Joshes and Joshettes, it’s Thursday, which means this is a podcast preview post. The title may seem a bit weird now but at the end of it, you will understand why I chose it. I know you’ve been dieting for a new post so let’s begin.

Tomorrow’s podcast is titled Episode 56 - Hardest Part Of Working For Yourself Is You. That’s a long title and it’s going to be an amazing episode. What’s funny is tomorrow’s episode and today’s post were inspired by an event that took place earlier this week. The name of that event was the Apple September event, where the new iPhone was announced. Do you see where this post is going? You don’t always need the shiny new iPhone, that’s what I told myself while watching the event. During my ten year tenure in the world of cellular phones, I was constantly switching phones and had multiple devices. Whenever a new phone was announced, I was a moth drawn to a flame. But that is no longer the case because I no longer work in that field and my income is very limited. My phone is a little under two years old and working fine, why do I need to get a new phone? Here is where the problem lies, instant gratification. A shiny new iPhone or Apple Watch will make us happy for a short while but then it’s gone. We want that so-called “high” so we end up buying something else and repeat the cycle. It’s a hamster wheel that many fall prey to.

I’ve done a post on instant vs delayed gratification, but telling yourself no goes a bit deeper. We have to say no to bad habits and yes to good habits. To better understand the previous sentence, let me provide you a scenario. You just finished working a twelve-hour shift and are exhausted and tired. You could go home and spend over an hour cooking or you can go to the nearest fast-food joint and purchase a meal. Many of us would rather go to a fast-food restaurant than cook. We know that cooking at home is cheaper and healthier however, it’s easier to buy food from a place like McDonald’s. As humans, we rather do what is easy (in most cases something that’s not good for us) rather than doing something that is hard (something that is usually good for us). Think how easy it is to binge-watch a show compared to sitting down and reading a book. We’ve all wasted hours and wondered where the day went, which is why we need to tell ourselves no. It’s okay to relax and watch your shows but eventually, you have to say no and stop.

See that’s the Segway into tomorrow’s podcast episode. When your working for yourself you have to say no to all distractions. As a writer, you are told to write in a room with the door closed. The real problem is opening the door and actually taking a seat. You say tomorrow I will get it done but when tomorrow comes you put it off again. You have to look in the mirror and say NO, today I will. That is hard and I have trouble doing this. You might be exhausted, in pain or not feeling it but you have to say no and put in the work. What is the work, it’s whatever is needed to make your dreams come true. That’s it for this post, if you want more on this topic then make sure you listen to Episode 56.