Day 8 — The Beginning Of A Second Week

I just realized it's almost funny, I started writing this newsletter on Tuesday.

Not Monday, but Tuesday. You know how many people say:

"From Monday, I'll start!"

"Tomorrow!"

Or the worst of them all:

"New Year, New Me. Wahoo! Now let me drink beer and eat those chips"

There's always a delayed process for some reason.

I've been like this and am still guilty of doing everything "Tomorrow".

It even happened with this newsletter. I've been thinking of starting it for years, and have kept delaying it, switching things out.

But for some reason, I decided last week to start writing today. It didn't matter what time or day it was.

I just wanted to start writing. And so it began.

Only now have I realized that it was on Tuesday.

It made me think. Why do we keep delaying things we said to do?

2 main things came up to me:

1. We're scared of:

   1. Outcome

      1. Success

      2. Failure

   2. Journey & Experience

2. We simply don't wish for it enough

Let's start with the second one since it's easier to explain.

You know how at the end of December people say they will change their diet, cut ties with bad habits, start working out, etc?

Most of them disregard it completely after New Year's Eve.

Some even start in January and stop completely after a first gym session with their revolutionary changes.

Some people continue after the first workout session and stop at the end of January.

But the rare ones continue with it, year-round, and never stop.

The difference between the people who give up (or don't even start), and the people who work out throughout the whole year, is simply a strong desire.

They are hungry for it, they have strong desire, willpower, and discipline.

This goes for everything in life. I've chosen Health as it's the most prevalent at a New Year's Eve resolution.

Focus, have that strong desire inside you, gather some willpower, have discipline to do it daily, and go for it.

Now let's go to the first reason; What are people scared of?

First of all, the outcome. People are scared of success and failure.

Success because they don't know what will happen once they achieve it.

They have been so stagnant and complacent, that the feeling of achieving something this big, is impossible. Even if they do achieve it, they won't know how to behave.

What will other people think of them? So many scenarios are happening in their mind, and their brain simply says that it's better to stay like this. "You're already familiar with it."

As for the failure one, since it's all new to them, they don't want to fail. It sucks, and it hurts their ego.

"People will laugh at me!" -- Even if they do, they will forget about you in 5-10 minutes, they are too occupied and worried about people laughing at them. Who cares? No one is perfect, over time you get better.

"What if I fail, and it was a time-wasted idea?" -- Okay, better that you tried something than to stay in one place and be a couch potato.

Just start, and learn from failures. Failures are good, they are better teachers than anything else. Embrace them. Many successful people have failed in their lives.

Now let's go with fear of the Journey and lack of Experience.

Where will it take them, what's the road like, "I need to plan everything up ahead before starting!"

"But I am completely new at this, I don't know anything..."

How about this; just start today, and worry about things later. Think about planning along the way.

Of course, if you're going to a gym, watch some videos on how to do certain exercises so you don't get injured. Find a workout plan for beginners (it takes a few minutes to find hundreds of them) and start.

Over time, you'll see what works and what doesn't. You find your preferences, and you adjust.

One step at a time.

My main point of this email was to show you, that they are simply all excuses.

If you want something bad enough, are focused and disciplined, thinks one step at a time, and starts today, you can't go wrong.

Embrace failures, and push forward. Your brain is very powerful. Use it wisely, and don't let it control you.

You'll achieve great things like this.

With that said, the 8th day has been completed.

I'll see you tomorrow!

Don't forget, always chase your dreams.

Dejan Kopunovic