Think
Discipline.
Monday Motivating Moment
December 29, 2003
Your Weekly Attitude Booster
What Will Be Different In 2004?
This week heralds in a new year. It is usually a time when most people feel a sense of urgency about making changes in their lives. I know that I do. We all start with a new calendar, a list of goals and desires, and the best intentions. However, for many people, the excitement of taking control of, or changing, some aspect of their lives dims with each passing day.
Why do we find ourselves losing focus and, therefore, interest? In part, it is because the change may be only wishful thinking and not a heartfelt desire or need. Or it may be because to actually stick with a program for change requires more discipline and commitment than we are willing to devote.
More often than not, the problem is that we forget our goals. Why do we forget? Because we fail to implement and follow a program of daily reminders. If we stand at the ocean's edge with a stick and write in the sand at the water's edge a positive statement of what we want to be, have, do or become, we can be sure that the waves will wash the statement away. If we wish to see our words again, we would need to repeat our action day in and day out, re-writing them in the sand.
The same is true for our lives. We have waves of other demands for our time and attention that roll in and wash away our good intentions. Unless we are disciplined enough to take 10 minutes every day to review our indelibly written goals and use our imagination to see how our lives would be positively impacted, those goals will frequently fade from our sight and memory. They may land on the trash heap of past wishful thoughts, giving rise to pessimistic beliefs about our ability to change our lives.
What changes would you like to see in your life? How would your life be different if you made the changes? What impact would the changes have on your self-esteem and self-confidence? Would you be happier and would those around you be happier also? What would keep you from achieving your goals? What could you do to overcome any obstacles in your way?
Are you disciplined enough to achieve your goals? If someone offered to pay you $500 or $5,000 if you achieved your goals, would you be disciplined enough to accomplish your goals? If your answer is "no" to the first question and "yes" to the second one, ask yourself why and what significance or meaning this has for you.
Affirmation for the Week:
“Ten minutes per day and one day at a time, I review my written goals and achieve any goal that I can conceive and believe. I will act as if my goals have already been achieved.”
Have a disciplined and focused week!
Mary Rau-Foster, 
Copyright 2003 by Mary Rau-Foster. All rights reserved.
However, if you find this information helpful, we grant you permission, and strongly encourage you, to print this page and put it on your bulletin board,
or download an Adobe PDF file with a printable version. Thank you.
Read the previous issue - “Holiday Wishes From Us to You”
Read the next issue - “Taking Back Our Words”
Sign up to receive your personal copy of the Monday Motivating Moment each week.
Review a list of all other issues of the Monday Motivating Moment.
Need Motivational Training for Your Staff?
Click here to use the "Information Request" form.
Call us at 1-615-371-2900.
We're on USA Central Time (GMT -6:00).
E-mail us at 
