One of the biggest hurdles to adopting new behaviors is accepting that there is no magic bullet. People ask me for help to find the perfect systems or tools that will allow them to finally be on top of things. If only it were so easy!
A bright shiny new filing system loses its luster quickly. The perfect planner gets dog-eared. A new morning routine is thrown off by a child with the flu.
The truth is, even the most perfect systems, routines and tools will start to lose their novelty or won’t be flexible enough to accommodate life’s curve balls. Change has to come from within. New ways of being take time to practice and refine. A magic bullet can’t do the job.
But there is a way to make a magic bullet work for you: Bite it.
Success often comes when we accept some discomfort.
Looking up old high school classmates on FaceBook instead of doing the laundry?
Bite the bullet. Stand up and walk toward the hamper.
Organizing your email, instead of getting started on a long-term project?
Bite the bullet. Pull out a pen and paper and start jotting down project ideas.
Filing away the article on small Tuscan vineyards, just in case you go to Italy someday?
Bite the bullet. Tear the notes in half and drop them into the recycling bin.
None of these choices will feel good in the moment. It will take a conscious effort to put the bullet between your teeth and bite down. Even the choices that aren’t so painful will still feel strange and unfamiliar.
I don’t want to imply that we need to try harder. Harder is not the answer. We need to try differently. And differently often feels uncomfortable. I also know that this is just one tiny piece of a much larger puzzle, but it’s an important piece. Embrace the opportunities you create, when you decide to just bite the bullet.