Happy New Year and welcome to 2007. I hope you're ready to tackle a new year, so to start it off here's the third installment of my series. This one covers "Indecision".
Enjoy
Indecision – Should I stay or should I go? (Song from “The Clash”)
“Indecision and delays are the parents of failure.” George Canning
Indecision can be described in many ways: paralysis by analysis, information overload, hesitancy, vacillation, delay, etc. It all boils down to one thing: a lack of action toward the attainment of a goal or desire. It’s really just that simple.
An African proverb states, “Indecision is like a step-child; if he does not wash his hands he is called dirty, if he does, he is wasting water.” Jimmy Buffett said, “Indecision may or may not be my problem.” No matter the symptom that leads to indecision, courage is the key to overcoming it. It takes courage to make a decision and stick by it.
If you’ve reached a point of saturation in your life where you’re tired of accepting the “status quo” and feeling like you have no hope of ever getting the body, health and life you want, then you’re in a perfect position for success. But the solidifying factor, in essence taking that spark and putting it to kindling to make the flame roar into life is to make a decision. And decisions should not be made lightly.
My 1968 Funk & Wagnall Dictionary defines decision as: n. 1. The act of deciding (an issue, question, etc). 2. A conclusion or judgment reached by deciding. 3. The making up of one’s mind. 4. Firmness in judgment, action, or character. 5. In boxing, a victory (a great word, by the way) decided when there has not been a knockout.
Edwin Louis Cole, in his great book “Treasure” states it this way: “The level on which you live is under your power of choice. You have the freedom to choose, but once the choice is made (decision), you become the servant of that choice.” Please read that statement again.
The next time you have the choice to eat something that is beneficial to your goals and body or not, to which are you willing to become a servant? The next time you have an opportunity to exercise and to physically train or to just sit and watch T.V., to which choice will you be a servant?
You see, the corollary to this freedom of choice is this; decision translates into energy. Indecision saps energy. If you don’t like the life you’re currently living, change your choices. That’s the formula. Refusing to exercise your power and freedom to choose allows others to exercise it for you. Allowing others to make choices and decisions for you will allow them to create your world, and others will ALWAYS make it too small.
In other words, making an empowering decision means that there is no turning back, no way out, no backtracking or sidestepping. It takes a certain degree of responsibility to make a decision, and a definite degree of character and responsibility to stick with one. Someone once said, “A man (or a woman) can be measured by the amount of responsibility he (or she) undertakes.” When you take a decisive stance on becoming healthier, then you have ended all uncertainty, all dispute, and you are conclusive with this resolve: “I will be victorious in this issue no matter what it takes or how long it takes me. From now on, The Buck Stops Here!”
Please get out a pen and paper now. I want you to write at the top of the sheet today’s date; because today is the day you can and WILL decide to take action and to become the healthy, fit, vibrant and active person you’ve always wanted to become. Under the date I want you to write these words:
My Personal Health and Fitness Contract
"Today is the day that I willingly, voluntarily and knowingly decide to take complete control of my life. I resolve, from this day forward to do what I know to be right, to take care of myself as the wonderful creation of God that I am, and to do whatever necessary and within my means to see this task through to completion. I also understand that true success can only be measured by the tasks that I have completed. I will, from this day forward, feed my body the fuel it needs for maximum efficiency, health, stamina and strength, take in the glory and gift of oxygen to the pleasure and vitality of my body, repeat these principles for the complete restoration of my being and eliminate all waste from my body, my mind and my surroundings. I will focus daily on these tasks and the goal of good health, sound fitness and a long, vibrant life."
You need to do this in your own handwriting in order for it to have meaning and purpose to YOU! Now, sign this piece of paper. No one need see this, except you, if that is what you want. However, I would recommend signing it in front of someone who supports you in your endeavors. This could be your best friend, spouse, fiancé or work or workout partner. This must be someone who cares enough for you to hold you accountable in a loving, constructive manner and will continue to encourage you to stay the course and keep on going. If you don’t have anyone who fits those criteria, don’t worry. You still have two choices. The first is to just do it. You’ve made your decision, and there’s no going back, right? The second is to email me at Steve@firestormfitness.com and tell me the date of your decision. I will be happy to send you encouragement on a periodic basis and hold you accountable to your goal.
This is where the rubber meets the road!
Please understand; this is very serious business. Contracts are made to keep and to honor. Decisions should not be made lightly, and once made; every effort should be made to keep them. The only constant in maturity is change. By undertaking this endeavor you will experience change. It is difficult to live with change but impossible to live without it.
I understand that sometimes extenuating circumstances arise that may cause you to temporarily deviate from your course of action. However, quitting is simply not an option. The only time to stop this task is when you breathe your last and close your eyes for good. We’re not just looking for short-term gain here. This is a lifestyle change that will enhance the quality and quantity of your life. It is a long-term, lifetime endeavor that will do nothing more for you than you are willing to do to grasp it. Remember the old saying, “The more you give the more you get?” Well, in this instance it is an actuality, a truism. The more you apply yourself to this system, the more benefit you will see from it. You have my solemn promise of that.
Our words have power
Edwin Cole also said, “Life is composed of our decisions and choices, and it is constructed by our words. Once you have made the choice to build a new life, change your words. You are only committed to what you confess. If you don’t say it, you won’t feel responsible or compelled to do it, and no one will have heard it to help you be accountable.”
You must follow through with this principle. There is a difference between word and thought.
Thoughts can be covered, but words make it open and bare. Words are thoughts manifested. God looks on our hearts to see who we really are. The rest of us must use other criteria, like our words. This is how people get to know us and to judge our character, by our words and deeds. By ones use of words we either experience a loss or gain of power.
Your choice of words will tell others what you’re really thinking, planning and doing. It will also have the same effect upon your very powerful subconscious mind. By telling yourself “I am gaining the body I want because I am choosing to exercise and eat correctly” you are conveying thoughts of power, control and success. We’ll delve a little deeper into the section on goals.
Today, right now, please make a decision to become the healthy, fit and vibrant individual you so want and then begin to work toward it, both in action and in word. The journey is worth the reward.
