Action Archives - Page 114 of 122

Timing Is Everything

Posted on June 10, 2020

Every minute of life is like a slowly changing, large combination lock. Timing is everything. You need to get the right numbers, in the correct sequence, at the right time.

In life’s combination lock, the correct code keeps changing, similar to the Enigma machine. Even if you get the correct numbers and right sequence, if the timing is off, you don’t get to unlock the rewards.

Although, if you start paying attention to the people that have deciphered the code, and you follow it, your likelihood of success will be greatly magnified.

Timing is everything. I am sure you can relate. Maybe you have arrived at a shop as they were locking the doors, or snuck into your classroom just before the teacher turned to face the class.

There seems to be good and bad timing, but it is simply timing, nonetheless. The universe is indiscriminate.

Do your best to be your best as often as you can. Life can be a real numbers game. You never know when all the stars will be aligned and you will hit the jackpot.

Just make sure you are in the game, doing your best and learning to do better. The more you practice the more fortunate you will become.

Action Progress Time

All The Information Exists Already

Posted on June 9, 2020

We can read about success. We can read about failure. All the information exists already and can be quickly and easily found.

I have found this information in books, videos, movies and magazines. You can also hear about it on podcasts and watch it on YouTube.

It is truly amazing what life changing information, tips, philosophies, examples and opportunities you can find if you simply start looking.

Now it helps if you can look with your eyes open and can ask good questions. With Google, you’re first question can even be mediocre. However, by your third search, you could have found what you originally wanted. Often times, I will even find things that were better than what I started looking for.

It helps to have access to the internet or a library. It’s free to get a library card. And once there, you can read books, borrow them (physical, online or In audio format) and in many you can access the internet for free.

It’s up to you to decide what you tune into though.

For example, if you watch scary movies and have nightmares, perhaps you should stop watching scary movies. Assess whether the content you’re consuming is making you a stronger, better person or not.

If you spend your time consuming media, social media and friends’ chats, you may find your opportunities diminishing. It might be fun or distracting, but you’re unlikely to be getting closer to the real results you want.

All the information exists already to get you on the road to your dreams. You just have to go find it and use it. With that knowledge and a little effort, you can achieve anything.

Go change your life now!

Action Reframe your thoughts

Get The Basics Done First

Posted on June 8, 2020

It is so easy to put things off till later. We try to instil in the kids to get the basics done first. Once these basics are done, then the free time can begin.

The basics might mean schoolwork, homework, tidying up, cleaning up, chores, calls to family, fixing stuff, reading and other things. I find kids are sometimes fine with jumping over the basics and getting straight to the fun stuff.

Kids can be happy with skipping the chores and then later they will think nothing of requesting ice cream or a movie. I have to say though, a lot of times adults are the same. I can relate to this as sometimes I see through the work to the rewards too quickly.

Of course this is all contextual as well. If this is the fifth day in a row of getting the work done, the urge for an ice cream or a movie break may be stronger. Some might say overwhelming.

If you get the basics done first though, it can feel good and even save you more time later.

Remove as much stuff from your life as you can. Each day, try to reduce what you have or have going on in your life. It makes it easier to focus on those key items that will make a difference in your life.

Then you will get those key items done faster and easier and you’ll get to the fun bits quicker. Book a 30 minute ‘quick clear’ today. Get moving!

Action Progress

We Need More Jaime Escalantes

Posted on June 6, 2020

Ordinary people committed to extraordinary results. Passionate, committed change makers with a drive and purpose. We need more Jaime Escalantes.

We need more people willing to work harder to drive monumental change. In addition, everyone should be taught to expect more of those that are capable. That is to say, expect more from those that the change makers could impact.

For those that don’t know Jaime Escalante, he was a Bolivian who taught calculus in East LA from 1974-91. In his first calculus class in 1978, he taught five students. Of those five, two students passed the AP calculus exam. By 1990, his mathematics enrichment programme had more than 400 students in it.

