I set a goal not to curse in 2016. I did it to be a better person. Surprisingly, it has also provided me with some positive and unexpected benefits.
I discovered these positive benefits yesterday at the peak of frustration. If you are curious what peaked my frustration, it was setting up new Audio and Visual Equipment in my office. I love new things just as much as I hate learning how to use them. Maybe you can relate.
After shooting the 10th video to less than perfect sound (It actually sounded terrible), I hit the peak of frustration. It was at that moment, that I seriously wanted to use those four letter words.
Yet, I set a goal not to curse in 2016, so I didn’t. But I came close. Very close. I knew that if I kept going, I was soon going to be making a donation to charity. RELATED: 3 keys that make your systems and procedures personal
So I stopped, and went home.
That’s when I realized that other than the original goal, there were:
The Surprising and Unexpected Benefits of Not Cursing
- A new finish line. Most goals worth achieving do not happen in a day. They take time. It is not uncommon that the goal will take weeks, if not months, or even years. I’m a hard pressing Driver, so I don’t like to stop until I have finished strong. Yet, what I was working on did not have to be finished that day. If I didn’t have the goal of not cursing, I would have keep going, become more frustrated, and wasted lots of time.
- Reduced stress. My goal of not cursing actually decreased my overall stress and frustration. I’m convinced that if my vitals were checked, I had the benefit of lower blood pressure and stress hormones.
- Increased discipline. As a Trainer and an Entrepreneur, discipline is critical to success. I greatly value discipline in my students, and now have a form of discipline for myself. I’m economically motivated, so the $10 Charity Donation keeps the goal at the forefront of my mind.
- More time. Stopping at the moment of peak frustration allowed me to leave the office on time. This meant that I didn’t miss my gym time, or time with my family.
- Achieving my other goals. If I had keep going to the point of cursing, I would have continued after the cursing started. Cursing is a stress reliever for me, but it is not the right stress reliever. Once I cursed, I would have stuck with it for a few more hours. Which means that I would have missed out on my other goals. The afore mentioned gym and family time.
I set a goal for not cursing. My reasons didn’t go much past, “to be a better person.” And it only took one test of this moral goal to realize the surprising and unexpected benefits of not cursing.
Question: Do you struggle with cursing? Which of these benefits do you think would affect your life first? Please comment and share on Facebook and LinkedIn.
