Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.Last week, I shared my excitement about joining the Start Experiment, led by Jon Acuff. At 7 days into the 24 day challenge, I have to admit that I’ve accomplished more than I had in the past 6 months. Before, I always had a reason to wait. Wait to decide what direction to take my blog. Wait to decide what to write a book about. But waiting was killing my dream.
I just had to start.
In the process of starting, though, I realized that I needed to make room for my dream in my life and in my schedule. Although I’m just a wife with a job that allows me to leave my work at work, I wasn’t always spending my time wisely most nights. Other evenings, I had overcommitted myself.
Sometimes, in order to start, you have to quit first. [Tweet that]
Photo from benzado, Creative Commons
Quitting is hard. Ask an addict. I love Diet Coke, but I’m also addicted to the caffeine in it. I know it’s bad for me, but that doesn’t stop me from twisting the cap every day. However, in order to really pursue my dreams, I need to become healthier. Not skinnier. Not prettier. Healthier.
I was challenged on Sunday by this message:
Sometimes it’s hard to do the right things because we haven’t quit the wrong things yet.
In other words, time to evaluate our lives:
- What things am I doing that I need to quit? We all have wasteful habits. Watching the Food Network. Playing Candy Crush. Ordering pizza instead of cooking supper. We need to analyze what we’re doing that is stopping us from achieving our full potential.
- How can I stop these habits? Cold turkey has always been my favorite method, but I recently learned that it’s not always the best. Sometimes we need to ease into the transition. And don’t decide you need to be perfect all at once. Quit one wasteful habit at a time. Once it’s gone, then you can focus on a new one.
- What support do I need? You’re probably not the first one to quit your habit. Go google what you’re struggling with and see if you can find a blogger who’s been there before. Maybe there’s a book about the experience of quitting. Or maybe it’s simply turning to a good friend, spouse, or relative. Whatever you do, find someone to support you and hold you accountable.
- What will happen as a result of quitting? The answer to this question will be the motivator to keep you working towards the goal. The thing that will keep you on the right path when your co-worker brings donuts in. The end result will help you ignore the donuts in life and propel you into success.
In the end, you only have this one life to live. We can choose to spend it doing the things we want because they make us feel good, or we can challenge ourselves to create things that are good for our community. I’d rather be remembered for the latter. How about you?
This week, I’m quitting Diet Coke. Pray for my husband.
What is the one thing you need to quit? Let me know by leaving a comment!
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