Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!
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​tl;dr To be exhausted, revitalized, and compensated by the work that fulfills and us is a luxury. And to not harness our full potential is a recipe for living with regret and, worst-case scenario, dying with it. To ensure we live the life we are most proud of, we must make the decision to clarify our values and create systems to limit distractions.
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I am a business owner. This weekend, I went to a conference with our team (of other business owners) who also want to create freedom for themselves. The room was filled with individuals willing to work hard, be bold, and not accept the limitations most people succumb to.
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We heard from incredible speakers who told their atypical success stories. They decide to work hard every day, no matter what, because they value utilizing their full potential. They value helping other people. And above all, they desire to have control over their time. Best of all, we sat there with the blueprint in front of us to follow in their steps and have a chance at the same success, if we made the decision that’s what we want to do.
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Many people say they want freedom and success. They say they want to quit their jobs and retire early. They complain about the same things week in and week out and are so tired of dealing with their boss, their coworkers, and their commute. And yet most people will deal with the pain of familiar discomfort over the pain of the unknown for the rest of their lives because they never decide to change.
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The reason the speakers we heard from this weekend have atypical success is not that they got lucky or defied the laws of science. It’s because most people simply will never get clear on the decision to make a change.
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People think they make a decision to change. On New Year's, lots of people decide they are going to get fit, build better finances, and get rid of the habits they know are holding them back. Lots of other people determine that their birthday is going to be their turning point. And others have something terrible happen to them when they decide they need to do things differently.
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But what’s happening here is the *wish* for change to come, not a decision to create a change. Because to truly decide to make a change, you have to decide not on the results you want, but the sacrifices you are willing to make.

So you promise you’re going to get fit this year? The change is not going to happen until you decide you’re prioritizing the workouts and the nutrition. It won’t happen until you decide you will get up before work or go to the grocery store after a long day. Nothing will change until you plan on the discomfort you are willing to tolerate for the sake of your success and the habits you will no longer allow to habituate.
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It’s hard not to fall down the path of least resistance. We have habits to protect us, and they preserve our energy. But they also keep us from success because the growth required demands straying from our tendencies. So we have to make the decision to leave this path and deal with the discomfort.
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Once the decision is made to lean into the discomfort of change, then in order to give ourselves a fighting chance, we have to set boundaries. Again, the slope to the path of least resistance is a steep and slippery one. So we want to set up the guardrails ahead of time to prevent falling off when we are inevitably tired, emotionally fatigued, and fresh out of willpower.
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These guardrails require setting up our environment to promote the behaviors we want to have. For example, if we want to be fit, then removing the junk from our homes creates a barrier between us and consuming it. If you get home after a horrible shift, but there is no junk food in the house, you are at least less likely to go back out to the store to buy some. Or if you tell your partner if you don’t get your workouts in for the week, you’ll give them $50, then you might get your butt to the gym even when you’re tired. The people and places around you will be the make-or-break for you, so prepare them when you make your decision to change to help yourself when your decision-making capacity is fatigued.
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At the conference this weekend, all of the successful business owners said it’s just a decision. And while I have not created the success these people have in business yet, I can recognize where I’ve made that decision in other areas of my life. Fitness is a non-negotiable in my life because I made a decision a long time ago I want to have the best quality of life for as long as possible and do everything I can to give myself the best chance of that. I go to the gym when I don’t feel like it. I get my protein in most days. I do cardio even though it’s hard. And I get my nutrients in even when I’m sick of broccoli (even though I don’t know if I ever really get sick of broccoli).
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I made the decision a long time ago to prioritize my fitness, and I made the decision that I would sacrifice some comforts to have that success. I also set up my environment to help me when I’m tired. I don’t keep junk in the house because the likelihood of me wanting chips after an overnight shift is very high. Instead of leaving myself to make that decision in the morning, I have already made it in the past by not making it an option. Guardrails keep us on track.
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So what decision do you need to make? What success do you say you want but haven’t made the changes to have it? And when you get clear on what that decision is, what sacrifices are you willing to make, and what guardrails do you have in place to give yourself the best chance at succeeding?
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
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This week, my podcast recommendation is from Shane Parrish’s The Knowledge Project, “JW Marriott: Building an Empire Without a Master Plan.”
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With that, hit reply and let me know what decision you have to make this week. And if you’d like to support my business, here’s a link to my shop. I appreciate anything you’d be willing to try!
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Until next time,
Shannon