In the overwhelming stream of information I unsuccessfully attempt to consume daily, one quote came across my twitter feed, unaccompanied by the usual tweet jargon and links (a naked tweet), that stood out:
“Discipline is remembering what you want.”
It’s a simple quote that isn’t especially deep. What I like about it, though, is that it’s harsh, simple, and true. You can’t hide behind this one. If you want to get where you’re going, you have to stay the course, which is the single hardest part of achieving anything.
How often do we change our minds, change direction or settle, then justify a position short of our final goal as a better “fit,” yielding to the notion that it’s too hard and too far? Or, we’re bombarded by so many potential paths that we buckle under the stress and can’t decide which one to follow, then end up in some sort of murky middle ground that’s wholly unsatisfying.
Remembering what you want isn’t easy when there are so many pressures out there trying to make you forget. And most of the time, we don’t even realize we’ve lost our way.
The Best Reminders
It’s a cinch to blow you’re money when you’re trying to save, eat when you want to lose weight and surf the Web when you’re supposed to be working (the last hour of my life). Procrastination and focus are bitter enemies, and if you don’t have focus’s back, procrastination is going to win the fight every time.
So how do you remember what you want?
Of course, there’s an endless list of answers to this question, but here are my top two:
1. Look up to someone, daily
Their path may not be identical to yours, but it’s likely a few people out there have already put in the work and crossed the finish line ahead of you. Find those people, and draw inspiration from them every single day.
Why every day? Because you have to make a habit of it. When you remind yourself what you want and where you’re going, regardless of your level of motivation, you’re more likely to avoid the loss of inspiration and focus that we all run into from time to time.
Read books and articles, listen to recordings, look at pictures – do whatever you need to do to keep your associate/s in achievement top of mind. I want to stay focused on this blog, for example, and so read the blogs of those who inspire me every day. On the days I’m feeling gung ho about posting something, it isn’t much help, but when writing a post is the last thing on my mind (like today) it puts me back on track.
2. Make your goals tangible
I own a Ross School of Business coffee mug and have the outline of a book I want to write pinned to the bulletin board in my apartment – little reminders that help me set my priorities straight when I’m half asleep on the couch watching Sportscenter at noon on a Saturday. A much younger me who wanted to be some sort of guitar hero had musical notes and scales taped up for identification all over my parents house.
Get creative and think of ways to make little reminders part of your environment. When you’re surrounded by hints, it’s a far easier to remember why you do some of the things you do every day.
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