#75Hard Day 60: Staying Course When The Honeymoon Wears Off

▶️ I have noticed that I have hit the point in the 75 Hard challenge where the excitement of new things has started to wear off and some days they have become more burdensome and exciting.
▶️ Part of the purpose of this challenge was for me to put myself back in the state of someone just getting started on their journey so I could understand them better. This honeymoon phase wearing off is one of those things that I really needed to be reminded of.
▶️ In the beginning, the anticipation of all the hard work keeps you in the game when you don’t feel like it, but slowly over time, the novelty wears off and you start to wonder if it’s really worth it.
▶️ This timeframe where the honeymoon phase wears off is frequently where people give up and quit. They become disillusioned when they look around at others who seem to make it look so easy, expecting that they should have that same force operating by now.
▶️ When you look at people who have made it successfully through the honeymoon phase and into a consistent lifestyle, it’s not because they are more disciplined or skilled.
▶️ Those people understand the principle of momentum and were patient enough to wait for it to kick in.
▶️ When you first start out making changes it is though you are pushing along a large rock. It takes a significant amount of force to get started, but most people when they are truly ready to change will be able to muster up the energy to do so to get the boulder rolling.
▶️ At this point however, we expect that the momentum will just kick in and the rock will continue to roll now that we are in motion. What actually takes place is that you continue to stay alongside the rock, nudging it as needed.
▶️ It still takes much less effort to keep it going, but there is continued involvement on your part to do so. Unless this is realized, and accepted, then people often give up.
▶️ So when implementing new habits remember that it will take an initial large amount of force, and ongoing force, but it will not require as much effort the further along you get.
▶️ Knowing this, you will be willing to sum up that initial large energy force and remain patient to keep the ball rolling once the honeymoon phase wears off.
▶️ Eventually you will find that you enjoy the process of showing up and pushing hard, rather than just the fruit of the effort itself. Becoming the person who is excited about their dedication to the process and who is willing to show up even when you don’t feel like it is what keeps you in the game long-term.