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How to Make Disciplined Decisions Easier

Posted on | by chris_norton

Did you find ways to challenge yourself? Any opportunity to choose what’s best for you over what’s comfortable is great resilience training. However, doing what you should be doing over what you want to be doing is easier said than done. That’s why in this email I’ll share what helps me make disciplined decisions. Here are a few steps I take: 

 

First, I recognize what’s truly important or not. Family, faith, and our well-being is my top priority and what’s secondary are things like work, sports, or social media. 

 

Second, I take note 📝 how I actually spend my time and where I put my energy into. It’s easy to say family is important but it’s another to turn off the phone or not bring work home with you. So stay mindful of your actual decisions and what you spend your time on.  

 

Third, I think about what temptations make it hard for me to stay disciplined. I figure out how to limit/eliminate those temptations. Like not having treats and my favorite chips in the house, removing certain apps from my phone, or putting my phone on silent in a different room.

 

Finally, I focus my energy on what I can control and what I can do about it. I stay present and work hard to not let my mind drift to the past or worry about the future. The more you use the word can’t the more of a victim you become. Saying and even thinking the word can’t will rob you of your resilience. 

 

The last thing I want to share are some of my favorite quotes & sayings that help me to keep persevering:

  
  • Do what you have to now so you can do what you want to later. ~ Unknown 
 
  • Your future will take care of itself when you take care of today. ~ Me 😊
 
  • The 40% rule. When your brain is telling you to quit your body has only used 40% of its potential. ~ David Goggins
 
  • If you do what is easy your life will be hard. If you do what is hard your life will be easy. ~ Les Brown


Best,

Chris 
 

My 4 Tips to Finish Your Resolutions

Posted on | by chris_norton

What I love about New Year’s is that it feels like the start of a new chapter in your life. Out with the old and in with the new. With all new beginnings there’s excitement and plenty of motivation. I think of it like the start of the outdoor 10K I ran as a kid. Thousands of people are tightly packed as close to the starting line as possible. Heart is pumping, you’re full of adrenaline. The 1st mile you feel great but as the race continues the excitement disappears as you fatigue. You start thinking Why did I sign up for this? 

 

It’s the same when you set out to accomplish a goal. The trick is continuing on that same pursuit as the excitement dwindles and your motivation fatigues. Here are 4 tips to help you continue on your race to accomplish your goals for 2022. 

 

  1. Avoid perfection. If you wanted to workout 4X a week but next week you only get 2 workouts in then so be it! Go for 4X the following week. Don’t quit on your goal just because you came up short or gave into temptation on an off day. I think too many people make goals to be all or nothing. Give yourself wiggle room for failing. Get back on the horse and keep moving forward. 

 

  1. Boost your willpower by eliminating temptation. It’s so much easier to say no to something that’s not there or visible. I think I have a pretty good amount of willpower but when there’s junk food or unhealthy snacks in the house I’m eating them at some point. If a social media app is on my home screen of my phone I’m going to click on it. Therefore, I don’t buy junk food for the house and have moved Twitter off my home screen. It has helped! 

 

  1. Break your goal down to daily tasks. You have a vision of where you want to go like losing weight or making more money but think through how you can inch closer each day. Create a daily process. What are the individual tasks you can check off the box today? At what time will this be done? 

 

  1. Share your goal with a few close friends or family. It will help you stick with the goal to avoid the feeling of shame when they check on your progress later on. Better yet, make it a competition with one of them who also has a goal. Put some money on the line to create an incentive and consequence for not following through.  

 

I hope that helps! Let me know your favorite advice for sticking with goals. 

 

Take care,

 

Chris