What you want the most and what you want now is very often different. For example, what you want the most for your body is to be fit. But what you want now is this delicious ice cream in this sunny day. Another example is what you want the most in your career is to get this promotion, but what you want now is to go home and relax.
Bottom line, is that all day long we have the temptation of what we want now and it sends us on a different direction than what we want the most. We then succumb to the “Now” pressure, and while we enjoy the pleasure of getting what we want now, we very quickly feel guilty. In the example of the ice cream, I really enjoy the ice cream during the 20 minutes I have been eating it. But once it is past, I start to feel the guilt of not making right choices for my health and my long term target of being fit. In the example of work, I am so happy to be back home early. I can kick back, have a nice drink and watch a fun movie. But then later in the evening, or the day after when I am back to work, I realize that I have not made the progress on the project I am supposed to lead. I have fallen behind and it will reflect poorly on me.
We all have been in this situation. We actually all battle this fight every day, multiple times per day. So, how do we fix this ? How do we put what we want the most in front of what we want now ?
To start today, I have 3 recommendations that really work for me.
Number one : what we want the most needs to be crystal clear. What do you want the most for your body, for your health, for your intimate relationship, for your family, for your kids, for your career, for your mind, for your spiritual learning,…? Take the time. Seat down. And think deeply about your long term goals. Something you can read again and again, every day, to be clear about your long term goals.
Number two : the reason why the “NOW” wins so often, it is because your see the immediate pleasure you will get from it. To counter that, you need to think about the pleasure you will get from the “MOST”. Imagine how you will feel once you have the weight you have always dreamed of . Imagine how you will feel once you have the promotion you have always wanted. Imagine how you will feel once you and your spouse have this passionate relationship. Take the time every day to feel it. Because if you trigger your mind to connect your long term goals with pleasure, your mind will support you in making the right choices. You will be so strong, you won’t even recognize yourself !!!
Number three : before making a decision, mark a pause. When you feel you are about to have to choose between the temptation of the “NOW” and what you want the “MOST”, stop and wait a little bit. Very often, the bad decisions are the ones we make in a hurry. Just stopping ourselves makes a trick of calming the emotion connected to the immediate pleasure, and your mind can take over. Your mind has then the time to win the battle.
Does it work all the time ? Nope. BUT ! The more you practice, the easier it gets, and you start to win more and more. And at some point, you realize that you have made good choices, and it gives you such a wonderful feeling of pride !!! Worth all the fights in your mind !!!
Remember, progress is what matters !!!
DON’T SACRIFICE WHAT YOU WANT THE MOST !!!!
