Make life easier, care about something.
Yesterday I wrote about calling in sick to work. I didn’t actually call in but it got me thinking…Why didn’t I? I never call in and I rarely even think about calling in. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if I did every once in while, so why do I find it so easy to avoid the temptation?
I value my job and I value being consistent and reliable.
I value being consistent and reliable because I want to KEEP my job and I want to be good at it. Thus, I realized that I have to show up everyday, non-negotiable.
Showing up is just an action in order to reach a means to an end that I value: Keeping my job.
Over time this action gets easier because I like the result more than I would like the lack of the action.
I’ve spent a lifetime seeking to build habits that are just actions towards end results that I don’t really value.
I try to get in a routine of working out because I think it would “be nice” to get back into shape.
Or I try to wake up earlier because that time I could have to myself in the morning would just “be nice.”
I don’t really care if I don’t follow through on these habits because if I fail, LIFE STILL GOES ON.
If I don’t go to work however,
I lose my job.
If I lose my job, I don’t get money.
If I don’t have money, I can’t pay my bills.
If I can’t pay my bills….Well, I haven’t really thought that far ahead.
I do know that I’m not okay with losing my job though and that’s enough motivation to produce enough consistency to create a habit.
So how do we replicate this motivation for habit building outside of the realm of just keeping our jobs.
In other words how do I go to the gym on a regular basis?
How I wake up earlier?
How do I publish a blog post everyday.
Ask yourself…
“Do I really want to do it?”
And if the answers yes…
Just care about it.
Ben Greenman 