Last time, in Struggling with Self-Motivation:  Why Most Days I’d Rather Sit on My…,we talked about the battle that goes on in our minds between two competing desires:

1. The desire to be productive
2. The desire to be lazy

I don’t know about you, but I find it incredibly easier to do things, even hard things, when I feel like it and have the self motivation to do so.

The problem is that, sometimes, I just don’t feel like doing the things I know I need to do.  There’s no emotion, passion or drive to do them, so they don’t get done.

I’ve observed that something interesting happens if I make myself do what I ought to do, even though I don’t feel like it.  I start to feel like it.

Eugene H. Peterson, in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, said,

“We can act ourselves into a new way of feeling much quicker than we can feel ourselves into a new way of action.”

In other words, if you wait until you feel like doing it…you’re going to be waiting a long time.  But if you take that first step and start doing what you know you need to do, you’ll begin to feel the passion and the energy that comes from taking action.  You can fake it until you feel it.

I think this principle can be applied to just about every aspect of our lives:

• You can love someone even if you don’t feel like loving them right now.
• You can do something hard, challenging, or difficult even if you don’t feel like doing it.
• You can take a step toward your dreams, even if you gave up long ago.

What do you think?  Are there any instances where this would not be true?

You might also like:

• Your habits:  friends or foes?
• How to reduce stress
• The power of a sense of urgency

Somewhere in Southern Utah

Two weeks ago I was in San Diego, California, to attend the Christian Leadership Alliance conference.

I’ll tell you more about it in future posts, because I heard some great speakers who shared some great insights for anyone looking to make change in their life and live to their full potential.

Anyway, my pastor heard that I was there, and he called me to tell me he’d been searching online for a certain car he wanted to buy…and it just happened to be in San Diego.

His next words were, “So if I buy it, you wouldn’t want to drive it back home to Grand Rapids, would you?”

I called my wife to see if she’d mind if I came home a few days later than I had expected…actually it was 3 days…and 2,400 miles later.  She agreed that it would be great to help them out, and I’d be able to enjoy a little adventure driving across the country, so we said yes.

The drive was absolutely beautiful.  From San Diego, I drove to Las Vegas, then through Utah up to Salt Lake City, then through southern Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and finally Michigan.  I drove through desert, mountains, and plains, through farmland and major cities.  And I stopped to check out a few historical points of interest along the way.

One thing I hadn’t expected was how much thinking I’d do while I was driving.  I enjoy listening to talk radio, so I did that quite a bit, but I also brought along some CDs from the conference and I listened to several of my favorite podcasts.

At first, I began to think mostly about work projects, and all the things I needed to get done.  Then I began to think about my personal life more:  my family and other relationships.

Eventually, I began to think more about my personal goals and objectives, across each of my major life areas.  I reviewed some of the things I had hoped to accomplish but hadn’t yet. I began to think about things I wanted to change in my life…and wonder why I hadn’t been successful at doing them yet.

This drive across America became the drive of my life, as I had several days to do nothing but drive and think about all the things that were important to me.  The experience reminded me that we all need some uninterrupted time, every now and then, to evaluate our lives at a deeper level than we might normally do on a weekly or monthly basis.

What works for you?  Do you tend to think about your life while you’re on a long drive?  Or is it hard for you to do that while focusing on driving?

When and where do you enjoy thinking about the deeper things of life?  Please share your experiences.

You might also like:

• How a stay at a cottage can change your life
• The weekly review
• Why busyness doesn’t equal productivity or success

One of my mentors gave me this many years ago.  I don’t know who authored it, but it speaks to how powerful our habits are to shape us for better or worse.

Who Am I?

You may know me, I’m your constant companion. I’m your greatest helper, I’m your heaviest burden.  I’ll push you onward or drag you down to failure.  I’m at your command.

Half the tasks you do, you might as well turn over to me.  I’ll be able to do them real quickly.  I’ll do them the same every time, if that’s what you want.  I’m easily managed, all you must do is be firm with me.  Show me exactly how you want it done.  After a few lessons, I’ll do it for you automatically.

I’m the servant of all great men and women, and of course, a servant of the failures as well.  I’ve made all great men who have ever been great, I’ve made all the failures too.  I work with all the precision of a marvelous computer, and with the intelligence of a human being.

You may run me for profit, or you may run me to ruin, It’ll make no difference to me.  I’ll put the world at your feet.  But, be easy with me, I’ll destroy you.

Who Am I?  Your habits.

Some things that stand out to me:

• Habits are our servants. We program them and then they run automatically.
• Habits serve everyone for good or ill.
• It takes the same amount of time to cultivate either good or bad habits.

Every time I read this, I’m reminded to think about my habits.  Which ones are helping me achieve my dreams and goals?  Which ones are keeping me from achieving them?  What changes can I make to turn a negative habit into a positive one?

What about you?  How much do you think about your habits?  And do you know which ones are helping or hurting you as you seek to achieve your dreams?

You might also like:

• Taking action:  the miracle of the first step
• Reduce work stress:  do your most important work first
• Can email addiction keep you from achieving your goals?
  

Today I want to brag on my friend “FMF” who blogs at Free Money Finance, an excellent personal finance blog.  FMF gives away all the profits from his blog.  So far, he’s given away over $200,000 to charity!

