It is the simple things that we do consistently and persistently that bring us compounding effects. Why not make these simple commitments on a daily basis and chart your progress. We can grow in areas of our lives that we choose to focus on, committing and continuous evaluation and course correction is really powerful.
Take an honest look at where you are
Each day we can get closer to the version of ourselves that we intend. But we must know where we are going and where we are at. Sometimes we get distracted by unimportant tasks because being busy feels good and taking an honest look at where we are and where we sincerely want to go makes us uncomfortable. Be strategic and try to see things for the next 10 years vs for the next 10 days. Be comfortable in listening to your true desires. Forget about what other people think or even your own expectations. Sit still and really ask this important question; what do I ultimately desire in my life? Create the necessary tweaks and simple practices that change the trajectory of your life, leading you to your truer goal. Optimize for your future self 10 years from now. Progress may not be evident in the short run but keep your daily check ins and log your small wins and see where you can go in a month, quarter, year and 10 years.
Muster up the courage to really look at where you are, are you aligned with your long term goal? What actions are you going to do today that leads to your long term goal? Stay open and flexible, clear and determined, never indifferent. Remember that there is a version of yourself you have yet to meet. A wiser, richer, more loving, stronger and better in whatever aspect you choose to be. What does truly matter to you? Maybe it is simple, maybe it is audacious, one thing is for sure, you have to get on it.
“The bigger the vision, the better the decisions”
– Dan Sullivan
See it in your mind, hold it in your hand
If you can desire it, you are bound to have it. But what is stopping most of us? It is our unconscious bias. We might believe that we are capable of amazing things and get excited about it but our unconscious bias kicks in. We might have been programmed when we were young that some things are impossible or we are incapable. We can counter this programming by affirmations, repeated statements of the truth what we want to become. We continuously create our lives day to day through what we believe ourselves to be. Henry ford said; whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right. Emerson also said; “There’s nothing capricious in nature, and the implanting of a desire indicates that its gratification is in the constitution of the creature that feels it.” So strengthen your positive inner self talk. Be your own motivational coach and accountability buddy. Be not afraid or intimidated by your own capability. Own it, embody it and claim it.
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
– Maria Robinson
Exclude all nonsense
This is raising your floor, raising your standards. Let go of activities and thoughts that take up real estate in your head. In mindfulness meditation, ask what are thoughts that are taking up your time that yields no benefit and takes you farther from your goal? Let go of non essentials. From time to time stop for 60 seconds and be aware of where you are hanging out mentally, are you intentionally distracting yourself? Maybe take a deep breath and return to center and redirect the focus on what really matters in this moment. Batch for flow, avoid switching tasks often. It is tempting to do everything all at once but it in reality it slows us down rather than what we think on the surface level. Bypassing the immediate urge to act on an impulse helps a lot too. Stay focused on what you decided upon, get pulled by your future self rather than being pulled back by your past self. Do less but with better quality. Through the power of stillness and intention, we can rise above the chaos and will be able to decide which things can be let go.
“Only as high as I reach can I grow; only as far as I seek can I go; only as deep as I look can I see; only as much as I dream can I be.” –
– Karen Ravin
The actor’s technique
Act as if you are the person of your ideal. As within so without, as above so below. Stanislavsky’s modern acting technique involves asking one’s self these questions to prepare for a role. Who am I?, Where am I?, When is it?, What do I want?, Why do I want it?, How will I get it?, What do I need to overcome? Each day we have the opportunity to create and recreate ourselves. We are the stars of our own motion picture so make time to prepare for your role each day by asking these questions.
In stillness you can mentally rehearse, rile up yourself to feel about your ideal self. This creates your being. Sustain this feeling of being your ideal. Listen to the voice of your ideal. Change your internal, and observe your external. Make it a discipline to not leave your meditative state until you feel your best.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
– Socrates
Feel the fear and do it anyway
This phrase is a book title by Susan Jeffers. One of the many insights from the book is to not put any type of power outside of one’s self. To be always centered. The moment we put power outside ourselves is the start of imbalance. Take charge of everything that happens to us. Accountability, responsibility and foresight will save us a lot of pain and repeated mistakes.
