Have we gotten lazy as a society? Has our need for instant gratification affected our drive? Several commercials and advertisements lately have prompted this little rant from me today.
“Work today…get paid today…” seen on several fast food restaurant signs.
“Sign up with us and get your paycheck deposited 3 days early!”
“Drink this miracle shake and lost 30lbs in a month with no exercising and eating whatever you want!”
Say what?!? These are not good things!! I highly doubt the restaurant is going to find a good, long-term employee this way. Getting your paycheck deposited 3 days early is most likely going to leave the employee hurting even more before the next paycheck is deposited or put them in a cycle of depending on this crutch. And losing weight without putting in the work of changing your eating habits and putting in the exercise is probably not realistic at best and unhealthy at worst!
I get it though. I’m just now getting back into a regular physical fitness routine. I see the people at the gym that obviously have not fallen out of their workout habits and would love it if I was half as toned as they are. (I mean, I’ve been to the gym this week 3 times now, why do I not have arms like Jillian Michael’s already??) I’m going to use those buff gym rats as motivation though to get where I want to be. 48 years of lazy workout habits and unhealthy eating habits are not going to fall away overnight or with a week or two of going to the gym on a regular basis. I’ve got to be willing to put in the consistent work.
I have way more debt than I would like. I’m working hard at fixing this. Guess what though? I didn’t get into debt overnight so I realize I’m not going to get out of it overnight either. I will warn you though, it’s much easier and faster to get into debt than it is to get out so do your best to avoid getting into debt in the first place. Thankfully it’s been a long time since I’ve had to worry about making it from one paycheck to another. Fancy vacations and nicer, newer cars are still out of reach though if I want to eradicate this debt. I’ve got to put in the work and keep chipping away at my debt every month.
Are you seeing a theme here? We’ve got to stop counting on the instant gratification and start putting in the work and effort for a better life.
Don’t like your job?
Update your resume’. Start researching jobs/companies that you are interested in. Put a profile out on LinkedIn. Learn new skills if you need them for a new position. You don’t necessarily have to go back to school, there’s a ton of resources on the web and sites like LinkedIn Learning.
Having trouble making the money last from paycheck to paycheck?
Set up a budget. Find a part-time job/side-hustle. Cut back on your expenses-I guarantee you that nearly everyone has room in their budget for cuts and they don’t have to be permanent. Pick up extra hours at your current job or talk to your supervisor about what it would take to get a raise.
Unhappy With Your Current Weight/Fitness Level?
Get moving. Walk or run outside or find some free YouTube videos if you don’t want to spend any money. Personally, I’ve found that I do better working out at an actual gym and/or classes. The best workout I have had was at a boxing gym but that’s a bit out of my price range right now so I’ve found a local gym super close to my house that starts at $10 a month. I’ve upgraded to their $23 a month plan but that gets me a nice workout facility (bonus points for the punching bags) that is open 24/7, has plenty of equipment, weights, classes, and Hydromassage chairs for after your workout.
Eat less and eat better. Let me be real honest here. I love to eat! And when I say I love to eat, I mean I love to eat bread and red meat and just about fried anything…not salads and granola. Am I going to give this food up? Nope. I am trying to eat less portion-wise though. One Hawaiian roll instead of 4 (I’m not joking unfortunately). Also, I love diet coke and Chai Tea Lattes. Not giving those up either but I am going to try to throw in a little more water on a daily basis. Okay, okay, a lot more water!
My Take-away!
Don’t get me wrong, instant gratification is okay to an extent. The microwave, being able to pick up my Iphone and find an answer to something random, the InstiPot. Okay, honestly I still haven’t figured out the InstiPot, let’s replace that with the Keurig!
There are still things in life though that you just can’t short-cut your way through. Or maybe I should say, you shouldn’t short-cut your way through! Take the time and put in the work for the important things. What are the important things? Might be different for everyone but for me it’s my family and friends, my health, my money.
I want to make time for my friends and family. That means I might work long hours during the week but I still find time to get to my monthly book club or take a trip to see my son in Indy or have breakfast with my youngest son.
I want to focus on getting healthy. I’m 48 and my knees and foot remind me of that daily and I’m also 25 lbs heavier than I want to be.
I want to finish paying off my debt. The single parent life is expensive but I’m seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and I’m focused on reaching it so I can create a life where I can travel and relax a little more.
All of these things are possible if I’m willing to put in the work. What are you working for?
Now, excuse me while I sign off here to go get my Powerball ticket. Don’t worry, it’s budgeted in as part of my entertainment line item on the budget…lol.
