You’re Not Lazy You’re Normal

Nobody I know would call me lazy except me. I have always made it a point to outwork everyone in the room. That is great, but I have always felt lazy like I was not doing enough. I needed someone to tell me, you’re not lazy, you’re normal. Doing anything has never been my problem. Starting to do something is where the problem comes in. It used to take a lot to convince my mind to do the required activity.

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I’m Telling You You’re Not Lazy You’re Normal

Has anyone else felt the same way about beginning a difficult task? For example, I need to paint the house. That is going to be difficult and time-consuming. My mind conjures up a plethora of reasons not to paint the house. It is cloudy, too hot; I might miss the second round of an insignificant golf tournament on TV, etc. The list goes on and on.

I ask myself, why am I so lazy? Then you get the paint and brushes and begin. Wives in the neighborhood see me and tell their husbands, why can’t you be more like him? He isn’t lazy. After several hours, I finish; exhausted. I have accomplished a lot of hard work but still, feel lazy because of the struggle to get started. Somebody, please tell me, you’re not lazy, you’re normal.

It’s All Physics

In reality, we are not lazy, and the reason we feel lazy is a principle of physics, the Principle of Least Action. The path you choose between two points will always be the path requiring the least energy. When I worked with explosives, I was taught that energy would follow the path of least resistance. I could “aim” the explosive blast by creating the least resistance in the direction I wanted it to follow.

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Your Brain Being Normal

Our brain is wired to conserve energy, and we will always gravitate toward the least amount of work. Choosing to watch golf would have been the least amount of work. That is why I was drawn to that option. It was not that I was lazy but that my brain was working normally. The house could have gone unpainted, but it needed to get done, and I did not want to pay someone to do it.

Change Is Necessary

I have had to change my behaviors to overcome my natural desire to conserve energy. If not, nothing would get done. Our ancestors had to develop behaviors to overcome these universal laws. Imagine if they did not, they would not have grown crops and died out. We would not be here today.

Today, everything is at our fingertips; Information, food, transportation, etc. It is easy now to fall into the trap of never leaving your house and submitting to the Law of Least Effort. Building the behaviors necessary to live a healthy life is more important than ever. When it is time for dinner, your brain will tell you to order food from your phone instead of cooking a healthy meal.

Keep It Simple

How can you begin to build the essential behaviors for personal improvement? You can do this by making the path as simple as possible and satisfying the Law of Least Effort. Meal prepping makes it easier to eat healthy instead of cooking daily. Cook all your meals for the week in one day. Taking a daily walk is beneficial and easier than going to a gym.

Create shortcuts or smaller tasks to achieve the behavior you want to change. Something as simple as taking off your heels after work and putting on walking shoes can satisfy your brain. The next thing you know, you are walking daily after work, and you have created a path of least resistance for your new behavior to develop. These new behaviors will create a new identity for you.

Do not try to do everything at once. Small steps every day will change the person you are over time. Patience, persistence, and perseverance are the keys to your success. Your brain will still choose the easiest option, but now you know; you’re not lazy, you’re normal.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@kennyzhang29

https://unsplash.com/@molliesivaram

Clear, James. “Chapter 12.” Atomic Habits: An Easy &Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, Penguin Randon House LLC, *New York, New York, 2018, pp. 149–158.

Developing The Right Habits

Developing the right habits is essential if you want to change your situation. Doing the same things that you are currently doing will get you nowhere. You must change your mindset, which includes developing new habits. If you are having trouble developing new habits, remember this question. What matters more?

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Developing The Right Habits For You

A great story to illustrate this point comes from the late, great Kobe Bryant. He was being interviewed by a reporter who questioned him about what time he woke up. When Kobe told him he woke up at 3 AM to get to the gym at 4 AM, the reporter was stupefied. Why so early? He asked. Kobe replied because my competitor gets to the gym at 5 AM.

The reporter couldn’t believe Kobe would wake up so early. He said, don’t you like to sleep? I know I do. Kobe didn’t reply, so the reporter asked him if this was a trait with which he was born. Did his father wake up early? Kobe replied, no. Then how do you get up so early, he asked? Calmly, Kobe responded, it comes down to what matters more.

