Honor Your Decisions Day 4: Honor The Consequences

“Responsibility is the price of freedom.”

When we dream about our future and set goals, do we ever think about the consequences that will occur if we don’t stick to our decisions or what the consequences mean outside of our own benefit, to others?  Do we think about the repercussions of what it means to us and what it could mean to others if we succeed or fail?  To begin our goal setting, we focus on the objective of success.  Rarely do we take the time to include possible challenges.  Some of those challenges might include the need for additional education, more time in a standard 8-hour workday, or an occasional 7-day workweek.  This added time needs to come from somewhere, and it could very well be family.

Your fitness goals should include strategies for days when you are overwhelmed at work, such as prioritizing your time.  What happens when you are exhausted and feeling exhausted, even though your fitness goals are important?  This is when discipline kicks in, and priorities are maintained for long-term health.  Other consequences will be less evident to those watching you and to those motivated by your decisions and dedication.

Every decision carries consequences; some are welcome, and some are more difficult for us to manage.  Have you ever designed a goal with others in mind?  Starting a business to provide for your community is part of your goal.  The benefits don’t always need to be title and money.  Some people will view the consequences as a burden to bear.  That approach will burn you out when you view your gifts as burdens.  Study those consequences and own them, saying to yourself, ‘These are mine,’ and I will be proud of the ups and downs needed to succeed.

When you honor your consequences, you stop blaming people, timing, or circumstances.  You take ownership of outcomes and use them as a source of instruction.  Pain from the hard consequences is not punishment; it's feedback.  Success is not earned through entitlement; it is earned through your hard work and ability to accept responsibility for all you do.