If It's Important to You, You Will Find a Way

I was raised to believe I could do anything if I set my mind to it. And while I embrace that philosophy, it doesn’t always feel possible. Some tasks feel manageable, while others seem to elude me. Why is that?

Well I discovered a possible explanation in the following quote.

Wow. Pause to give that a moment to sink in.

With this quote in mind, I began to reflect on the things I have or have not accomplished lately. I put each one to the “is this important to me” test. Here are a few examples.

I want to be healthier. This IS important to me. And over the last five months, I have exercised all but seven days. That means roughly 95% of the time, I have made it possible to fit a workout into my day. It would have been easy to make excuses (too hot, too tired, too sore, too anything!), but I didn’t. Because it is important, I found a way to make it happen.

Taking time each weekend to get a jumpstart on my week is also important to me. Completing certain tasks on Saturday and Sunday helps me create a strong beginning to the week ahead, making it more manageable. At times I am tempted to just relax and be lazy, but I know I will pay for it later in the week. So rather than make excuses, I find a way to make time to complete the things that set me up for success in the following week.

On the other hand, I have a project at work that I have been putting off. It appears on my to-do list everyday, and every day it gets moved forward to the next day. I would love to cross it off my list, but I continue to procrastinate. It is not due for another month, so it is fairly easy to set aside. I’m sure it will eventually become important (because I do like getting a paycheck), but I will likely continue to make excuses until the night before it is due. I think that is a sure sign it is not important to me right now.

These are just a few examples, but the more I reflected on my life, the more I realized the quote is right on.

However, it is not just true in retrospect. It also holds power in the present.

When I look at the things on my list that I still want to accomplish, that is the perfect time to focus on the quote. ~~Sometimes~~ Often times I feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of to-do’s, and it is easy to start making excuses to avoid the more challenging items.

But now I know to stop myself and evaluate the importance of each task and discover WHY I am making excuses. Is it simply because it is not important? If so, cross it off the list. Or is the item truly important, but I’m avoiding it because it is difficult or uncomfortable? If that is the case (and it often is), I need to dedicate more time and energy in that direction and find a way to tackle it.

So even if something is difficult, even if I don’t succeed at first, even if I fail time after time…if it is important, I will find a way to accomplish it.

This quote serves as an inspiration. I have made it the wallpaper/desktop picture on my computer, so I am constantly reminded that all things are possible.