(Originally written in 2011)
Complacency is keeping me awake tonight.
I think the weather has a little something to do with it too.
Before I start, take a second to briefly glance at aspects of your life... your job... your health... your relationships... your marriage... your habits... your schooling and education... anything you do that really matter to you. Take a look at it...
Think about when it started... how bad you may have wanted it... how excited you were to go back to school.
How happy you were when you lost your first 15lbs....
How excited you were when you got engaged... or even before that... when you knew this was the time you wanted to be engaged...
Think of how much you knew you wanted or needed the job... and everything you did to get it...
Think of how motivated you were to fit into that shirt/dress/skirt/pants...
Think about day #1... date #1... workout #1... That interview...
Is the fire the same? Do you still work that hard at your career? Do you still buy her flowers? Still running? Still watching those late night carbs? Still putting in O.T? Still going the extra mile? Is it still automatic? Is the fire the same?
Tonight, I'm wondering how often "success," softens us. How often complacency is enemy #1. I've seen it time and time again. Football teams have let up, coaches have let them, teachers coast into retirement, mgmt slacks, owners think mgmt is handling it, trainers get money happy, relationships go flat, on and on and on and on. We've all seen it, and you may have even added a couple examples in your head as you were reading.
What is it that allows us to coast? To relax? To ease up?
Why do people let something that was once their passion, float away, left to one day wonder... "What happened?"
I'm not ranting on anything particular tonight but just wanted take a look at somethings in life and make sure we're not taking anything for granted and continue to strive, to move and evolve and grow.. whatever that may mean at this moment. Might mean planning a dinner. Might mean staying up late to prepare some things for work. Might mean calling someone. (Fill in the blank)... might mean___________. So do it.
I use my metoblism and fire analogy often. How do you keep the fire hot? Consistent logs, every so often. How do you keep your metabolism burning? Consistent nutrients/calories every so often. Same goes for life, your work, your love, your hobbies, etc. You have to pay attention to that flame and work it... If you don't, it will fade away.
As soon as you accept a complacent thought, you just took an enormous step backwards. Your competition just got closer, your passions just distanced and your will to succeed softened.
Don't let it happen...
