I catch myself thinking, “If only I had X, then I would do Y”. Ah ah ah! Not so fast. I quickly realize that I already have what I need to do Y.
For example, I often think, “If only I had a weight belt, I could burn more calories when I run.” Except that it’s not a true limiter. I can test this by thinking, “I have dumbbells I could hold in my hands while I run, do I use them?” The answer is no, I run just fine without them.
I’ve caught myself thinking, “If only I had a girlfriend, I’d review our relationship with her every night to make sure we’re helping each other and not growing apart.” Nope. Not the case. I can tell because I don’t review my relationship with myself every night. The thought of reviewing my day is exhausting. I don’t have any evidence to believe that would change. It’s merely wishful thinking. I wish I reviewed my own day. I wish I wrote down what progress I made toward my goals, what went well and what didn’t. There’s no reason to think that it would be any different with a girlfriend.
I once thought, “I wish I had more money, then I could buy more 3D printers and more filament, and rubber shock absorbers, and bearings, and… etc.” But the reality is, I’m just not devoting enough time to growing my business for that to be worth it. It’s just not a priority right now. I’m not hurting for capital, I’m hurting for skilled labor. I need to allocate energy. Capital is just a tool. It’s a patch. Any schmuck off the street can buy a 3D printer and run a company. It takes a smart schmuck to leverage unique talents and assets to carve out a lucrative niche.
Don’t fall for your own lies! Understand the world you’re in, and get the world you want!