A colleague mentioned that he couldn’t wait until February when everyone’s New Year’s resolutions pooped out, so he could get in and out of the gym faster. I had a sudden vivid memory of waiting in line for a swim lane at the YMCA at 5:30 a.m. in January, shivering my skimpy Speedo and as the minutes ticked by, calculating how long it would take for a slot to open up.
So what happens in February? “I don’t wanna” outweighs “I’m gonna.”
I don’t think I’ve ever done anything worth talking about that didn’t start with “I don’t wanna …” So many excuses, so little time: I’m afraid I’ll fail; it takes too much time and energy; the traffic is bad; I didn’t know anybody there(!).
It’s 9 a.m. and you’re still in bed?
There are people who are smart, gutsy, competent and land in just the right place at just the right time — taking a job just as a company starts its climb back to the top, starting a company just before the market takes off.
But if I dig a bit, those people are disciplined and driven. They have a goal, and they’re committed to achieving it. They are not whiners. They make choices and act. Sometimes they fail. Can anyone imagine anyone more prolific than Seth Godin and his spare wisdom? Or locally, Maura Thomas‘ disciplined hashmarks, Marc Miller’s prolific Career Pivot posts, and Pike Powers’ iconic pike-o-grams?
So, I’m raising one last glass to 2013 and (slightly) revising the iconic Nike slogan: “If it gets you closer to your goal, just do it.”
