Keeping Yourself Honest During the Process

So, we’ve been dissecting this whole rightful placement in identity process. And, we’re making our way through the steps – one foot forward at a time. But, it can’t go without saying that the temptation to stop processes in the middle of grinding our way through them is a thing.

It’s a REAL thing. In fact, it’s SO REAL that I wanted to take a minute to talk about the checks and balances we, oftentimes, must purposely put ourselves through to make sure we stay on track with the program.

And, I don’t mean “stay on track” as in tracking our progress. I mean “stay on track” as far as continuing to make any progress whatsoever.

It’s easy to come to a standstill or bow out completely when undesired resistance is met. It really is. We, as human beings, tend to opt for the path of least resistance. So, any resistance at all can be an affront to our best-laid plans.

But, here’s the thing. We MUST go into any process understanding that the going will eventually get tough somewhere along our courses of action. And, it’s at those critical moments that we MUST have systems in place to help us carry out the behaviors that will keep us pressing forward — even when everything within us is screaming “STOP!!!”

What do we do in those moments? And, what kind of systems do we put in place to keep us on the straight and narrow path toward goal achievement?

Well, it’s like this. THEE system consists of whatever measures, maneuvers, tactics, incentives, rewards, penalties, and restrictions help you move closer to closing that identity gap of where you’re starting out to where you desire to be in your personal makeup.

It’s the checks and balances we must implement in order to stay focused, stay on course, and to keep honest with the program.

We’re about the keepin’ it movin’, folks. But, not just moving to be moving. I mean moving with intention . . . with purpose . . . with a desired result in mind.

And, it ain’t always gonna be a smooth road to get there.

So, as with any of the steps you’re taking in this process, you have a little writing to do. And, this phase of the identity placement process should probably be conducted early on — right after the “problem recognition” phase.

Because, you know how we do. We can easily bail on an endeavor before even getting it off the ground (if that endeavor shuffles us a hand we’re not prepared to take).

So, set the parameters for how you’ll take the good with the bad parts of this identity-refining process you’ll be going through. And just know that you WILL have some bad with the good. That’s just how it works with refining processes.

How do you intend to reward yourself for meeting expectations on your road of self-discovery — hitting notable milestones in your personal growth? And, how do you intend to make it hard to demonstrate those negative behaviors that lead to self-doubt, self-sabotage, limiting beliefs, and a “give up and get out” attitude when resistance bulldozes its way through your personal front door?

I want you to give my questions some thought and jot down your answers. It’s all about writing therapy around here. We have to take notes on our thoughts, so they don’t aimlessly float around, looking for somewhere to land but never finding a resting place. So, try to capture those thoughts in writing and make them as tangible as they can possibly be for words on a page.

And, please don’t underestimate the power of words — even those in print. Words can absolutely come to life. They can take form and have life breathed into them by the action(s) we put behind them.

So, document your answers to the questions I’ve posed. All of them can be summed up by the two questions stated below:

What’s going to keep you honest (moving forward) while you’re in the process? What incentives and penalties need to be in place to hold you true to your identity-driven mission?

NEXT TIME ⇒  we’ll dig deeper on this important part of our identity-refining processes.