This week my brother will be taking his blue belt test in tae kwon do - a Korean martial art which translates to “the art of kicking and punching”. Testing requires dedication over a period of time to learning and executing combinations of kicks and punches. WIth a full time job and other commitments, it is hard work to stay with the program.
Regardless of whether you are into martial arts or not, what is one hard thing that you can do to put your commitment to improvement to work. Early morning jog, a promise to take a walk every day, signing up and attending the gym three times a week.
Perhaps it could be a promise to spend one hour a day with your children in totally focused quality time, or to turn off all electronic devices after 9pm (Ha! this is a hard one!).
Make a pledge to yourself to do one hard thing for the next 7 days. Track your progress. I am currently getting back into training again for triathlons and am (badly) out of shape. I know that if I rush back into training I will be more likely to injure myself or put too much pressure on my heart. So I have committed to start very light daily exercise. I have also committed to join the local gym (a big step for me) so that I can measure and monitor my training progress more precisely.
By completing your one hard thing, you are pushing your tolerance level to greater heights. This will in turn give you more confidence and inner strength in other areas of your life. Enjoy the journey!