Action Archives - Page 160 of 169

Let Children Be Bored

Posted on August 5, 2020

For many, this might seem counter-intuitive. What about planning and preparing their whole day? If you let children be bored, they will come out the other side of it with a new perspective.

Yes, there may be some whining or complaining for a little bit. However, they will get through that phase and you will too. Be patient.

Children that are bored eventually find something to do. This is often helped if you give some casual suggestions like, ‘read a book‘, ‘build a website‘, or ‘fold these clothes’.

The sooner they learn how to figure out ‘what’s next?’, the sooner they will further develop their independence. Sure there may be some tense moments as you both work through the uncertain and uncomfortable challenges. Though the beauty is on the other side of the chrysalis.

Often, when we are bored, we find out what we really enjoy doing. We will also appreciate things a lot more. We pull out books, toys, and games that we forgot we had. Kids will find the magic that they had forgotten. In addition, they have the satisfaction of setting their own agenda.

So if you want to see greater confidence and independence in your child, let them be bored. You will appreciate it someday and so will your kids.

Action Think About It Time

What’s Next?!

Posted on August 4, 2020

To keep a good pace going, you need to make decisions and move on. Decision velocity is important. Asking yourself and others, ‘What’s Next?!’ is a good way to keep things flowing.

It’s short and easy. It’s clear and concise. Ask this question as soon as you’ve finished your last item. Make this a habit. When you’re working, don’t let a second drift by without you starting on the next item.

You will build up quite a rhythm. You will also notice you get a lot more done. When you are asking yourself great questions like this, your mind can focus. It knows the answer to ‘What’s next?!’.

Your mind will sort, measure and assess what the options are and then let you know what is next. This is great because there is a natural flow and prioritisation to it.

It’s also a good signal to your mind, and to others, that the previous topic has been closed. You’re done with that and moving on. It feels engaged, decisive, and crisp. It feels like good leadership.

I like it better than, ‘Shall we move on’ and some of the other phrases out there.

Give it a try a few times today. Test it and see how you like it. Hopefully, it will work for you as well as it has for others.

Whats next?!

Action Reframe your thoughts

Never Miss A Day

Posted on August 3, 2020

So you really want to change your life. Well today will be the day that turns your whole life around. Today you will decide, commit and never miss a day.

That’s the secret to success.

You can make it more complicated. Sure there are many, many other factors you could consider. You could note the leader of the day isn’t your cup of tea. A person could cite transnational agreements and changes in the local laws.

However, it comes down to reasons or results.

Which one will you focus on? I suggest you spend your time planting seeds and taking care of them every day. Do everything the successful growers of those seeds say to do. You can listen to people with opinions and no results, if you wish. But don’t be surprised if you get similar results.

Maybe you want to run faster, lose weight, inhale only air, start a business, get a promotion or change jobs. If so, you need to decide and commit to it. You need to plan out the days, weeks and months ahead. Have a vision and a plan. Then take action and the results will appear.

Then you will need to execute and never miss a day!

207 daily blog posts in a row and I have not missed a day yet. Share this post with someone who is committed, likes thinking or is making changes in their life.

Action Reframe your thoughts Time

Everything Starts With A Decision

Posted on August 1, 2020

If you want your life to be different, you need to check off a few decisions. You know which ones. Everything starts with a decision so it’s time to get started.

What decisions have you been putting off? Let’s get into those topics and understand them better. You may even discover a few helpful things about yourself in the process.

Are you avoiding a decision? Have you said you would think about it and then promptly ignored it? What is it that is holding you back from making the decision and diving in?

Someone has to make a decision and if you don’t, someone else will. Don’t wait until the choice is no longer yours. Get determined. Become selfish, in a good way, by putting your needs ahead of all the other people and ideas rolling around in your head.

Stand up straight. Say what you want. Make the decision to go for it. Commit to it and move forward by taking the very next step right now. It will feel so good! It may be a little scary, uncomfortable or anxiety-inducing. However, remain calm and keep going.

Everything starts with a decision. Start making a few and get on with your new life today.

Do it now!

Action Financial Observe Reframe your thoughts

Becoming A Billionaire

Posted on July 30, 2020

Now, you may be the type that is curious as to how to do it or seething that becoming a billionaire is even allowed. Either way, or somewhere in between, it seems everyone has a view on billionaires.

Your reaction to the idea of a billionaire will say a lot about you and your relationship with money. That may or may not be a good thing. You will have to think it through. Be brutally honest about how money makes you feel.

There are generally two roads you can take if you are intent on becoming a billionaire. The first is to have the money given to you. This can be from inheritance, divorce, donation, charity or a very good friend. Alternatively, you can earn the money through providing a product or service for a very large number of people (c. 87% of billionaires).

Bill Gates sold software. Many estimates suggest that there are over one billion PC’s running a version of Windows. If it cost $100 each to have that software on the PC’s, the company’s revenues would be $100 billion from that one software alone. Not only has he provided a valuable service to many people, hundreds of thousands of people have earned their livelihood with his company.

I’ve willingly given more than $100 to Microsoft, from which Mr Gates has benefitted. It has definitely been worth it and then some.

Action Time

Blast Through Your To-Do List

Posted on July 29, 2020

I believe many people have a to-do list that seems ever-growing. Of course, it could be just me. If you do to, blast through your to-do list every once in a while. See how much you can delete, delegate or get it done.

The more things you have or are involved with, the more there is to do. I do try to limit new items, events and commitments now, as there can be just too many to-do’s with them. One new commitment can bring 5-20 new to-do’s with it.

One way to deal with your to-do’s is to batch them all for a certain time or day. Wednesday’s from 9am-12pm is our time for to-do’s. Some things need to be dealt with when they appear. However, for those things that can wait, we let them simmer until Wednesday.

Occasionally though, too many items pile up and you need an extra session. We had a good one of those today. We didn’t get it all done. But we sure did get quite a few things into the rubbish and recycling. There were even quite a few items completed too.

Standing up and having two of you work through the list together can be a great and effective way to blast through your to-do list.

Good luck!

Action Financial Health & Fitness Think About It Time

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.