Non-Negotiable Habits

I often ask myself why it is that I seem to have so much trouble sticking with my commitment to changing certain behaviors and habits; doing what I need to do to create the results I want for my life. Even though I desperately want to change something about my existence, it seems that invariably there comes a time when I simply stop whatever it was that I started.
Why we do that is a very relevant question for most people because the vast majority of us have a history of starting and stopping certain behaviors. In reality, most of us know what we need to do. And for a while, we do it. Then we stop. Masters of incompletion. We have enough reasons to do it, we have the time to do it (despite what we tell others) and we certainly have the potential to create amazing results.

Why do you take a shower each and every day? (Please tell me you shower every day!) It is programmed into our hard drive and is not an optional behavior. As a result, we have no motivational issues when it comes to personal hygiene (I hope) Cleanliness is one of our Non-Negotiable Habits. Same goes for parents changing diapers or rescuing a loved one from a burning building; there is no other option in your mind.

Something a little different happens when it comes to exercise or business goals, even though we know exactly what to do, and why we should do it? We haven’t made the relevant mind and body-changing habits non-negotiables in our life. On some level we still consider work goals and exercise to be optional.

Too many of us are out of shape (physically, emotionally, financially, professionally) because we haven’t made certain behaviors and habits non-negotiables in our life. You know the ones I mean. Somewhere in that lump on top of your shoulders you still consider some things to be optional, that’s why you continue to go around in circles in certain areas of your life.
You may not even be aware of your ‘optional mindset’ but if you have a history of almost getting things done, then I’m talking to you. Do you like ending up in the same place all the time? Didn’t think so. Until you and I make those occasional behaviors, Non-Negotiable Habits we won’t see forever results and we won’t see genuine change.

You know what to do.