What matters more, sleep or winning? For Kobe, it was winning. He developed the habit of waking up early so he could get in more practice time than his opponents. Whatever type of person you want to become, you must develop new habits. If you desire to be a great athlete, research the habits of great athletes. Are you an artist? Then research habits of great artists. Here is a post about the habits of the wealthy.

developing-right-habits-tracker-meditate
https://unsplash.com/@prophsee

It Is Not Easy

Developing the right habits is difficult. You must be consistent in practicing these new habits. It takes 21 days in a row before a habit will start to form. Some days are going to be more difficult than others. When you go through these days, ask yourself, what matters more?

Changing your routine means getting out of that zone of comfort you are currently living in. For example, most successful people wake up early. Just like Kobe, they want to take advantage of every minute of the day. But sleeping is good, and your bed is oh so comfy. You are safe and warm in your bed.

You feel so good that it is simple to close your eyes and go back to sleep. At that moment, ask yourself, what matters more? Becoming the person you want to be or going back to sleep? By getting up, you have time to read, meditate, exercise, journal, etc. One decision will change your lifestyle, while the other will keep you where you’re at in life. What matters more?

The Great Irene

Look at my post about the heroic deeds of Irene Sendler. Irene risked her life during World War II by smuggling Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. For Irene, what mattered more, was the lives of innocent children over her life.

Are you happy where you are at this point in your life? If not, you must change and begin stretching your comfort zone. Get a little comfortable being uncomfortable. Begin your change by researching and developing the habits of the person you want to become. If you want to improve your relationship, develop habits of people in good relationships. Do you want to be wealthy? Research the habits of rich people. If it becomes difficult to change, remember to ask yourself, what matters more?

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@lazizli

https://unsplash.com/@prophsee

gaining-control-of-your-life-hand-holding-lightbulb

Gaining Control Of Your Life

I missed posting an article last Sunday. This is the first time I have missed posting since I was in the hospital in February. Even when I travel, I have been able to schedule my posts ahead of time. I don’t have an excuse for not posting. I just didn’t have it in me, and when I sat down to write, my mind was blank. Today I want to talk about what happened (or didn’t happen) and gaining control of your life.

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Gaining Control

Last week, I felt like my connection was off. There was just something missing, and I cannot explain it. That was last week. Today is a new day and the beginning of something big! One thing I know about not feeling connected is that it is only disconnected on my side. God/The Universe is always there and is always connected.

To begin gaining control of your life, you must realize you have full control to reconnect your mind. For example, take the electricity to your house. A lamp might not work because the plug came loose. The electricity is still flowing, but the connection has been broken. Plug the lamp back in and the connection is complete. The lamp works once more.

gaining-control-of-your-life-hand-plugging-in-white-electric-plug-white-wall-socket
https://unsplash.com/@kellysikkema

What Went Wrong?

Now that you know you have full control of your life, you just have to figure out what happened to your connection. For me, it could be that I was exposed to too much negativity through the media or other people. Possibly, I spent too much time away from my morning routine and broke the connection. Maybe I didn’t read enough or at all.

Negativity

Negativity is everywhere and impossible to escape for me. I continue to work on handing it better and quickly turning back to what is important to me.

Meditation and Prayer

My morning routine is important. I believe that it is responsible for the positive changes I have made in my life. It is why my relationships with my family have improved; why I am a better husband and father. Also, why I am a better person overall.

Reading

Reading is also a major factor in my life. It also has brought about positive changes in me. The knowledge I acquired by reading helps solidify my beliefs. It also teaches me new techniques. The books I read provide me with different ways of looking at my life which helps me grow.

Traveling

Getting away from my routine and reading frequently happens when I travel. Time away from everything is wonderful. I love traveling with my family and see new places. Sometimes we revisit old places and reconnect. It is great to put everything down once in a while and do nothing. It makes me feel energized and refreshed.

