Do the unrealistic
“Doing the unrealistic is easier than doing the realistic”. So says Timothy Ferriss in The 4-Hour Workweek, and I agree with him. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but it IS easier to do the unrealistic than it is to do the realistic.
Maybe it has to do with motivation and a sense of urgency. For example, if all I had to do today was run to the store, I’d probably end up putting it off. I’d think to myself, well, I have all day, I can go whenever. And then pretty soon it’d be supper time, and I wouldn’t feel like going. I’d put it off, since I could always go tomorrow. And I probably wouldn’t go then either, unless I was out of toilet paper.
But if I have a list of 27 things that I absolutely need to accomplish today, I’ll get right on them. I’ll plan out the day so that things are done the most efficient way. I’ll prioritize things, I’ll work hard at them, and I won’t waste time. Maybe I won’t get all 27 things done, but I’m certain to get at least 70% of them done, and likely to get an even higher percentage done.
When something seems super easy, I slack. Give me something tough to do, and I put forth the necessary effort.
That’s why I had to laugh when I looked at my financial goals for 2008. If you add up the total amount that I want to save or invest over 2008 (not including increasing my 401k amount), it totals at least $25,410. Which is…a lot, especially considering my take home pay. And of course I still have to pay my regular living expenses, and I want to do fun things as well…
Sounds pretty unrealistic, doesn’t it? But I believe I can do it. It just requires…more effort. More creativity. More money from other sources. More focus.
What’s an “unrealistic” goal that you’d like to achieve?
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