Crossing the Bridges: Action for Change
Change cannot be made without actions.
That’s just the way the universe works. I can think it and feel it all I like…but unless I act upon it, it will not change. It will remain an idea, a plan, a possibility – but nothing more.
Some actions are harder than others. Sometimes this is due to excuses, sometimes due to distractions, and sometimes just outright laziness on my part.
I began, almost a year ago, to include a Goal Log atop Pathwalking. Every week I account for daily tracking of my diet, my exercise, writing, meditation and gratitude. In theory, this was a really good idea to make myself accountable to myself. I would see what I am eating daily, exercise happening or no, writing projects happening, time given to meditation, and writing out at least 5 things for which I am grateful, daily.
I have maintained the Goal Log, by-and-large, with only a couple weeks missed. However, while I am keeping track of things, I am still not sufficiently motivating to accomplish all that I want. My diet is still all over the place; I don’t take the time to meditate daily that I know I need and know helps my headspace; while the blogs happen, other writing and editing often goes by the wayside; I am still not getting nearly enough exercise; while I am mostly good about writing out my gratitude, I am less good about FEELING grateful for the things I put down.
What’s the point of being accountable to myself if I don’t do anything with this? Well, that’s the thing. I need to act in order to better have what I want. I need to make time for the things that matter, and not just write them down for the sake of putting them out there, but REALLY take advantage of them in order to manifest the life I want.
I think it was a couple of months ago I had stated my intent to get up in the morning and go to the gym. Great intent. I even made it once or twice. But overall, I have not acted on this intention.
These things always involve a process that is, on the one hand, completely simple…while on the other hand, utterly complicated. For example – think of the thing, feel what it will be like to have the thing you desire, put out intent, and ACT. Four simple steps.
So let’s say the thing is to get healthy and exercise my body and mind more frequently. This will feel good, my joints will be happier with me when I take off some weight and I can fit into all my clothing better, I will feel less stressed, and so on and so forth. The intent is to get to the gym more regularly, take time to meditate daily, and to eat better overall. All great stuff – but now comes the time to ACT. Take action, go to the gym more regularly and meditate for a few minutes daily and be better about what I eat and how much.
Easier said (or in this case typed) than done. I can plan the plan, that’s terrific…but unless I actually take the necessary actions, all I have is an impressive plan with no substance.
My Pathwalking blog began from taking a New Years Action rather than a Resolution. It began as intent to Blog Once A Week, and I began…and am just about to hit the 5 year mark from the start! I have done it before – now it is wholly up to me to do it again.
Fortunately, I have several friends who are also striving to be healthier, and they frequently post to social media with #TeamDoItAnyway. I will be joining in with them, and as such feel accountable to someone other than myself, which may serve as an additional motivator.
In an effort to start my day earlier and take time to meditate and get to the gym – I am in the process of acquiring a new alarm clock. Yes, I could use my mobile phone to do this, but I would much rather have a dedicated machine for this purpose. Again – acting on my intentions.
It is all about action. This is where I tend to fall short whenever I seek to get from the planning stage to the happening stage. I am a great planner, but I tend to fall short on my actions. Here is a perfect opportunity to remedy that…I know the steps, now I just need to actually take them.
I wrote previously about Knowing the Path vs Walking the Path, and this plays into that idea, too. I know what I want to do here, which is all well and good…but this is an old, old habit in need of changing. Change will only come if I act, and I know what the action must be. I know what I want, I know what I have to do, all I can do now is do it.
I am striving to do a better job of acting on my intentions. I have goals I want to achieve, and they will never be reached if I do not act upon them. Sometimes it does feel like I am swimming against the current, and repeating the same thing over and over expecting different results, but it’s a process, and I alone can act upon it. Thanks for letting me express this to you, and feel free to hold me accountable. Thank you for crossing the bridges between my worlds with me!
This is the twelfth entry of my personal journey, the Crossing the Bridges series. My collectively published writing can be found here.
Follow me here!
