Focusing on a long term goal can be hard. Many times people set a large goal but lose their motivation along the way. One of the main culprits of lost motivation, is a sense that a goal is either too hard or will take too long. It is in this sense that the phrase, those who are afraid of doing too much will always do too little, was born.
If we focus on the size of the goal, and how far away it is, motivation becomes nearly impossible. So instead of focusing on how much work has yet too be done, we must instead direct our attention to the things we can do. Keeping our attention on things that we can get accomplished as opposed to just thinking about the workload we have have makes a world of a difference. So as you go throughout your week and inch closer too your goals, keep your attention on what you can accomplish in the here and now!
Stacking Habits
Posted: December 28, 2020
The New Year is on its way, and with it comes for many people a fresh set of resolutions. While the concept of setting an annual goal is a good one, the way these are implemented are often flawed. For instance, if we decide New Years day we will make time to read everyday for at least 30 minutes. We go from not reading at all to reading every single day. While this is certainly a goal that is achieveable and measureable, will we go about it the smartest way?
If we set this goal, but do not set a specific part of our day aside to do it we are destined for failure. We need to build a habit. The best and also easiest way to build a habit is to stack it ontop of something you already do. For instance if we already wake up early and work out, we could very easily set aside time after the workout to read. Our mind is already in a productive mode so adding on one more habit is fairly easy.
Stacking habits is one of the best ways to fulfill our New Year's resolutions. Creating a new habit out of nothing is hard, but if we add it onto something we already do it becomes much more achieveable. So as you approach the New Year think about how you can take the new habits you want to create and add them to the ones you already have established.
Leadership by Example
Posted: December 14, 2020
A common parental saying is "Do as I say, not as I do." While this phrase is fun to say it is not the best form of leadership. It is very easy to tell someone to act a certain way. Just about anyone can tell you to "work hard" or "eat healthy." However, if those around around you are lazy and constantly eat junk food, naturally following this advice becomes harder.
The people we surround ourself with hold a great deal of influence over us, and vice versa. Therefore, if we expect the people around us to act a certain way, we must first look inward and examine our own behavior. If we want our family to be more respectful towards each other, we must start by being respectful towards them. If we want our employees to greet every customer with a smile, then we must first greet every employee with a smile.
Once you start leading by example, you may find that people will just naturally start emulating you. When we start being our best selves, then naturally the people around us will want to well. Your own behavior is a powerful tool, it can be used to build up and guide those around you, or to alienate them and turn you into a hypocrite. So choose your actions wisely and lead by example.
If it is to be, its up to me!
Posted: December 07, 2020
As human beings we often get caught in the trap of assigning blame. We don't lose weight, we blame the stupid diet we're on. Our flexibility isn't as good as it should be, we blame our bad genes. We aren't as much money as we want to, we blame our Boss. It's very easy to constantly find someone or something to blame for all of our problems. What's hard to do is to take responsibility for our troubles!
So many people are just waiting for some savior to swoop down and rescue them from their problems. However if all we ever do is wait for somebody else to fix our problems, nothing will ever get done! So next time you have a problem and are looking for a solution, don't look for someone to blame. Instead say to yourself "if it is to be, it's up to me!" Once you change the thoughts in your head then results will manifest. So that small little phrase, said often enough, might just change your life.
Take Action!
Posted: November 30, 2020
Successful people do things which seem like common sense. Pretty much everyone knows that doing something is almost always better than doing nothing. However many people get stuck in a mentalilty where they visualize their goal, and maybe even how they'll accomplish it. They do not take the final step, they don't actually take action.
Imagine someone who everyday took tiny steps towards their goals. Now take someone else, who instead of taking steps, just thinks, 24/7 about all the things they're going to accomplish. In three years who will actually be closer to their goals?
.... The first person! This answer seems ridiculously simple, but for one reason or another we often let ourselves fall into the trap of visualizing without actually taking action. This is dangerous because it may feel as if your accomplishing something. Fortunately we all know that you haven't really accomplished anything until you actually DO SOMETHING!