Continue Positive Habits

When traveling, it is important to continue with your positive habits. For myself, I will do a better job of taking time every morning to connect and stay focused even when we are on the road. It is like staying healthy. It is better to live a healthy lifestyle every day than to try to start over again and again. That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy unhealthy food or skip my workouts once in a while. I just do them in moderation.

After all, life is supposed to be live to the fullest. Enjoy every moment of it. It flies by all too quickly. Only don’t forget about the habits that you have developed. Incorporate them into your life when you are home and away. Keep working on gaining control of your life.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@rohanmakhecha

https://unsplash.com/@kellysikkema

what-matters-more-Kobe-wall-mural

What Matters More?

Developing the right habits is essential if you want to change your situation. Doing the same things that you are currently doing will get you nowhere. You must change your mindset. This includes developing new habits. If you are having trouble developing new habits, remember this question. What matters more?

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

Kobe Responded, What Matters More?

A great story to illustrate this point comes from the late, great Kobe Bryant. He was being interviewed by a reporter who was questioning him about what time he wakes up. When Kobe told him he wakes up at 3 AM to get to the gym at 4 AM, the reporter was stupefied. Why so early? He asked. Kobe replied because my competitor gets to the gym at 5 AM.

The reporter couldn’t believe Kobe would wake up so early. He said, don’t you like to sleep? I know I do. Kobe didn’t reply, so the reporter asked him if this was a trait with which he was born. Did his father wake up early? Kobe replied, no. Then how do you get up so early, he asked? Calmly, Kobe responded, it comes down to what matters more.

Sleep or Winning

What matters more, sleep or winning? For Kobe, it was winning. He developed the habit of waking up early so he could get in more practice time than his opponents. Whatever type of person you want to become, you must develop new habits. If you desire to be a great athlete, research the habits of great athletes. Are you an artist? Then research habits of great artists. Here is a post about the habits of the wealthy.

Develop New Habits

Developing new habits is difficult. You must be consistent in practicing these new habits. It takes 21 days in a row before a habit will start to form. Some days are going to be more difficult than others. When you go through these days, ask yourself, what matters more?

Stretch Your Comfort Zone

Changing your routine means getting out of that zone of comfort you are currently living in. For example, most successful people wake up early. Just like Kobe, they want to take advantage of every minute of the day. But sleeping is good, and your bed is oh so comfy. You are safe and warm in your bed.

what-matters-more-girl-waking-up-stretching-stepping-on-scale
https://unsplash.com/@iyunmai

You are feeling so good that it is simple to close your eyes and go back to sleep. At that moment, ask yourself, what matters more? Becoming the person you want to be or going back to sleep? By getting up, you have time to read, meditate, exercise, journal, etc. One decision will change your lifestyle, while the other will keep you where you’re at in life. What matters more?

Irene Sendler

Look at my post about the heroic deeds of Irene Sendler. Irene risked her life during World War II by smuggling Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. For Irene, what mattered more, was the lives of innocent children over her life.

Are you happy where you are at this point in your life? If not, you must change and begin stretching your comfort zone. Get a little comfortable being uncomfortable. Begin your change by researching and developing the habits of the person you want to become. If you want to improve your relationship, develop habits of people in good relationships. Do you want to be wealthy? Research the habits of rich people. If it becomes difficult to change, remember to ask yourself, what matters more?

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@thevoncomplex

https://unsplash.com/@iyunmai

15-habits-rich-people-red-car

15 Habits of Rich People

Most people in the world are not wealthy. It is said that 96% of the world’s wealth is created by 1% of the population. When you look at this statistic, what you see? I see opportunities. We live in an unlimited universe. Each one of us can create wealth. You can increase your wealth by changing your thoughts and developing new habits. Below are 15 habits of rich people to begin working on today.

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Habits Of The Rich

What is wealth? It is defined as an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources. Wealth is subjective. What you consider wealth could be different from what I do. Is it a certain amount of money? For some, the answer is yes. For me, I relate wealth to being financially independent.

