Look at life as a negotiation. We're negotiating with others all the time. We even negotiate with ourselves.

Negotiating with oneself, however, can be dangerous.

If you find that you are slacking off and you then offer yourself excuses for giving up,

Dr. Jason Selk warns about "The Trap of the Viable Excuse," where the more reasonable the excuse, the more willing you are to accept failure and make it your new normal.

What's the problem here?

When you accept the "new normal," you've accepted lowering your own standards.

You have to remind yourself how precious your time is and all of what you have committed to do with such time.

It's easy—completely "viable"—to talk yourself out of making the effort.

If you think about it, you have at least as much ability to talk yourself into making the effort. Your reasons for making the effort are also much better.

What about effort anyway?

It's uncomfortable and inconvenient. It can also be complicated and frustrating.

More importantly, giving the effort ends up as your reward in its own right.

In sports we talk about "getting comfortable being uncomfortable." A 98 MPH heater bearing in on your left hip can make the batter more than just a little uncomfortable. When Ray Lewis was on the other side of the line of scrimmage, that was very uncomfortable for an offensive football player.

Cowards back down. For winners, that's not an option.

Giving the effort to overcome your un-comfortability is worth it.

…or soon will be.

As always,

Brian