I find this fascinating. The movie, Stand and Deliver, is a tough but uplifting account of his troubles and triumphs. I first saw it in the late 1980’s and thought it was brilliant. Since then, I have thought about it often and it still gives me chills. Discovering that he retired to Cochabamba, where I lived for a spell in the 90’s, makes me feel even closer to his story.

Jaime gave his students a vision, a goal and a plan. He then pushed them along a new trajectory for their lives. It was hard work for everyone but it would give the students an opportunity to dramatically change their lives.

We need more people, teachers and other passionate advocates of change and excellence, to help people stand and deliver.

We need more Jaime Escalantes

Action Reframe your thoughts

Build People Up Whenever You Can

Posted on June 3, 2020

Doesn’t it make sense to build people up whenever you can? There are so many instances where people go negative, generalise and put people down. It really seems unnecessary, unproductive and unkind.

We have a loose rule in our house that you can only build people up. Negative banter is discouraged and is called out with a reminder to build up.

This idea builds on a concept I grew up with. I recall hearing my Mom or Dad, or other parents, saying, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’. Similarly, we just say, ‘Build up’. It is a quicker version with similar intent.

People could use a little encouragement. It doesn’t take much to lift the spirits and chin of another person. As a result, the person will walk taller, and that is wonderful to see.

The knock on effect is wonderful too. They are more likely to be positive and enthusiastic, confident and proud. This in turn might find them doing something similar for someone else. What a fabulous ripple effect.

The kids catch me and I catch them. It’s usually just a gently nudge or reminder to build up.

There are still so many times that people let their impulsive, reactive frustrations or their nasty side win the battle for control of their mind. It doesn’t need to be that way. And, ‘I was joking’ isn’t acceptable as it didn’t land.

Practice building people up today. Pay a compliment to someone. Congratulate them on a small win. Hold yourself back from the easy put down. Encourage someone in the area they are trying to improve in.

You’ll both feel tremendously better for it. You’ll be smiling.

If you want to see incredible change in the world, start doing this often, from today.

Action Think About It

Being Your Most Decisive

Posted on May 28, 2020

When are you at your most decisive? Is it when you are low energy, uncertain, disinterested? Being your most decisive probably occurs when you feel confident, clear, energised, interested and have a deadline.

Decision velocity is critical in making progress. Your whole life is based on the decisions you make. You are where you are right now based on thousands of small, medium and large decisions you’ve made.

The great thing is decision making is a skill or muscle you can develop, train and improve on. You will make decisions quicker too if you get comfortable with being able to change your mind. If you made a decision and you don’t like the result, you can change your mind or refine your position.

Well when events change, I change my mind. What do you do?
Paul Samuelson

We know many people don’t like minds changing, particularly the media, but that is up to those people to have fixed mindsets. If you want to get somewhere you need to make good decisions with decent information and keep moving.

Being your most decisive requires bravery, courage, and a desire to make certain things happen. Life is a test and learn scenario. Making decisions allow you to test outcomes.

Reflecting on things allow you to learn. You may choose to change your decision. Alternatively you can choose to keep the decision and pocket the learning experience. Perhaps you will test a different decision in a similar circumstance in the future.

Either way, train your decision making muscle. Be brave and make those decisions. Live with the results. Test and learn. Keep going.

Action Progress

Intend To Be Your Best

Posted on May 23, 2020

It seems like a natural thing to do. Don’t you always intend to be your best? For the most part, I believe it is the true intention of people. But it is not always true and it is often intention unfulfilled.

When I attempt something, I intend to be my best. There is some scope for being somewhere along a spectrum on this though.

For example, I may intend to be my best when playing a sport. However, it could be that I am being my best that I feel I can be in the moment. It may not be my full on best like I was playing for my freedom or my life. There are different layers or positions on a spectrum of best.

Regardless of where you are in life, intend to be your best. It may be amazing, or not, relative to others, but that doesn’t matter. Aim for the best you can do right now, with what you know, and the resources you have.