Financial independence means the following three things in my mind. First, it means time. You no longer trade time for money. You can now spend more time doing things you love. We all have the same amount of time each day, 1440 minutes. How do you spend yours? Second, it creates options. You are no longer limited to doing things based on price. Eat at the most expensive restaurants and order what you want. Finally, financial independence means peace. Unexpected situations will arise in life. If money is not a problem these situations are easier to deal with.

What is the difference between people with wealth and others? It comes down to one thing, your mindset. Do you have a wealth mindset or a poverty mindset? Begin to cultivate a money mindset. To do that, you must change and become a different person. You have to leave the old you behind. Create thoughts seeing how you want to live in the future. Visualize these thoughts. Your thoughts will become your reality. Eliminate negativity from your life and create new habits.

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15 Habits Of Rich People

Here are 15 habits that are common among wealthy people:

  1. They always have a vision. They know what they want and visualize it daily. Their definite purpose is always on their mind.
  2. The wealthy don’t work for money. They have learned how to make money work for them. Trading time for money will provide you with a good life but not a great one.
  3. They eat healthy & exercise. Taking care of their bodies gives them more energy to be productive.
  4. Wealthy individuals live in the future. They know that their current thoughts will become their reality. It doesn’t matter where you came from, it’s where you’re going.
  5. Rich people are not afraid to fail. Failure is part of the process of becoming wealthy. They learn from their failures until they succeed.
  6. They wake up early. This gives them time to think and meditate. It prepares their mind for the challenges of the day.
  7. Wealthy people give thanks every day. They show gratitude for what they have and realize it can be taken away.
  8. The rich don’t waste time with television or social media. They realize that the negativity that comes from all forms of media. 70% watch an hour or less a day.
  9. They love to read. The wealthy spend time every day reading and expanding their minds. Develop a habit of reading daily for self-improvement.
  10. The wealthy have mentors. They develop a mastermind group to help them gain knowledge that they don’t have.
  11. Goal setting is a priority. They set goals, develop a plan, and work towards accomplishing their goals.
  12. They eliminate negativity in their life. This includes thoughts, habits, and/or people. Hanging onto negative people gets you nowhere.
  13. Wealthy individuals are always learning. They learn how to manage their finances and daily lives. Most importantly, they learn how to market themselves.
  14. They believe in abundance. Our universe provides an unlimited supply for everyone. The wealthy have learned how to tap into that supply.
  15. They make each day productive and driven by results. So much of your day can be taken up by nonproductive activities. Wealthy people avoid them.

Improve Your Life

Men and women who are financially independent do things differently than those who aren’t. By creating the same habits in your life you can begin to change. Your habits have gotten you to where you’re at right now. If you’re satisfied, keep doing what you’re doing. If you want to improve your situation, begin filling your day with these 15 habits that are common among wealthy people.

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I hope this post is helpful to you. Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought. If it wasn’t your cup of tea let me know also. I’m always looking to improve and your comments help.

Making Good Choices – Ep 13

Welcome to my Podcast, Making Good Choices – Ep 13. Today I want to talk about the choices we make. Before you listen to the Podcast, don’t forget to like, comment, and follow. Subscribe to my team below and click on my links to purchase the products I recommend from Amazon.

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Making Good Choices – Ep 13

We have choices to make every day. Do we get out of bed now or do we roll over and go back to sleep? Do we pick up our phone as soon as we wake up or look at it later? What are we going to wear? What are we going to have for breakfast? We are inundated with choices that we have to make every day. In my blog titled, Anxiety (COVID-19), I wrote about the current situation that we are facing today and how that has created choices. We have a choice between faith and fear. I will always choose faith over fear.

Habits

The first step to making a decision to change is simple, you have to look inside yourself. Write down everything that you do on a normal day. The next day, read what you have written down. These are the habits that have gotten you to where you are now in life. If that’s where you want to be and you are happy, then continue doing these things.

If you are not where you want to be in life and want more out of it, then you have to change these habits. My advice, if you’re looking for a place to start, is to read or listen to books about the habits of people you would consider successful. Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a great book to start with. Successful people become successful not out of luck, but through their daily habits. If you want more out of life, ask yourself if you are willing to change. If the answer is yes, then there is no better time to start than now.

