Escaping a mediocre lifestyle starts with understanding why things are the way they are and then having an eye on how they could be different. So let’s identify the negatives and what’s holding you back.
A Mediocre Lifestyle
The mediocre lifestyle tends to embrace a handful of behaviors that include:
Excuses
At some level, you probably already know this. A huge indicator of mediocrity is falling back on a general habit of making excuses, specifically ones that allow you to not feel guilty for inactivity. This can start first thing in the morning when the alarm goes off and we decide to hit the snooze button. We use the excuse that maybe we didn’t sleep well, we can skip the shower or we’ll probably still be on time. It may seem insignificant but if we are making excuses to delay starting our day what other excuses will we make later.
There are plenty of things in life we do not want to do and there are numerous more excuses we can tell ourselves for avoiding doing them. We may convince ourselves we can’t get a particular job because we are scared to fail or work to get it. Excuses can block our success and forward momentum in life, often leading to inactivity and laziness.
Giving Up
If we manage to push past our excuses to not try something this is a big breakthrough. Waiting in our path, however, is the possibility of failing. Having already struggled with a lazy disposition already we may be more prone to quit at the first hint of difficulty. If minor setbacks cause you to abandon a task or goal in life this can be a sign of a lack of motivation and potentially laziness.
Procrastination
Procrastinators often seek out distractions in order to avoid completing important tasks. This can often be because a task is difficult or something we do not want to do. We convince ourselves that the smaller tasks and distractions need to be completed first when in reality we are just seeking a reason to not do what is important.
Avoidance
Most people want some level of success in their lives but they don’t make moves towards their goals. Maybe it feels unattainable, or like too much hard work. This may include not completing educational milestones, or not putting in the work required to reach the next level. They want the end result but do not want to do the work required to make that happen. It becomes easier to find ways of avoiding what’s difficult or seems out of reach. Of course, the downside is the things you really want are rarely easy to obtain without some effort.
Escaping a Mediocre Lifestyle
Put simply, the most successful people in life are the most productive. It takes work to become a productive person and also may require a lot of discipline along the way. Certain habits are beneficial for being a more productive person and trying to adopt these can be the key to greater success.
Prioritizing
A decent understanding of what needs to be done first and what can wait can be key to being more productive. Spending time on minor tasks while something important is left undone can lead to the ultimate failure of a project.
Distractions
When we are working within timeframe management of our time is obviously vital. When things need to be done and of course done well, then we need to focus. This is why those who are most productive will tend to be better at avoiding pointless distractions.
Productive individuals will steer clear of social media distractions and will make sure that when they are working, they have an environment that allows them to concentrate. Time is managed in such a way as to allow the best focus on the goals and tasks at hand.
One Bite at a Time
There’s a saying that says, “There’s only one way to eat an elephant – a bite at a time.” It’s a simple concept that means we can achieve big things as long as we take our time and break the challenge into smaller parts.
A productive individual understands that breaking down a large task into smaller manageable portions will allow you to achieve more and remain motivated. Tackling a huge task can be exhausting and the pressure placed upon ourselves to succeed may leave us open to failure and becoming demoralized. When we break it down into smaller tasks that we succeed in doing then we do not burn out and we feel motivated to challenge the next section.
Time Management
A productive person understands that time management is vital. There are only 24 hours in a day and there are peak times during the day in which we are the most productive. Understanding when we are feeling the most energized and allocating that time to the most important tasks is a key step in productivity.
Resting
Balancing work with rest is vital in order to maintain some balance in life. Productivity is not only about working hard non-stop. In fact, if we just continually work it can be detrimental to our overall productivity. When we work ourselves to exhaustion, we are more likely to make mistakes and could potentially end up failing in our efforts.
Getting enough rest and taking time away from tasks to recover physically and mentally is vital in order to be efficient. When we face our challenges with energy and enthusiasm, we are more likely to succeed and the key in doing so is making time for proper rest.