Action Archives - Page 106 of 115

Plan Ahead

Posted on July 27, 2020

It’s a good idea to look out beyond the hour, day and week. Some people plan important events years in advance. When you plan ahead, it changes your perspective on life, time and prioritisation.

Our life insurance broker rang me today. He wanted to check that I was happy with the cover we had. Was it the right amount, coverage and term (length of time)? All seemed fine.

However, it did get us running a few scenarios. How old would we be in 10, 20 and 30 years? We also needed to calculate how old the kids would be on those dates. The other point to consider was specific life moments falling in those time periods. Big events we considered were; helping with the children’s university costs, business start up costs and/or potential wedding costs.

Planning ahead does make you confront some brutal truths. In particular, it reminds you that you will either be much older one day, or the alternative. And you should consider that ‘much older’ comes with more than simply more candles on your birthday cake. Your health and wellness is likely to change somewhat.

You plan ahead for things that you want such as holidays, concerts and sporting events. So you should also plan ahead for those events that are inevitable, like ageing and the alternative.

Do it now.

Action Reframe your thoughts

Selective Memory

Posted on July 24, 2020

It is fascinating what we can remember and what we can forget. Having selective memory can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. But if you train your mind, you can make it work better for you.

Women can use selective memory to forget the pain of child birth. I have met several women who said they would not have a second child after the physical pain of the first. However, in some cases, there were more children after that. This is one of the advantages of selective memory. At least it has been for the continuation of the human race.

We can also use this concept to fondly remember ‘the good ole days’. This means we remember the great and good things in our past and tend to forget all the little painful incidents. We remember winning the match but not so much the pain we felt during or after. We remember the graduation but not the mind numbing hours of studying required to obtain the marks for it.

However, we can select poorer memories if we wish. We might focus on unhappy or unhelpful instances. Most people will have a variety of moments they should forget. Especially if it was something they did which didn’t go well.

We should not dwell on our own or other people’s shortcomings or bad moments.

We can use this selective memory power for good. Do not use this to beat ourselves up over something. Nor should we chastise others.

Action Progress

Are You Ready To Go All In?

Posted on July 23, 2020

Have you been holding back recently? Or maybe even for a long time? I am sure there is something on your list. Are you ready to go all in?

There is often something we hold back on. We are getting ourselves ready. We may be preparing the plan or researching some key elements. However, at some point we know we need to get things moving forward with some massive action.

This might mean a late night or two to crack through something. Or maybe it involves doing something we are not as comfortable with. For some, this is marketing and phone calls. Other people may be hesitant to spend a certain level of money.

But today is the day to bite the bullet. It is the day to take massive action and put your plans into high gear. You need to get over that hurdle in front of you. You do not want to still be in this position in 2021. Since, you have the ability, make it happen!

You will never feel 100% ready. But if you are 70% ready, you should just get moving. You will make up more of the plan while you are moving forward. Take the step. Make the call. Feel the sense of accomplishment!

Action Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts

What You Focus On Grows

Posted on July 19, 2020

If you want to become great at something or develop a skill, you need to focus on it. What you focus on grows and what you ignore, doesn’t grow.

Back to the farm days for a moment to make this clear. If you focus on planting seeds and tending to the weeds, you’ll be able to grow crops. If you focus on the back porch, the rocking chair and a cold beer, you may not have any crops in the autumn.

Fans of Star Wars have also witnessed how your mind can shift depending on what you focus on. We saw this with Anakin Skywalker when he focused on being the best Jedi. However, after the sad situation with his mother, he began to focus on hate, anger and revenge. This grew inside him until it consumed him, which didn’t turn out well.

Thankfully we can stay in the light by focusing on pleasant things. It really is your choice. Though as we know, it requires effort, patience and time.

Focus on your accomplishments and the success you see in your future. Write these out and review them daily. Add to them whenever you can as well. Remove anything from your day that makes you start to feel negative, whether it is news, specific conversations or situations.

What you focus on grows. Make sure you are building a better you each day.

Action Gratitude

Celebrate! ?

Posted on July 10, 2020

When you have been working at something and reach a milestone, you need to pause and Celebrate! ?

This is such a critical factor in continued success.

Take a moment to reflect back on what you have done. Look at what you have achieved. Remember those moments of joy you had along the way. And reflect on all the challenges you had to meet and overcome to reach this point.

For me, I am celebrating with this blog. This is my 183rd daily blog in a row. I’ve completed half a year of daily blogging. At an average of 250 words per blog, this means I’ve written approximately 45,000 words. That is roughly the number of words in a bestselling non-fiction book. ?

I’ve enjoyed the process and had a lot of great support from people. So thank you to everyone who has given me feedback! Whether it has been tips, suggestions, thumbs ups, comments, shares or very kind words of support, it has all been great encouragement and has kept me motivated to press on!

There is another significant milestone happening on the 11th July. My in-laws are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. That’s quite something. Congratulations Clare and Don!

Celebrate! ?

Whatever the milestone, big or small, it will feel great to have reached it.

Action Think About It

What Makes You Decide?

Posted on June 30, 2020

We make decisions every day. There are the thousands of little decisions and the several, or dozens of, much larger decisions. But what makes you decide anything in the first place?

What is it that makes us decide that it is time to brush our teeth? Is there a trigger that helps us with the decisions around the clothes we will wear today or what we will eat for lunch?

Some decisions are instant, like to keep walking or stop. Other decisions are longer term, such as where we will book next year’s summer holiday.

Perhaps many decisions are merely strong habits. If you decide to go to bed because it is 10:00 pm, is it much of a decision if you go to bed every night at that time?

