God bless Kacper Postawski for this simple but profound saying: "Success happens whenever you decide to do something and you DO IT. Or whenever you decide to NOT DO something and you DON'T do it. I know it sounds simple, but 99% of people can't even do just that!"
Decide to get up at 7 a.m. and do it. You have succeeded even if you return to bed at 8 a.m. You will probably stay up, however, because, once you are up and about, you will realize that there is much you can get on with and you will probably feel energized by the fact that you stuck to your decision.
Decide not to eat anything after sundown and you have succeeded even if you eat something at daybreak! Muslims do this every year during the month of Ramadan and find this time to be a great source of discipline, growth and eventual joy.
As you make more and more firm decisions about what you will and will not do you will extend your empire of self control further and further until you rule your own world. You may even become a leader of others who will sense and appreciate the charisma that exudes from a disciplined and powerful person.
As Kacper suggests, all this sounds obvious and simple but clearly we need reminding about it again and again and we need to apply this truth time after time. A majority of people are not successful because they do not actually do what they decide to do and/or do what they have decided not to do.
Once we know that we can rely on ourselves to carry out our own decisions, we can lead a more relaxed life. We will not, for example, have to worry so much about putting on weight or living in a cluttered world.
We can decide to put away one to five pieces of clutter every day and know that we will do it and end up with a reasonably tidy, efficient place of work or a pleasant environment to rest in. We can decide not to leave our clothes on the floor but to put them in the appropriate place. Benefits obviously include not tripping over them in the dark of night and looking a little smarter next day.
We will avoid worrying about things like whether we have sent off our credit card payments on time. If we decide not to use our credit card, except for emergencies and important purchases, and stick to that decision we will not have to worry about getting into debt.
Worry is far more tiring than action. Instead of worrying about the fact that we need to go out for a walk, we will simply decide to go for a walk and then get on with it. More energy will flood our being and we will start to achieve what only an energetic person can achieve.
As we climb the ladder we have created for ourselves rung by rung, we will discover, like Margaret Thatcher, that we have abilities and skills that we did not realize we had:
"One only gets to the top rung on the ladder by steadily climbing up one at a time, and suddenly, all sorts of powers, all sorts of abilities which you thought never belonged to you - suddenly become within your own possibility and you think, 'Well, I'll have a go, too.'"
Whether you agree with Mrs. Thatcher's policies or not, you cannot deny her achievement in becoming the first woman prime minister of the UK. She also set an example in sticking to most of her decisions.
On one famous occasion, in 1980, at the Conservative party conference she responded to those who wanted her to change her counter inflationary policies:
"To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning!"
However, even the iron lady did turn and change her decision when the poll tax policy caused riots. I remember these well as I was walking past Trafalgar Square on the day of a high powered riot with all manner of objects flying through the air as the rioters vented their anger on the police cars driven by police who were having a very hard time trying to keep order.
Wikipedia describes this riot as follows:
"The most serious was in a protest at Trafalgar Square, London, on March 31, 1990, of more than 200,000 protesters. This unrest was instrumental in toppling Margaret Thatcher in 1990."
It is wise to change some of our decisions if it becomes obvious that they are the wrong ones but there are a host of decisions which are clearly the right ones and we will live much happier lives if we carry them out. Of course, some decisions are not easy to carry out and could cause riot and rebellion in our own minds. It makes sense to keep our decisions fairly easy to carry out until our will power becomes strong and can cope with bigger demands.
Today, I decided to do 100 repetitions of various exercises. I succeeded but, if I had tried to do 500 of each, I might well not have done them.
Remembering Kacper's words about success can also help. You only need to think to yourself: "I am a success if I do what I decide to do or if I do not do what I decide not to do." Such words are highly motivating to any one who wants to be a success and who doesn't? It is also wise to make daily rather than yearly decisions about what you will and will not do. We can only control today. Alcoholics Anonymous have found that out.
Some decisions may lead to regular good habits which will not involve any further decisions. However, a good habit will only be formed if we make and carry out many small decisions which lead to the formation of the habit we want.
Succeed then by doing what you decide to do and not doing what you decide not to do. Don't make these decisions rashly. If they are too tough to carry out you will lose confidence in your ability to make and carry out decisions. If you make your decisions wisely and avoid asking too much of yourself at first, you will increase your confidence and will power and slowly climb the ladder of success to heights which may amaze you.
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