Black Man, you already know what time it is! This part never gets old to me… I love and appreciate you Black Man!
Black Man, today we taking it there. Today’s message is for the man in the mirror. So with that being said, I want you, to let me talk to the realist that lives in you… Yep, today I don’t want to talk to your representative that gets fly for the rest of the world every time you walk out the door. Nah, he's cool but more than likely his strings are being pulled by another part of you that he is a cover for…
The person I want to read today's message is the “you” that tells you about yourself. The “you” who isn’t scared to say to you, “Bro you trippin’” or “It’s time to go” or better yet, “Nah we ain’t going in there.” That is who I need to talk to today, so go ahead and take your time to get him and bring him to the screen. Don’t worry, I’ll wait…
Alright, now that “YOU” are here, I need you to stop allowing yourself to not finish what you start. Yep, I need you to step up your follow-through game! Look around bro, you got too much that you have started to have so little of it finished… Yeah, we going there today, you gotta follow through bro, it’s that simple…
You started the book about…. But didn’t finish it…
You started working on the _________ at your house… “But what had happened was…” didn’t finish it…
I was going to the gym to knock these cool 20lbs off but then my job started switching up my hours and then… Didn’t finish it…
Yeah, it all sounds good but the truth is those are excuses. Yes, EXCUSES… You have allowed the excuse-generating version of yourself to take total control and choke out Mr. Motivation.
That has to stop Black Man, you have to take control of your tomorrow, today. The easiest way to take that control is by starting to set a deadline for whatever it is you are working on. So far, it’s been so easy for you to stop/pause/quit / whatever excuse you want to use as to why you have not finished what you have set out to accomplish because there is no set or definite time you have in place to finish the “project.” Concrete deadlines create a sense of urgency within us and an increased level of focus. By doing something as simple as developing a realistic time frame for completing whatever you are working on, you can dramatically increase your productivity. Plan your work and work your plan.
Every day people complain about their job working them to death, well that's because the moment that you hit the floor, there are clear expectations of what must be done and when the task must be completed. Black Man, if you adopt the same parameters to your life, you will find yourself making the desired progress and seeing results in no time. Simply put, it is not enough to say “I am going to do x, y, and z” If you really about that life, you need to sit down and put a plan in place that you can follow that has a clear and concise deadline or a due date so you can complete x y and z.
Alright, Black Man, we are about to wrap it up here in a minute but let me make a couple more quick notes about creating your deadlines. Be realistic. Bro, you are not losing 20 lbs this month if you haven’t been working out consistently over the last 3 to 4 months. Of course, 20 lbs in a month can be done but it’s not plausible if you haven’t gotten yourself into the routine of properly dieting and exercising. I would suggest that you give yourself 2 months to lose the 20lbs and set your bi-weekly goal of 5lbs. That way you can keep track of your progress and by losing 5lbs in 2 weeks you will be motivated to keep going once you see yourself hitting your benchmarks. Small wins always lead to big victories…
Don’t trip, I understand weight loss may not be your challenge. You could be dealing with constantly starting and stopping things that you want to do but are struggling with finding enough time to actually finish it. Take the same approach of setting a deadline and then breaking the task down into realistic achievable action steps that will make the job easier to complete. Let’s say your goal is to complete a project at the house. Give yourself a month to do the project.
The first weekend, do all your measurements and pricing of your materials. The next weekend go to Home Depot, Loews, or wherever you are going to get the materials from and pick up what you need. Finally, divide the actual completion of the work over the final two weeks. By meticulously completing each step you will find that you will be more motivated to actually finish the project once you have got the ball rolling.
It is a neurological fact that completing a task that you set out to do no matter how big or small generates dopamine in the brain. The “Rush” that you will get from completing the benchmarks or tasks along the way, will naturally create the desire to keep going because as we know the brain is wired to consistently chase the “high” that dopamine provides. Let me make it plain, if you give yourself a deadline, create a plan, stick to it, and achieve your goal, you will anatomically become “addicted” to the process and essentially your “success.” Black Man something as small as creating and adhering to a self-imposed deadline could be the key to you redesigning yourself into a much more productive person and well on your way to creating the life that you truly desire.
Alright, Black Man, I am going to stop this one right here. I feel confident that I have painted enough of a picture that you can take the ball and run from this point. Just remember as with any shift we are attempting to make within our life, setting deadlines will not just happen for you right away. It will take some getting used to, but I guarantee that if you stick with it and eventually master it, you will begin to rise to the levels you desire in no time… Because the alternative is the same system of excuses that you find yourself making now. And as for excuses, let me leave you with what I learned about excuses in the 7th grade…
Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, which build monuments out of nothing. And those who specialize in them seldom become good at anything else…
Black Man, stop making excuses, so you can finally start seeing some results by setting some deadlines for yourself! I love you and I’m out!
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