You’re reading Get Started On Your Goals In Under 2 Minutes, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Back from Christmas vacation in Hawaii, I found myself sitting on the floor of my home office on the morning of New Year’s Eve. I was happy to be back in the comfort of my own home while realizing that tomorrow is a brand new year and its back to the same routine.

Being a goal oriented person I had huge goals for 2019 which required internal mindset shifts to reach them. As I sat on the floor reflecting I was afraid of resorting back to my same old mindsets and habits of 2018. Having the same habits and routines would be my goal’s demise.

Something needed to change.

I knew that habits were dictated by my environment and I needed a total revamp of my home office if I was going to have new perspectives and new mindsets.

Fearing stagnation I knew that needed to act right now before I lost motivation.

Change Waits For No One

How many of you were inspired towards a goal or making change but did a little bit of too much thinking and ended up doing nothing?

Or experienced analysis paralysis because of too many options?

What about feeling this uncomfortable pit in your stomach when you didn’t get what you wanted because you failed to act and the opportunity passed you by?

We’ve all been there.

When you wait too long to take action your brain comes up with more excuses to stay put.

You start losing momentum and motivation. Your energy dissipates as you do nothing. Then you decide to not do whatever you wanted to do. Life stays the same and you end up not changing.

You’ve Got 5 Seconds to Seize Opportunity

Every time you step outside your comfort zone your brain sends a danger alert. Anything outside of the norm will cause doubt, anxiety, and fear because we are wired to crave comfort and familiarity to keep us safe.

A book by Mel Robbins called The 5 Second Rule discusses this automatic fear response. She teaches her readers to take action towards a goal within 5 seconds.

When you feel inspired count down from 5 seconds and do something.

Take any small action to get you started. Any longer than 5 seconds and your brain will convince you out of it.

Imperfect Action Trumps Perfect Action

Being a self-development junkie I was aware of the inertia that I needed to overcome if my 2019 goals were to have a chance to come to fruition.

In my mind I had a mental list of a hundred things that I could change to keep myself from going back to the same old mindset and routine.

But I didn’t know what to do first. I wasn’t sure if it should be an organized, methodical effort or follow the creative spark of randomness.

At the moment I was on the brink of losing the inspiration to change the space in my home office.

Painfully aware that this inspiration to change is fleeting I applied Mel Robbins 5-Second Rule immediately.

Instead of waiting for my vision of my ideal home office to completely crystallize I got started with the little things,

  • I emptied my bookshelf and moved it to the other side of the room.
  • I unplugged all the outlets and dragged my desk to the other wall.
  • I jumped on Pinterest looking for bookshelf decorating ideas and to be inspired by other images.

Gradually changes started to snowball as additional ideas came to me the more action I took.

After having a bland, organized office set up for over 4 years I bought potted plants to bring in new energy.

I found myself driving to different department stores to look for throw pillows. Something that I would have never done because I disliked decorating and treasure hunting at discount department stores was a pain in the butt.

I purchased items that I thought was frivolous in the past but from a decorating perspective added beauty to the room.

Slowly my office started to look more presentable and the space transformed to being more beautiful. It was a whirlwind of action as I rode on the wave of inspiration to change myself and change my home.

Within a week’s time I can confidently say that I have shifted the energy in my home office to that of a sense of newness and it took only 5 seconds to get started.

Everyone has 5 seconds to take new action and to start on any of their goals. The decision comes down to implementing Nike’s slogan of Just Do It. Take action and you’re well on your way to changing your life!

Candace is a personal trainer and blogger at Rhodes To Strength. She helps women achieve amazing toned bodies through weight lifting so they can feel healthy and confident on the beach and in their businesses. She’s offering a free email course on her website which teaches you everything you need to get started on your own weightlifting journey to transform your body and your life.

 

You’ve read Get Started On Your Goals In Under 2 Minutes, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.