Day 283 – Sometimes it is just the basics

We spend a lot of time just trying to avoid the obvious. For example, I need to clean my garage out. It is the giant albatross hanging around my neck. I am in the process of making excuses, contemplating how to go about it, thinking of all the reasons why I cannot do it right now. Reality is that the best way to clean the garage is to just go out there and start putting things away. Nothing fancy, just the pure brutal honest hard work of putting things where they belong.

This is true in so many areas. If you want to be healthier then you just need to eat better food and be in motion more than you are not in motion. Pretty simple. Eat good food and move around a lot and you will be healthy. It is not complicated. Another example is with a sales job. Are you in sales? Then you problem is simple – talk to clients, find out their problems and solve them. We of course make it really complicated along the way and that is our downfall.

You want a better relationship with someone? Then talk to them. There you have it, sometimes it is just the basics. You want a better vocabulary? Then read more. In fact, I would venture to say that you already know HOW to be better at something – your problem is that you are not willing to do the basics. You are avoiding the basics for a reason.

I have discovered through the process of the 365 commitment that the reasons are very basic emotions. For example, one of my base emotions that prevented me from accomplishing one of my items was my fear of failure, or fear of rejection. I had to be honest with myself on that emotion and once I was I had a break through – which was to simply do the basics.

Basics come first. You can never do the amazing, spectacular things until you can do the basics and do them instinctively. Like a basketball player that learns to do free throws. You learn this basic form until it is quite literally a automatic response. Step to the free throw line and start the habit sequence.

Guy Reams (283)
365 Member

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