A lot of decisions are the result of measuring pleasure or pain. I might keep walking if I see an old friend up ahead (pleasure pursuit). However, if I see a car hurtling through a red light, I might stop walking across the street (pain prevention).

What makes you decide to support a political party or leader? Which internal system makes those split second decisions while driving at 70 mph?

Could it be your Emotions? Experience? Training? Conditioning? Education? Influence? Peers? Data?

Have an honest moment with yourself and consider what really are the main reasons you make many of your decisions. You may be surprised.

Action Reframe your thoughts

From Beginner To Winner

Posted on June 29, 2020

The journey from start to finish can be a challenge, not least because it is repetitive. To move from beginner to winner can take some time and a lot of training.

It usually starts with mindset. You need to shift from, ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I’ll be terrible’, to, ‘I can do this’. Then the process has begun. You can then have your first real try. You are ready.

Now usually when we are the beginner, we are not very good at it. Walking seems so simple now for most people reading this. But walking usually takes 6-18 months for children to learn the basics and become reasonably capable.

Times tables is another example most people can relate to. The first time you were shown the times tables, it’s unlikely you remembered any of them. But now you could probably provide rapid responses for six times six and 11 times nine.

Like anything in life, most things are achievable by a regular person. Certainly climbing from beginner to intermediate is within most people’s grasp for anything intellectual or physical. It will, however, take some time, effort and focused training. It may even require a coach, teacher or trainer.

Shifting from intermediate to advanced is another leap. This relies more heavily on mindset. This leap requires discipline, a positive mind and the ability to deal with bigger setbacks.

From advanced to professional requires an even greater level of mental fortitude. But it is achievable. Though in this modern era, with so many people prepared to compete for the rewards at the top, you will have to train hard.

Remember, the journey from beginner to winner will usually mean you will be a little shaky at the start. But you need to get through that and shift from uncomfortable to unstoppable to achieve anything.

Action Think About It

Prepare For The Worst And The Best

Posted on June 26, 2020

It is always important to maintain a positive perspective. To this end, one should prepare for the worst and the best and not prepare only for the worst.

In the headline, I’ve modified the popular idiom of, ‘Hope for the best and prepare for the worst’. It makes more sense to me this way.

Taking action, planning and preparing only for the worst seems like only half the answer. Although hope is an excellent thing to have, I thought we should put some action, planning and preparing for the best in here too.

Hope is a great start but by planning, preparing and visualising the best outcome, we may actually help to create it. In addition, it may be more likely to come to pass if some action has been taken.

So let’s hope that things get better. Let’s plan for better days ahead. Why not map out what ‘great’ would like for your life over the next three, six and 12 months? If you haven’t done so already, start preparing for the life that you want. Mentally map what it looks like and how it feels. Review this in your mind daily. Several times a day if you really want the change to happen.

While doing that, also prepare for the worst. Be ready to quarantine at some point, lockdown again, be clear on your finances for the 12 months ahead and especially if household income became impacted. It’s not fun to plan for tough times ahead but it is prudent.

Finally, Do not plan just for the physical outcomes but plan for the mental condition you’ll need as well. Be ready for challenge but focus your thoughts on happier days.

Action Observe Weight loss

Doing What We Know

Posted on June 24, 2020

It may not always be good for us but doing what we know is often comforting. We have ingrained habits and neural pathways that make the familiar easier to do.

This would be fantastic news if we all had fabulous habits from our youth. However many people develop some coping mechanisms, or a few poor habits, when they are young. Development really depends on so many things.

The good habits, and the associated neural pathways, can be great if we’ve stumbled off our path. It makes it easier to get back to our previously efficient, focused and productive selves. Knowing we’ve done it before makes it easier to do again.

Although, it is also important to note that if you have improved various aspects of your life, you need to be careful not to slip into unproductive old ways. This is especially important if those older ways were unhelpful or destructive.

Some old habits, like eating, smoking, gambling and drinking can really disrupt our lives if relived with enthusiasm or without thought.

Another category is simply those little things we enjoy doing but that have minimal impact on our lives. An example of this is flopping on the sofa and listening to a few favourite tunes from younger days. It’s just something you enjoy doing and you know you’ll feel better after it.

By doing what we know, we can improve our lives or have it spiral downward. It can be a constant battle or our saving grace. Though eventually, you can make the good habits a part of your life. By continuing to overwrite our old programming, we can minimise the chance of back sliding.

Action Reframe your thoughts

Leave Everything A Little Better

Posted on June 19, 2020

Wherever you go you are likely to find little things that aren’t perfect. Leave everything a little better when you pass through.

Some simple things can make a nice difference. For example, I’ll pick up pieces of litter if there are one or two items on a trail, in a park or on the street. I prefer not to see it there in the first place. But now that I have, I’ll remove it. Then, the people coming after me can have the natural experience I would have wanted.

If you borrow something, like a friends car, fill the tank or get a car wash before returning it. It’s a nice thing to do for them. This is especially true if the tank is low or you can write or draw in the dirt.

If a tree branch has fallen on a path, move it completely out of the way. Most people who pass by after will appreciate it. Some people might have preferred the adventure in scrambling over, through or around it. Though, many hikers like to simply hike and not play tree-branch Twister.

Sometimes it is just a simple thing like adjusting a pillow, shifting something, or returning a tool a little cleaner or sharper. Every little act of improvement will have a knock on effect and bring greater joy. Whether that joy is experienced by people you know or not is fine.

How nice it would be if all people could pay it forward and leave everything a little better than we found it.