If you’ve ever doubted that you could make a real difference in the world, FMF proves you can.  He says:

It’s pretty cool that by simply writing (me) and reading (you) a personal finance blog that we all can help so many people from around the world.

Pretty cool, indeed!  Way to go FMF, for showing us that anyone can use what they know, have, and do to make a difference. Here’s the list of FMF supported charities in 2009.

What New Year’s Resolutions Are Right for You?  Here’s an easy way to figure it out:

1. Start thinking of some of the things in your life that you already know you want to change or that have bothered you for a while.
2. Ask those who are close to you – your spouse, friends, co-workers, maybe even your boss – if they have any suggestions for you. If they’re honest, I’ll bet they’ll have a suggestion or two for you.

Chances are, one or more of these nine popular New Year’s Resolutions will probably end up on your list:

1. Get organized
2. Get out of debt
3. Lose weight
4. Quit smoking
5. Quit drinking
6. More time with friends and family
7. Enjoy life more
8. Learn a new skill
9. Get a better job (or maybe just any job)

Once you’ve developed a list, ask yourself “Why is this goal or resolution important for me?”  Write your answer down, and then ask the question again.

Repeat this several times until you feel you’ve really gained a good understanding of what goals are important to you, why, and what difference it would make if you achieved them.

Next, pick your top three and make a plan for how you’re going to achieve them.

Lastly, take action!

Check my next post for nine tips on how to increase your chances for success in achieving your resolutions.

Ready or not…the year 2010 has arrived.  While I join with many who celebrate 2010’s arrival with a great deal of excitement and hope for what the new year will bring, I recognize that others face the New Year with feelings of anxiety, fear, and disappointment.

I can relate, as I’ve felt some of those negative feelings before – maybe you have too.  For me, they came as a result of not having achieved my New Years Resolutions in the previous year, and the changes I had hoped to accomplish in my life.

Have you ever wondered why only a few people succeed in making change in their lives – and how you can be one of them?

I think the difference between success and failure in achieving New Year’s Resolutions, and making any change in our lives, is the difference between wishes and goals.  A wish is something you hope for.  A goal is something you plan for.

In my estimation, the vast majority of people are really just making wishes, not goals, when they make New Years Resolutions.  And deep down, they expect to fail.  Why else would so many people joke about not keeping their resolutions?

To be successful in achieving New Year’s Resolutions, or change in any area of life, we need to set realistic goals, make step-by-step plans, and take action.

One reason people fail is because this process is foreign to them – it not a part of most people’s life experience.  Too many of us are content to largely just let life happen to us.  We respond to what comes our way, but we don’t knock ourselves out to try to make things better or be different.

If you struggle with achieving your New Years Resolutions, move beyond wishful thinking this year and make a plan for how you’re going to achieve them.

And if you are having trouble deciding what Resolutions are right for you, check out my next post, where I’ll share Nine of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions.

Today my wife, kids and I are wrapping up our 2-week Christmas holiday in Florida and the Caribbean.  It was a little “different” for us Northerners as this was the first time we celebrated Christmas without the cold and snow.  But we still took time, as always, to reflect on the real meaning and reason for the season. We had a blessed holiday and I hope you did too.

Earlier this week, I checked a few things off my Master Dream List, since we were able to accomplish them on this holiday:

1. Take my wife and kids on a Caribbean cruise.
2. Take the family to Disney World.

I also spent a few minutes looking over that list at what had been accomplished in the last year.

Gratefully, 2009 is over!  What I mean is that 2009 has come to an end, and I’m grateful for all that I’ve accomplished in this year.  A number of my dreams and goals were achieved, and I made progress on several others that are still in the works for 2010.

Some of these were achieved due to direct effort and planning on my part.  Others were total blessings that I had no control over at all – like the cruise and the trip to Disney World.

2009 has been a great year for me in so many ways. What about you?

Children in Zambia

Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day.  Two years ago, I was in the village of Jembo, Zambia on World AIDS Day.  It was my second visit there in a year’s time.  This time, I was with a group from my church, as part of a two-week trip to both Zambia and Zimbabwe.

We were there to gain a greater understanding of the devastating toll that HIV/AIDS has had in those countries (we visited several people who were dying of AIDS, and saw how orphans and widows are being cared for), encourage local pastors and leaders, and learn about the economic and community development projects we had sponsored, which provided a livelihood for many people.

On that day, the local church in the village of Jembo sponsored an AIDS awareness parade, which our group participated in.  We, along with dozens of locals, went through the village dancing, singing and holding signs to encourage people in the fight against AIDS, reminding them that it can be prevented, and encouraging them as they cared for those who had been widowed or orphaned because of AIDS.

While there, I learned that one in five people in Zambia are infected with AIDS, and I think it is one in four in Zimbabwe.  They have a saying about HIV/AIDS in that region: “You’re either infected or you’re affected.”  Because if you don’t have it, you likely know someone in your family or circle of friends who does.

I was impressed by one of the songs we sang in the parade, written by a lady in the village.  I can’t remember all the words, but it talked about the importance of moving forward and not going backward when faced with challenges or troubles.

The challenges I face in my life are nothing compared with the life-and-death situations many people in Africa (and other parts of the world) face on a daily basis.  Their courage to keep moving forward, no matter the obstacles, encourages me to keep moving forward.  I’ll always treasure the time I had there and the people I met.  I can’t wait to go again.