Making-good-choices-black-train
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Final Thoughts

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Choices

We have choices to make every day. Do we get out of bed now or do we roll over and go back to sleep? Do we pick up our phone as soon as we wake up or look at it later? What are we going to wear? What are we going to have for breakfast? We are inundated with choices that we have to make every day. In my blog titled, Anxiety (COVID-19), I wrote about the current situation that we are facing today and how that has created choices. We have a choice between faith and fear. I will always choose faith over fear. I see and hear people every day that have chosen fear. I can understand given the information that we are being fed why they chose fear. A lot of choices that we make in life are based on the information that we have been fed. If you are being told that wealthy people are just lucky and if you are not wealthy, then it is because you are not lucky. You do not believe that you can change because you believe luck is something you either have or do not have.

The truth is that wealth has nothing to do with luck and has everything to do with a willingness to change as well as the choices that you make. The Internet has created incredible opportunities for people to make money. There are people that make a lot of money posting videos of themselves. They made a choice to make a business out of posting videos. They found a niche and they spend hours shooting, editing, and uploading their videos. The vast majority of people have chosen just to watch videos of other people and spend hours doing so. One of the things that I tell people is; that you can make money online or you can watch other people make money online. It’s simply a choice that you make, but it also requires you to change.

The first step to making a decision to change is simple, you have to look inside yourself. Write down everything that you do during a normal day. The next day, read what you have written down. These are the habits that have gotten you to where you are now in life. If that’s where you want to be and you are happy then continue doing these things. If you are not where you want to be in life and want more out of it, then you have to change these habits. My advice, if you’re looking for a place to start, is to read or listen to books about the habits of people you would consider successful. Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a great book to start with. Successful people become successful not out of luck, but through their daily habits. If you want more out of life, ask yourself if you are willing to change. If the answer is yes, then there is no better time to start than now.

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

  • Albert Einstein

Take your list of daily habits and review it to see which ones are holding you back. Compare them with the habits of your chosen successful people and write down your list of new habits that you are going to start developing today. Remember that it took you years to develop the habits that you have now and will take some time to develop new habits. If you stick to your new habits on a daily basis, before long, they will become your everyday life. Get ready for a new you. You might find that you are dressing better, eating better, sleeping better, and overall accomplishing everything you want to do.

I write about this in almost every one of my blogs and particularly in my last post titled The Power of Words, but for me, it’s so important that it needs to be said again and again. The number one thing I teach people is to always remember WHY you started something. WHY did you start that business, begin that relationship, want to lose weight, etc. Changing old habits is not easy. You might have been doing some of these habits for decades. We as humans tend to do things that are comfortable. Old habits are like a warm blanket, wonderfully comfortable. We are constantly pulled back to that warm blanket. New habits can be uncomfortable to tackle at first. When you feel yourself being pulled back to that warm blanket, you must think of WHY you wanted to make that change. By continually working on your new habits daily, they will then become your new warm blanket.

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The big question that you have to ask yourself is, “Am I willing to change in order to succeed?” Success just like faith and fear is a choice. If you choose to be successful and are willing to change your habits to do what successful people do, then you can live as successful people live. There is an unlimited amount of wealth but only a small percentage of people tap into it. The reason most people are not wealthy is that only a small percentage make the choice. They change their habits and are willing to do everything necessary to become wealthy. The universe will supply abundance for everyone. It’s not for just a select few, it’s for all of us, but you have to be willing to change in order to receive it.

What are your daily habits? Are you willing to change those habits? What is your WHY? Are you willing to take what life throws at you, shrug it off, and keep moving forward? Do you want to make money online or watch other people make money online? Don’t stand on the sidelines, put on the pads, buckle up your chinstrap, and get in the game. You are a winner, now go win.

Do you make good choices? I would love to hear your comments on habits that have made you successful. What are some habits that might be holding you back? If you like this post, click the little star below.

I appreciate every like, follow, comment and share. Keep’em coming.