Anticipate Weakness
©2015 Scott D.
Wilson,P.Eng.
No matter what noble goal we pursue there will come moments
of weakness where will we be tempted to throw in the towel or to simply derail
our progress by doing something counter-productive. For the person trying to lose weight it will
be that time late at night, fatigued, lonely and down. That will be when the
refrigerator or the cookie jar will sing with its irresistible siren song. For the new entrepreneur it can be around the
time that the novelty wears off, enthusiasm peters out and their confidence begins
to wane. Or perhaps the feeling of despair sets in when the first significant
challenge rears its head and seems insurmountable. In short, the urges to give in and give up
are pretty well universal to all who set goals and set out to succeed.
The lesson is that everyone falls prey to moments of
weakness so we should anticipate these moments and do our best to prepare for
them. When we set out we always envision
ourselves motivated and energized from that point onward. This is an unrealistic expectation of
ourselves. We need to be kinder to our
future selves and help them prepare for the moments of weakness and
temptation. Under present conditions we
need to empathize with those under the strain to conform and to take the path
of least resistance. What tools could we
give them to help them succeed? What
information could help them to stay positive and motivated to continue? It is best to ask these questions now when
there is no pressure or urgency.
If we each had an enemy that we knew was going to attack us
some time in the future where we are at our weakest then we would be crazy not
to take precautions against them. We
might hire security, train in self-defence, purchase weapons, travel in groups
for safety or some other protective measures.
We would certainly not ignore the future threat. In this case we are actually being pursued by
an extremely dangerous enemy and that enemy is ourselves. We know that they will hit us when we are
most vulnerable so it makes sense to prepare now while we are strong.
There is another way to understand this idea in concrete
terms. We do our best to maintain our
vehicles. Nonetheless, many of us keep
emergency kits in the car so that the effect of unexpected breakdowns is
minimized. Likewise, it is prudent to have disaster kits in our homes for emergencies and first aid. It would be unwise to start a long quest in the wilderness without a survival pack. I am suggesting something
similar here. We need to prepare a kind
of emergency kit for motivation and determination. For example, our midnight snacker might pack
a distraction in their kit. They think
of food while bored and lonely so the kit might be a game or book or movie or
something that they would enjoy more than a snack. Reserve this item specifically for
emergencies so that it is a truly worthwhile distraction.
Whether dieting or starting a new business or any self-improvement goal, the emergency
kit will need to be personal and it will need to help keep us in the right
direction. There is no one pat answer
that will help for everyone. Our
entrepreneur might write down a list of reasons why they want to pursue their
business and keep it in their kit.
Another might list all their talents and assets that support their
goal. Still another might keep
recommendations and commendations from various sources that affirm their
objectives. The point is to get
creative. Use pictures, videos, songs,
audio, mementos, cash, a list of friends to call, special objects… anything
that will shore you up and help you to stay the course when your moments of
weakness hit. The effectiveness of your
emergency kit will be proportional to the effort that you put into it while
preparing. It also goes somewhat without saying but remember that this is an
emergency kit. It is to be used as
weapon of last resort. The more it is used the less effective it will
become. This device is to help you when
you are most in need of it.
I should also mention that our emergency kit does not
necessarily need to be physical. Martial
artists train in repetitive cycles call katas, taolu or forms. It is this repetition that prepares them to
act appropriately when encountering an enemy.
This training and preparation is done when no threats are present. It allows the people to be prepared and
confident when a real opponent strikes.
Since we are talking about mental and emotional battles with ourselves
then the fight will be taking place in our mind so it is there where we can
also make preparations. Mottos, maxims,
prayers and quotes that reverberate within us can also serve to bolster us when
weakness hits. Again, these are personal
so each one of needs to find something that we can repeatedly bring to mind
that will help our thoughts, our spirits and our hearts.
My point in this diatribe is to encourage you to anticipate
the worst in yourself. Do not hold
unrealistic expectation of your abilities and motivation. Humbly admit your weaknesses and failings. We all suffer from self-doubt and loneliness
at different times. Nobody alive is free
from temptation. However, these darkest
hours need not be our downfall if we anticipate and prepare for them. Take the time today while you are in a good
place and your goals are clear and certain.
Work and plan to help yourself to remain on course for your goals when
the windy trials and tribulations of life seek to shipwreck you and blow you
off course!