Fear is false evidence appearing real, if something is hindering you from your goals, take a deep breath, feel the fear and do it anyway. We will fail for sure, but we will fail in the right direction and coming back wiser and more capable. Everything we desire and what we could be is on the other side of fear. We know this and hear this all the time but when do we really intentionally face fear head on? Make it a deliberate practice to face something that you fear daily and you’ll find that it really is not as big of a deal as the mind puts it out to be. The mind tends to inflate and exaggerate everything leaving us paralyzed in indecision, shake it up by jumping in, getting in the flow and engaging rather than ruminating. Clarity comes in engagement.
Through inquiries like; what are my unconscious thoughts that are making me fearful? We get to control and choose our behavior either to give up or worrier up. That up is up to you!
“Taking responsibility means never blaming anyone else for anything you are being, doing, having, or feeling.”
– Susan Jeffers
Act. Observe. Course correct.
As we stay focused and centered, commuted to the version of our selves we ought to be. We are going to be dynamic, moving through our days with confidence. As we deploy actions and plans make sure we observe and evaluate our results each day and take note of new discoveries and knowings that we may apply next. Always remember, everything is in motion and subject to change, so find that sweet spot between flexibility and being focused. Think of the Inertial navigation systems by aircrafts, it works by using accelerometers and gyroscopes to calculate position, velocity, and other elements of movement. As the aircraft continues to travel along its path, the INS device will continuously calculate and update all the motion elements via information received from motion sensors. Your sensors are how you feel about your progress and your destination, and how you feel about them can be maneuvered through intentional thinking, affirmations, reflection and commitment.
“When a heart has set a course, let it navigate the laughter in failure and generosity in overcoming crisis. Love weaves lives and distills.”
– James Emlund
Strengthen positivity bias
The mind is wired to see what’s lacking. Our ego’s never run out of demands. Through simple awareness and intention, we can shift the mind’s negative tendencies. Give everything spaciousness. Before reacting, make time to turn things around towards a much more positive response. As we do this more often, we can train ourselves to become more positive. Aside from spaciousness another obvious tool for positivity is gratitude. Make time to affirm what you are grateful for, make it specific. You can do it anytime, name three things that you are grateful for, it can be as simple as clean water, a bed and a home. Make this habit multiple times a day, maybe set a timer that each and every three hours you practice gratitude. It is easy when our vibe and emotions are in neutral or equanimity. Let us not wait when we are in an anxious situation before doing something about it. Stack your positivity, pray and increase faith so that no external variable can penetrate your peace. Nothing is good or bad. Thinking makes it so. Think on good, blessed, amazing things.
“This is the essence of the Rebbe’s Positivity Bias: To believe in God’s ultimate goodness, to know that blessings await us beneath the surface of our experience, no matter how bleak, to actively seek those blessings out, and to spread their light to the world beyond.”
– Mendel Kalmelson
Savor for 30 seconds
Spaciousness, moments of gratitude, mindful awareness, these are your tools for equanimity and returning to your center. Savoring for 30 seconds is one of my favorites. Appreciate where, who and what you are for 30 seconds and bring ease to the heart. Ungrip the tension in the muscles and shoulders, get back in flow rejuvenated and engage in relaxed, effortless effort. Understand impermanence, our pain comes from resisting change. Be in flow with the ever changing world inside and outside of you. Our cells rejuvenates at a rate of millions per second. You are changing as you read this. Let’s open to this impermanence, be ok with it and grow and flow with it. It is the whole essence of life isn’t it? Savor the breaths, savor the change, savor your freedom.
“When we hygger, we frame the moment, give it our full attention, savour and hold it, in an awareness that the moment will pass.
– Louisa Thomsen Brits, The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well
We feel how one moment becomes layered on to the next; past and present mingled together – everything falling into place, into one accord.”
Afterthoughts
Simple practices yield compounding results. Be clear and dedicated to these blueprints that we have discussed. Pick ones that resonate, these are simple concepts of mindfulness, gratitude and commitment. What is your favorite tool? What and how are you going to integrate it to your day to day? Any bold actions? Any new curiosities? Any morning practices? Feel free to share.