As we enter the new year, New Year’s resolutions are flooding people’s minds with the goals they want to accomplish. One popular way to get into the new year’s spirit is through vision boards, which serve as personal inspirations and accountability tools. As we navigated through the year, many of us have encountered people who have inspired us to reach higher for ourselves that also push us to imagine a greater version for ourselves. These influences become a subconscious foundation for what we desire to achieve. As we build close relationships with people who add value to our lives, naturally we can grow inspired by their habits or their lifestyles. Often, our goals come from admiration for someone we look up to. Being drawn to someone’s success may seem like the end goal, but in reality, we need to recognize the habits, discipline, and routines that helped them achieve that goal.
However, by the time February rolls around, we fall short on what we set for ourselves to accomplish. Vision boards don’t get a second glance, and our goals become foggy and lose their meaning. To give credit when it’s due, I can confidently say that most of us have at least tried or put some sort of effort into our goal. The problem is we can often mistake slow progress for no progress because we live in a microwave society, we want everything almost instantly and when we aren’t delivered those results, we’re left feeling unsatisfied or discouraged. That discomfort can lead us to believe that our goals are unrealistic, too difficult, or far too time-consuming, and that’s the moment we push our goals to the back burner and stop pursuing them.
What we need to install is a mindset shift and recognize that our goal is on the other side of our comfort zone, in order to reach that we must face the feeling of discomfort head-on. Although feeling discomfort can be associated with a negative outlook, it is not a sign to stop. The uneasiness we feel is evidence that we are stepping toward the person we want to become. Our goals don’t require perfection- just consistency.
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Many times, we may be searching or waiting around for a feeling of motivation to spark us, because it delivers an empowering feeling at times, but it is often not reliable. On the other hand, discipline is what carries us when motivation fades. Which is the underlying commitment of choosing consistency over comfort, and making intentional decisions that align with the person you want to become- especially on the days when the goal feels distant, the effort feels unrewarded.
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In this way, discipline becomes imitation with intention. You start asking yourself, “What would the person I want to become do in this moment?” Each small habit you adopt is a step toward embodying those qualities. Over time, those actions stop feeling like effort and start feeling like identity. You’re no longer just inspired by your role model—you’re actively becoming a version of them in your own life.
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Ultimately, yearning for the person you could become is an invitation for growth. The future version of yourself is created through daily choices, quiet discipline, and the willingness to remain consistent even when it’s challenging. These experiences bring you closer to the version of yourself you admire. Remember that no goal is too difficult to obtain; you can do anything you set your mind to.