The world needs you to be the best that you can be. Going forward we will need you to be the best you can possibly be, at all times, with all endeavours. Of course, even leisure pursuits will need your best. Do a great job taking care of your mind, body and soul.

Action Gratitude Progress Reframe your thoughts

Start Your Day In A Positive Way

Posted on May 17, 2020

Every word, thought or situation can send you down a different track so start your day in a positive way. You may as well choose a good track to start on.

When you wake up, you could smile. Then remember to be grateful for being allowed to play the game for another day.

You could get out of bed, and seize the day – carpe diem style.

Take six minutes to go through the six minute miracle morning. This will help start your day in a positive way.

You could also try to be the most positive and enthusiastic person you know for the rest of the day. What would that look like? Try it. You might enjoy it. It is a good personal challenge to try to develop a few days a week.

If a word, thought or situation triggers you and starts to send you down a less positive detour, recognise it and restart from there.

One way to keep a cheery disposition, and save yourself some precious time every day, is to not read, watch or listen to any news stories. They are the best negative programming if you want to be less happy rapidly.

Try swapping news (radio, tv, paper, online, etc) for something positive like an inspiring podcast, an uplifting book, or some motivating YouTube videos.

Try one or all of these ideas above at least once. You never know what might set you on a different, more positive path.

Action Goals, Results & New Thinking

Take Advantage Of Your Once In A Lifetime Opportunity

Posted on May 14, 2020

This moment in time will never happen again. This is your one and only chance. Take advantage of your once in a lifetime opportunity in this unique window in time, many might say.

For some things, this will be true. For most things, however, your once in a lifetime moment happens every second, minute or hour. This is not the only time to invest in stocks, stop smoking, lose weight, clean out the garage, take a course or call that special someone in your life.

To paraphrase my friend Paul, the deal of a lifetime comes along every minute. Your opportunity to start, or move forward on something, is there at every blink of an eye. Just decide you will and start building some commitment and structure around it.

Last year I decided to get my rugby referee qualification so I could referee matches for my son’s team. In addition, the training would improve my technical understanding and skills which would be beneficial as a coach of the team.

It would be a commitment of time and money, which I decided was worthwhile. I then had to ask the club how I would go about this. They pointed me to the list of courses I could take. I assessed the options and signed up. Then I followed through.

Discover your interest, decide what you want to do, ask some questions, do some research, commit and follow through to completion and success.

You can take advantage of your once in a lifetime opportunity at any time.

So take any anxious thoughts you may have, turn them into excitement and commit! Remind yourself that it will be exhilarating and fun. Go get ‘em!

Action Health & Fitness Observe Weight loss

Track Your Progress And Review It

Posted on May 11, 2020

Having a goal and moving toward it is great. Even more so when you are making progress. Similarly, it is quite important to track your progress and review it.

When things are going well it makes you feel good seeing the progress. More importantly, perhaps, is seeing where and when you are not making progress. If you are looking to understand why you aren’t getting the results you wanted, this daily tracking and review can be quite instructive.

Several years ago I wanted to tone up and that meant dropping about 20 pounds. I had never paid attention to my weight prior to that as I had always been quite active and had a reasonably healthy diet.

It was a fascinating game of figuring out what worked and what didn’t. I was in a hurry as I didn’t want to spend 6 months, or more, on this project.

I had my views on what worked and didn’t. At the start, I read some books to get a broader perspective and see what else I could learn. After all, slimming is 99% in the head.

I simply had to move more and eat less. Keeping yourself in a calorie deficit can be a challenge. Like so many things though, once you get into it, it seems easier than you had expected. Gamifying the whole process also helped to work wonders.

When you track your progress and review it, you get into the detail. You understand the nuance and how to get the winning edge. This tracking and review doesn’t make it easier, but you can understand how to get the results quicker. I really enjoyed that part of the whole process.

You can, and should, do this with all of your goals, not just weight-related. Tracking takes a little bit more effort, but the payoff is excellent. Good luck!!