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Sometimes we have to be compelled to do the things we know we should do. For those who lack internal discipline, external sources can be the force the pushes them to action…and sometimes even to greatness.
My mother-in-law was quite overweight most of the 20 plus years Sam and I had been married. She knew about diet and exercise, but wasn't motivated to act on that knowledge. At least, not until she was diagnosed with diabetes. She was told her life was in danger and that she would die unless she began to take care of herself and follow a very strict dietary regimen.
To be honest, I did not have high hopes for a massive behavioral change. I hadn't seen much evidence that she had the wherewithal to do something so many people struggle with. But she surprised us all. She learned about her knew eating guidelines and has followed them—to the letter—ever since.
She dropped more than 40 pounds and got her disease under control.
While there are times for all of us when the natural course of life forces us to learn hard lessons and pushes us beyond what we think we can endure, we can also choose to live lives employing productive habits and best personal practices.
Your mission in life must include a commitment to being the best that you can possibly be. There is absolutely no inherent value in mediocrity.
I thought long and hard about that statement. “There is absolutely no inherent value in mediocrity.” It is profoundly true. It doesn't require unrealistic expectations or unfair comparisons to others. Being your own personal best is, rather, the perfect baseline for how to live your best life.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What is the point of not being in the best physical shape?
- What is the point of not being the best spouse, parent, sibling, child, friend?
- What is the point of not being in the best financial shape?
- What is the point of not being the best leader?
- What is the point of not being the best listener?
- What is the point of not giving the best customer service?
- What is the point of not being the best student?
- What is the point of not having the best attitude?
- What is the point of not surrounding yourself by the best people?
- What is the point of not dwelling on the best thoughts?
- What is the point of not being your best?
Commitment to being the best is a commitment to reaching your potential, to setting goals, making progress, adjusting actions, and moving forward. At times the movement is incremental. At times it your progress by leaps and bounds. But the movement is constant.
Being the best is not an act, but a habit.
Make best habits a lifetime practice!
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Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
A lot of people have an external locus of control (they get motivated by external factors) and I think that’s not as great as having an internal locus of control, because it’s actually difficult to find the ‘right’ stimulus to improve yourself if you’re depending on others. I know people who know it’s wrong to ignore the deterioration of their health, or that it’s wrong to possess certain personality traits, but they don’t have the ‘right’ motivation to correct themselves. I simply wish they find it some day.
Fehmeen, spot on.
As a homeschool mom, I often get parents who say, “I’d love to homeschool, but my kids won’t listen to me.” And the truth is, the kids are conditioned to being motivated by: grades, threats of detention, being kept in from recess, peer ridicule, etc.
The idea that they could actually, really, truly do “icky” schoolwork for other reasons — such as the opportunity to learn about interesting things — is something they have no experience with.
Internal motivation, when applied, is much stronger than external. But sometimes we have to find how to apply that to our situations.
I just finished writing Day 92 about developing positive habits that will be published on April 2nd. Check that one when it comes out. It addresses that issue a bit. I think you’ll appreciate it! (Until that day, the link will give you a 404 error.)
Thanks for stopping by!