Can you smoke weed and be successful at the same time?

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.

A recent study – I think we can call it a study – suggested that people who smoked cannabis in their 30s had significantly less success than those who didn’t smoke. Of course, if we delved into the metrics of the study, we would find many dubious claims and non-causal factors. And if we played around with the methods, we could essentially prove outlandish things like eating toast has a significant impact on sexual performance. Which it totally does, but that’s beside the point.

Instead of following my typical procedure, I’ve decided to write a counterpart to the study and if you’d like to go through their data, be my guest!

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My goal today is not to prove to you why your conclusions are wrong, but to focus on the concept of success and cannabis and how a consumer can reconcile the two. Before we get into that, let’s first understand the concept of “success.”

What does it mean to be successful?

The dictionary defines success as “the attainment of something desired, planned, or attempted.” This definition suggests that success is measured by how many of your stated goals have been met. In society, however, “success” is usually associated with money and status. You are considered “successful” if you have built up a lot of wealth or reached your ideal weight. However, is there a specific amount of money you need to be “successful” or does it depend on the person?

For example, someone with $100,000 in debt would see zero dollars and zero debt as a means to success. Therefore, both the millionaire and the debt-free zero-naire would each have their own versions of success.

Seeing that success is ultimately a subjective experience, therefore, the first step in your journey would be to define what success means to you. In essence, it is about achieving one’s goals, and therefore the first essential step is to determine which goal you want to achieve.

Understand how cannabis affects YOU!

No two people will experience the same cannabis high. You may have similar experiences, but they are never identical. This is because everyone has a unique body and mind and therefore cannabis will affect you differently.

So if you know that cannabis or a certain strain makes you too relaxed, then you know that you shouldn’t smoke weed first thing in the morning. In fact, smoking cannabis first thing in the morning is probably not recommended for most people.

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There are those who need medicinal cannabis first, but skipping the sacred wake and bake on productive days will definitely help you reach your goal faster. When success is measured by achievement, speeding up the process offers a greater return on success.

Perhaps cannabis relaxes you, eliminates intrusive fearful thoughts, and allows you to work. In that case, a morning train might not be a bad thing. However, you have to be careful how you perform. You must be objective in your analysis; Experiment, try smoking one day and give up another. Smoke once in the morning, once only in the evening. Once you’ve found your sweet spot with cannabis, it can be used as a tool on your path to success.

Expect resistance

If you ever pursue something of value, there will be resistance. You will either face an internal problem that will convince you that “now is not the time” or that “you just can’t do it,” or you will face external elements that steal your time and attention.

This is all part of the process and many people feel frustrated and give up when they enter this stage of pursuing their desires. The reason there is “resistance” is because your body and mind ultimately don’t want to deviate from “the known.”

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Whenever you are pursuing a desire, you are striving for something that you do not currently have. This new goal requires an internal shift in momentum to achieve it. Sometimes it requires a major overhaul of behavioral codes, which is a strain on your biological computer. Therefore, “things” happen that intervene and make it difficult for you to reach your goal.

As you learn to navigate this new dynamic and remain steadfast in pursuing your goal, things will eventually begin to accept the new configuration you are imposing.

Understand your motivation

Your “why” is always important because it drives your actions. If you don’t have a convincing “why,” you will always try to find ways to “not do the hard things,” because that’s human nature. However, when pursuing a goal, “the difficult” is often the quickest and most direct route to getting what you want.

RELATED: Would it be better if society smoked more weed and drank less booze?

With the right “why” driving your actions, you accept whatever difficulties come your way and always look for solutions to reach your goal. A good trick is to ask yourself “why is this important to me” seven times and repeat the question each time on the answer you get.

For example:

I want to make $10,000 a month.

Why is it important to make $10,000 a month?

Because I want the financial security to not have to worry about money.

Why is it important not to worry about money?

Because worrying about money is stressful and causes a guilty conscience.

Why is peace and security important?

you get the picture

This allows you to connect to the core of your motivations and whenever you are faced with a difficult decision or action – just reconnect with your inner fire.

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Be biased towards your success!

Once you have your mind set on something, remember that everything that happens from that point on will work in your favor. Even the seemingly “bad things” should be transformed into beneficial ones.

When faced with a difficult situation, just ask, “How will this help me achieve my goal?” If you can’t think of anything, just trust that things will work out in your favor and you’ll achieve your goal!

Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to success, although addiction specialists would have you believe that drug use and success are related. The fact is, success is a much more complex thing, involving problem-solving skills, clear vision, and myriad other factors that directly impact your success with or without cannabis.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.