You Know What to Do

Every day, I try to be a student of life. I look for the lessons and, as best as I can, try to learn from them. And as I continue along on my change journey, every day is a reminder of just how hard it can be to change your life. That was why, in a recent post, I wrote about the need to change what you can. And from that I want to dive a little deeper into another point: you know what to do.

The Faultline

For several months now, my main struggle has been to get in more writing time. There are several reasons, er excuses, for this. I’m still adjusting to working overnights, which I’ve only been doing since early May. I don’t get a lot of sleep and often feel exhausted. And, best of all, I let distractions rule me and the day. It’s no wonder that the available free time I have in the day is quicky eaten up.

Still, I promise myself that I’m going to write more. Yet I don’t. It’s a real struggle these days to build the good habits that will create momentum and propel me and my goals forward. Because I find myself still reaching for my phone. Or turning the TV on (even though I cancelled my Prime Video subscription). Or succumbing to the fatigue and sort of just spinning. Even when change is a struggle, deep down you know what to do. Facing up to it is the hard part. And I’m not, and this is the tragedy, embracing what Jim Rohn defined as the key formula for success: “a few well-thought-out disciplines practiced every day.”¹

You Know What to Do

It’s been over 100 days since I embarked on my change journey, and every night I reflect on what I’ve done (or haven’t done as the case may be). And when I look back over what I’ve written, on numerous occasions I’ve identified what’s working for me, what’s not, and what I need to do more of. It’s clear, and I know what I have to do to succeed. Here’s the catch: sometimes “it’s easy to keep doing what doesn’t work. It’s easy to keep bad habits. It’s easy not to develop the disciplines.”²

When you know what to do, then you must find the courage to do it. I know that to get more writing done, I need to turn my phone off and put it away. I need to develop the discipline to not get up and do the thing that pops into my mind. Some days, I will need to push through the fatigue and not succumb to the urge to nap. Because when it comes to change, nothing will change if I don’t.

Yes, you know what to do…now go do it.

By the way, let me tell you that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter. And, best of all, you do not need anyone’s permission to be—unapologetically—who you are.

1. Rohn, J. (2022). The Power of Ambition: Awakening the Powerful Force Within You, Shippensburg, Nightingale-Conant-Corporation., p. 65. [↩]
2. Rohn, J., p. 65. [↩]