Morning after Morning – Part 1

Success takes work and repetition

Results come from repetitive action in the right direction. You’ve probably read about how I think you should align to do the right things but it certainly doesn’t stop without action. (You haven’t read it? Check it out here) After you align your values, goals, priorities then it is time to execute on those goals. The difficulty comes with executing those actions day after day, month after month and year after year. It is hard to stay committed. Often times, we make excuses or just flat out don’t take the actions we need to take.

Back when I was working with clients as a personal trainer there were all kinds of excuses to miss a workout. Here are a couple:

• Meeting ran long
• Overslept, alarm didn’t go off
• Felt bloated
• I thought it was tomorrow (but I can’t make it tomorrow)
• [My Favorite] My dog wouldn’t come inside from using the restroom this morning so I couldn’t make it.

Do you think these clients ever got results and reached their goals? No way. No one is ever perfect, and even the best clients missed a workout, but you can’t expect to get results if you don’t show up regularly. Your results will not come overnight, and they won’t come without doing the steps it takes. Excuses won’t get you where you want to go.

It isn’t quite springtime yet, but we are already thinking about what to plant in our garden and preparing for the growing season. Being able to enjoy fresh fruits and veggies takes more than just planting and forgetting. Growing your plants to eventually reap a harvest means constant work to water, prune, and maintain your garden. Results don’t come easily or quickly. It’s the same for all areas of goals: personal, professional, weight-loss, spiritual, financial, etc. You have to keep working at your goals to reap a harvest.

Your goals mean something to you or you would not have set them as your goals. Now that you have them it is time to work on them everyday until they are achieved. I love the way Moses writes about the Israelites in offering their goods to build the sanctuary in the Tabernacle. Exodus 36:3 says the “people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.” They brought so much that the workers had to stop working to go tell Moses they had “more than enough” (Ex. 36:5). Do you bring your offerings morning after morning? Our efforts towards God’s work should be a constant offering to Him. Our work towards our goals needs the same effort to be successful. Are you using your talents, your money, your time, and your energy everyday to reach the things you want to achieve?

What keeps you from being consistent? Do you strive to give your best everyday? Excuses don’t lead to results.

What excuses have you heard or used? Leave me a comment below and let me know some good or funny ones! And come back next week for part 2 of this series.