"There's nothing to do in this town."
"Northampton is shit."
"I'm going to London"
These are all things i've had said to me about the town that I live in (said by people that have made no attempt to change their situation). I have no illusion that there are other, more diverse, more lively places in the world but if you're chasing the 'best' place to be;
a) You'll never find it and (the 'best' anything is temporary and constantly evolving).
b) All the time you spend moaning would be better spent creating.
I'm a firm believer that I am in control of my life, it doesn't just happen to me. Obviously some things are uncontrollable, but certainly in terms of things to do, it's down to me. We all get bored, but it's what we do with that time that can really make the difference.
I read an article about Tyler Perry (a very successful actor, producer, director, screenwriter, playwright, author, and songwriter) about how he had achieved his goals, and one of the things he said was;
"Stop wasting time on TV, games, dumb stuff & people. If a person doesn't have a plan... move on!"
That really resonated with me. If TV and games are my goal, then obviously it's all good, but those things don't get me where I want to go. If i'm not where I want to be, then doing anything other than chasing that is wasting time. If I don't work on it I wont get it. It doesn't matter what my goal is, whether that's money, relationships or expertise it all requires work. Playing Glastonbury festival requires plenty of rehearsal, has anyone ever played Glastonbury with zero practice?
I talk about quotes a lot, I think it's because my mind constantly wonders towards 'what are you doing with your life, you should be doing better/more' territory, so the occasional kick in the butt really helps me. As soon as I think I want to sit in front of the TV or eat that massive chocolate bar I ask myself 'Is that how I get what I want?', the answer instructs me what to do next.
That helps me, maybe it can help you, it's worth a shot.
Speak to you Friday,
Josh.
image found HERE.