FEMOSPHERE

I am challenging myself to post every Monday in January for a little series I’m calling “Motivation Monday.” It will be an article focused on a self-help topic that has helped me and is something I want to expand on.

“Preparing to do the thing, isn’t doing the thing. Scheduling time to do the thing, isn’t doing the thing. Making a to-do list to do the thing, isn’t doing the thing. Hating on yourself for not doing the thing, isn’t doing the thing. Hating on other people who have done the thing isn’t doing the thing. Hating on the obstacles in the way of you doing the thing, isn’t doing the thing. Fantasizing about all of the adoration you’ll receive once you do the thing, isn’t doing the thing. The only thing that is doing the thing, is doing the thing.”

Being that January 1st is a Monday, I think it’s the perfect day to talk about planning. The vision boards have been made, the resolutions set, and goals for the new year are stirring in your mind. While these things may be beneficial, it’s important to talk about planning.

There are two ditches I’ve noticed people can fall in with new year’s resolutions. The first is to casually pick a bad habit you’d like to get rid of or goal you’d like to achieve and just leave it at the back of your mind or work towards it sporadically throughout the year.

The second is to write down your goals and plan on how you’d like to achieve them but spend disproportionate amounts of time planning. For example, I was watching a video about the 12-week year. Once the creator of the video got to explaining the planning phase, she gave the example of working out. She said, if your goal is to workout you need to look up how to use the machines, what equipment and clothing you may need to purchase, research the best gyms in your area, read books about nutrition, and learn to eat for your body type.

I was immediately taken aback. This is the second ditch.

When you spend so much time meticulously perfecting your plan to achieve your goals, you often trick yourself into thinking that you are actually achieving your goals.

Sometimes planning can be a front for procrastination.

It is wise to plan for things, but don’t let planning become an excuse for why you haven’t worked toward something yet.

We wish to be seen by others as how we want ourselves to be, our best selves, the version we have in our heads. That is not how others see you. You can have many dreams, goals, and ideas in your head, but people don’t know you as you wish to be, they know who you are.

While external pressures should not be the reason behind goals, it motivates a lot of people, and in some cases motivated me. While you plan for a new year, which is good and healthy, don’t leave that plan on paper. Put it to action and take little steps toward your goals.