I know you’ve said this dozens of times before… commit to changing. You’ve said it in many different ways.

I’ve committed to committing several times, then let that commitment slide away, never actually committing to changing my life.

Clearly, I’ve got commitment issues.

What’s holding me back? Meh, blame my parents divorcing, or my teachers not knowing how to deal with a kid who reads the science text book in the first month of class out of boredom, so they place me in special-ed instead of challenging me, or blame …….. the stars? Blame anyone but the common thread and logical cause in all of my commitment issues (me).

I’m having a chicken-or-egg moment. I’m writing software to keep track of my daily tasks to hold me accountable. In order to finish it, though, I need to keep myself accountable on a daily basis, and plan my tasks out before hand. That’s a task that sure would be much easier, if only I could write software to track my daily tasks and hold me accountable…

The problem is… I know how to organize my life. I know a no-tech solution, too… paper and pens are amazing inventions, if only I could commit to using them.

I also know how to commit. It’s just taking that first step that’s too daunting to really consider. Then, there’s the step after, and another after that.

So, I’m heading off to commit to changing. My first step is to write down the changes I want to make, my second step is to write how to make those changes, and each step after that will be dedicated to realizing those changes.

Here’s a short list of the changes I want: Be a business owner, creating software. The flagship product will be a day planner, and I’ll have to plan more than the software itself (sales and marketing and the like are foreign territory to most computer nerds… eventually, I’ll need employees too). I want my wife to be able to depend on me cleaning the house. Those are the main two, but I’m doing a brainstorming session as soon as I’m done with this comment.

Also… If you ever find yourself in Phoenix, Arizona on a trip across the pond, I’d love to buy you a cheesecake and apologize in person for all of the long, rambling comments I’ve left here.

I think almost every one of us want to improve ourselves (and we sort of know where we want to go) but we lack the confidence to say it to our colleagues unless we trust them totally. If we open ourselves up we then we are incredibly vulnerable.

Thinking out loud: Maybe the whole point of this post is that we should be the one to step out and others will step out of their comfort zone.

I agree with Craig … you need to do it for you and your family. I used to struggle with feelings of guilt when I took time to do the things I wanted to do. I thought my family was much more important than me … now I realise my family needs me. And they need me to be happy, fulfilled, healthy, loving and sometimes a little bit selfish.
We have a saying in our family: “If mumma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” My husband 100% agrees!!
You are worth the effort and your family will benefit if you put some time into you.

Em
( ) x

I made a commitment to myself July last year to be healthier happier & sexier and I have and will continue to achieve these things (thanks to you and your little web site).
I can honestly say that the change in me has been one of enlightenment, I’m surprised that I could do what I have done and making exercise a non negotiable together with healthier eating has done wonders for my self esteem.
You are so right when you say “when you are ready to learn the teacher appears”.
I often get asked how I lost weight and when I say what I do and what I am doing to maintain that I very often get the negative replies or the rolling of the eyes and I feel like saying “you just dont get it” you have to do the hard yards to get the results and I’m happy and healthy what more could I ask for.
Achieving your goals is one thing that I never thought I was capable of doing, but it just goes to show that I can be proven wrong

To everyone who thinks that they aren’t achieving in there worlds, dont be little the things that you do eg: raising babies. children young adults, this is an achievement, please never underestimate what it takes for you to give so much of yourselves to create and nurcher the adults of the future Hugs to everyone ((()))

Everytime I read one of your articles i look around to see if you hiding in my room. Your topics relate to what I am going (and possible half the western world)

Anyhoo, a small comment re your post – its not comfortable NOT doing what we all know we should be doing. The real discomfort feeling is coming directly from NOT doing it. If we follow through and do what we all know we should be doing we would be in the flow of life and be infinitly happier simply doing/creating/living our lives the way we want to. Even if it doesn’t work out exactly the way we intended the doing and trying feels much better than the endless speculation and procrastination.

Procrastination is what gives us discomfort. The action towards our wants take that dreadful feeling away and fills us with optimism and hope.

Would anyone like to set up a Mastermind group? A support network where we can motivate encourage and help each other reach our short term – 12 months – life goals. I am in Melbourne.

Welcome and congrats on your weight-loss. Good for you.

You’re not a failure – you’re human.

You need an accountability system. Something to keep you ‘doing’ even when you don’t ‘feel’ like it. When you were pregnant what kept you accountable was the health of your child. A no-brainer. A coach, mentor, diary, trainer, friend or training partner can all be valuable resources in the change process. Keep in mind that if you don’t look after you, you’ll find harder to look after those you love… so do it for you and them.