically, what I’m getting at is, I’ve done a bit of thinking lately. I want something. And I want it really, really badly. But the question is, how much work am I willing to put in to it? Am I willing to sacrifice a few hours of TV watching for it? Am I willing to push myself to work an extra hour or two once I get home from my day job when I’d really rather just collapse into bed? Am I willing to take the time I have available and use it productively?
I usually put it all aside. I usually just tell myself that a job is a job and I need to contribute just enough to pay the bills.
And the truth of the matter is, I’m finding that I’m completely miserable. I’ve actually had to start asking myself who I even am. I sat down with my journal the other night and answered the question:
If you had all the time in the world, and if there were no limitations to what you could accomplish,
what would you be doing right now?
It’ll come as no surprise that the answer came to me immediately. I’ve always known the answer. And really, anyone who knows me could probably tell you better than I could what I’d be best doing. The passion I have for what I want out of life is hard to miss.
So why haven’t I made it happen yet? Do you want the real, true, honest answer?
I’m scared.
And I’m lazy.
I’m a fair weathered dream chaser. I’ll put in just enough effort that it’s still my dream but not nearly enough effort to turn that dream into a reality. I’m tired. I’m lazy, and well, it’s just easier not to.
Enough is freaking enough. I need to start having enough respect for myself to do what I want. That doesn’t mean that I stop doing everything else, it just means that I start making a priority to accomplish the things I want too on top of everything else.
So when you get home at the end of the day. When you’re really, really tired. When all you want to do is veg on the couch watching last night’s DVR’d shows, find the drive, motivation and energy to power through. Do the things you want for yourself like you would if someone else was expecting you to do them. Stop telling yourself “well, maybe tomorrow.”
Do them today.
If you set out small, attainable goals for each and every day, you’d be surprised how much you can get accomplished. You’ll feel so much more productive and it’ll keep your drive going. It’s so easy to look at the big picture and become overwhelmed. Break it down. Make it happen. Even if it’s little by little.
I can completely relate! I too have something that I want, but I'm scared of it being a failure, or not knowing what exactly I'm doing, just knowing that I need to do it. I need to just take the plunge!
I had this come up last month with myself.
I was going to college after my husband joined the Marine Corps. After a year in the Corps, he was being deployed to Iraq, all together 11 months….I lost ALL motivation and quit. Just literally quit. That was back in 2007 I think?
So last month I asked myself "Do I want to go back to college?" and the answer was "Yes."
So that night I went and filled out my FAFSA, which didn't go as I planned because I needed last year's W2 which I got 3 days ago…so now I have the information I need to go back to college in the Fall and I'm nervous but yet I am looking forward to it….so yay!
We've been having the same conversations over here. Its so easy to get caught up in the day to day survival that you forget to take the step back and look it where you're headed and make the adjustments so that you end up where you want to be. I guess in some ways its giving up the short-term comfort for a better tomorrow.