What is the one skill that will get you to endure the discomfort, rejection, setbacks that are an inevitable part of the journey to success?
It’s making decisions ahead of time. Let me explain.
Our brain has two parts:
Our primitive is programmed for survival. It only cares about avoiding pain, seeking pleasure, and conserving energy.
Our prefrontal part is the higher brain which can plan ahead, delay instant gratification and focus on the future.
In today’s society we are rarely exposed to the type of danger the primitive brain is protecting us from. It’s our job to use our prefrontal cortex to override the primitive brain and take the type of action that leads to success.
The way we do this is by planning and making decisions ahead of time. We decide what we need to do to advance towards goals, and plan when we will do it.
We are excited when we make the plan but when the time comes to do the work, we won’t feel like it. Our brain will offer sneaky distractions (like checking email, the news, etc.).
Our work is in choosing to follow through with the decision made earlier. Despite not feeling like it; despite the distractions. Each one of those honored decisions adds up to success. You start trusting yourself to do what you said you would.
And, you DON'T need to overwork to have great success.
You only need to work very smart within the hours you have scheduled. You need to allow much less time for distraction and much more time for staying focused on the work you don't feel like doing at the moment. That is the secret.
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