New Year, Same You.

Inspiration is a hard skill to master.

Why is inspiration a "skill"? Because it’s a technique which requires stimulating one's own self-motivation, where there previously was none; that which must be practiced until mastered on a daily basis.

We all "want" to do something. We all "want" to lose weight, start a new career, or even read more books — but the hardest part is "sticking to it". Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity every time. It’s not that we can’t begin to lose weight, start a new career, or read more books, it’s just that it’s hard to keep that going for very long.

You see, the only difference between "the one who did" and "the one who does" is that "the one who does" learned how to take what they "wanted" and turn that into a lifestyle.

What is a lifestyle? A series of small actions, repeated day in-day out, over a long period of time; until, ultimately, those actions become a habit. Habits are much harder to break than any single action because they become ingrained into one's daily routine.

The great illusion is that we can simply "become" just by starting. Untrue. It first takes us to start, yes, but then it requires us to "keep going". So, what should you start, if you're going to start anything at all? Start small.

Mistakenly, we tend to overshoot our goals. “I’m going to jog every single day for a whole year!” “I’m going to quit my job and never look back!” “I’m going to read one new book each month, no matter what!” Though potentially achievable for a "very select" group of individuals to see through all the way to the end, for us "mere mortals" out there, why not just start small? “I’m going to go for a run right now...” “Let me just see what job postings are available online...” “This looks like a good book to read…” Do that. Day in-day out, without ever really thinking about the overall result. Live for the small moments.

The greatest self-delusion is that we are going to master our lives, just because we "want" to. Instead, learn to master the moment and see where you're at tomorrow.

One very important adage that has always stuck with me throughout my university career until now is this; “How do you eat an elephant? One bite-sized piece at a time.”

—so, get chewing...