Pushing Through Difficulties

This time I was expecting it. Whenever I decide to make big changes to my routine, something always tanks. As a long-time freelancer, I know that change can trigger Murphy's Law. The key to success is to push through the difficulties. That may sound hard, but I guarantee that it is well worth the fight.

So what happened?

In my last post, I was intent on quantifying what I was doing right now. In the same way that Kyle describes in the productivity class that came out this week, I was examining the activities that take place, the amount of time I was dedicating, and the effect these factors had on my business. Initially, I decided to focus on the part of my day that was not well planned and scheduled: the morning and evening routines and my house-keeping.

Good habits are the foundation of success. If you haven't got a good morning routine, search for ideas in Wealthy Affiliate. There are dozens of articles about what to do every morning to be successful and have your life run smoothly. But I didn't find one telling me how to react when my routines got off schedule.

So I decided to write this one.

As I was saying before, any time I decide to make big changes, it's as if my subconscious gets scared and decides to "protect" me by blocking the changes. Things don't work, and I end up doubting my own judgement. But this time, when I didn't do things like I had planned, I just decided to take it a bit slower.

Here's my advice if you're in a similar situation:

1. Be kind to yourself. You are a human being and you know your limits. Have an open mind towards yourself.
2. Decide to start fresh tomorrow. You don't have to catch up.
3. Take 5 minutes to understand what went off course (notice I'm not using the word "wrong").
4. Deal with the cause and talk to the people involved so that they will be informed and put in the conditions to work with you. Understand that they may choose to not cooperate and that their decisions are not your responsibility.

Let's focus on self-kindness: it's much more productive than self-criticism.

We are often our own worst critic. Whenever setbacks occur, guard against negative self-talk and worry. Remind yourself that change takes time and practice.

Perseverance and patience. Just a little tweak will make a big difference.

I suggest keeping a journal during the process. Write at least one paragraph a day about what happens during your transformation, how it made you feel, and any other important details.

Be sure to record the positive feelings whenever they happen. This will give you encouragement when you read them later. You'll be so proud of yourself!