Easier said than done

Do you have a new year's resolution?

It might be too late for me to ask you now, but, did you make one last year and pledged to be doing it this year?

Before, I was fond of making new year's resolutions, but I ended up not making anything because it is so easy to write it down on a piece of paper, yet, it's so hard to actually do make it happen. Sure, I may have written once that I'd be healthier in a new year, yet, I was just healthy "at the beginning"... and then, in a matter of a week or two, the resolution is nowhere in the plan.

There are many things that I want to change in me... most of them to become are the following: to lose weight, become healthier, save up, invest, spend less time with my phone and the internet, etc. But just like any other ordinary people on Earth, I struggle.

It is a daily struggle.

I get up and plan to do intermittent fasting, I was able to do it for a couple of months, and I lost around 6 kilos, actually... but then when after a month, I was back to my weight. Hahaha. Because maybe I became demotivated, and of course, good food really makes me happy. I was thinking that in this time of pandemic when the physical connection with your friends and loved ones is so limited, why would you limit yourself from something that would make you happy and a bit worry-less in this current setup?

The desire of being a healthier me is still there, however, at times, I really get discouraged and demotivated especially when I am alone in this journey.

So why are there things that are easier said than done?

• Lack of confidence and motivation. Have you read the book "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren? This book posts a question "What drives you?". It is about finding what your real purpose in life is, and what will motivate you to do it. But sometimes, you just can't find the motivation to do something. There are other times when you want to do something, yet you become too shy to do it, or sometimes you think that you can't and won't be able to do it. You wanted to do something but you think that you don't have the capacity to withstand the possible negative consequences of your actions. Sometimes you want to do something but you think lowly of yourself, and that you can't make it. This is sad but true.

• Fear of failure and rejection. Some people just dive into their feelings and just decide what to say or do right then and there. But there are also some who can't decide because of weighing all the possible consequences and all the possibilities. With this, I remember the sitcom "The Good Place". One of the main characters is Chidi Anagonyeh who has the inability to make decisions that would frequently leave him overanxious which often results in poor decision-making, or no decisions made at all. You want to do something but you think way too much of the possibilities, which is a good trait, but when it becomes too much, you'd end up doing nothing. Why can't you decide to do it? Because you're too afraid that someone will tell you in the end... "I told you so.", and you fear that you'll blame yourself for a decision that you yourself made.

• Lack of resources. Have you heard of the Tagalog saying... "Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw maraming dahilan."? In English, that means if you really want to do something, you will make a way to achieve it. If you don't like to do it, you'd have so many reasons to tell why not. My friends modify this to "Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw, walang pera." which means that if you want something you'd do everything to achieve it, however, if you don't want to do it it's because you don't have money. Let's face it, money may not be the most important thing in the world, but practically speaking, it is. One of the greatest factors why someone can't do what he/she really wants to do is the lack of resources and money to do it. Before, I always think that money is not a hindrance to success, but as I grow older, I believe that money is a factor in why there is a great disconnect between the "successful" people and those who aren't (Disclaimer: I'm talking about success here based on how the society defines it, by the way.). I think it is easier to say that being successful can be achieved if you're hardworking and resourceful...Can you tell that to a farmer who is hardworking yet still tills a land that is not his own? Can you tell that to a child who wants to go to school but has no parents who can support him/her? Or she/he can go to school but doesn't have money to buy food for recess and lunch and walk miles everyday just to go to school? See, we sometimes forget that not everyone has the privileges we are having. Sometimes, they want to do and achieve something, but they lack the resources, the financial support that can help them reach their full potential.

I tell you, it is easier said than done. Is there no desire or drive or fire to do it? Most often than not, there is... however, there are many factors that can hinder one from reaching his full potential.

I said that I will write here often, everyday, as much as possible... but due to the busy days that I am having in my multiple jobs, I don't know what to write anymore. I just look at the screen with my tired eyes, try to type words, delete them all again... and type and delete, and type and delete... until I decide, no, I don't have to write today... maybe next time.

See, it is easier said than done.

Thanks for reading!