Progress Archives - Page 33 of 46

Performing At Your Best

Posted on April 27, 2021

Life is a competition between you today and you yesterday. Other people can inspire you to push harder. However, performing at your best is up to you.

Like many things in life, some people start ahead of you and others start behind you. Regardless of where you start in life, improving on your current position is mostly down to you.

If you were born with speedy legs, you will run faster than most, especially in your younger years. However, unless you train and develop your body and mindset, other people may overtake you in a race. You can be born with talent, but unless you build on that, people with greater desire will leave you for dust.

Of course the race is still just between you and yesterday’s you but it’s better for your mind if you improve. If you don’t put the effort in, you may regret it later. And often this involves some perceived sacrifices that need to be made.

This is true for all the areas of life. Whether it is money, scholastic achievements, sports or relationships, you should be mindful of what you are doing and how much effort you are putting in.

Performing at your best will pay off. Keep striving.

Action Progress Reframe your thoughts Time

Move Swiftly

Posted on April 26, 2021

A comfortable pace is exactly that – comfortable. Consider moving a little quicker. Become a little obsessive. Move swiftly like it’s the day before you are going on holiday for two weeks.

Add a little bit more pace to your step when you are walking. Speak a fraction of a speed more quickly. Come to the point of your comment a little quicker.

This means you might just get more done in your day. Or you might be on time for more events and appointments. It will also mean that you take up less time of others.

If you do not value your time, you are unlikely to value the time of others. Wasting your own time is one thing but wasting someone else’s time is not ideal.

I practice moving quicker by setting an alarm to ring when I should be done a piece of work. If I have some smaller admin items to complete, I set the timer and begin my ‘sprints’. I see if I can work quickly to get the item done in that time. Sometimes I can do it. Sometimes I can’t. But I keep trying and with that I build a habit of hustling through items.

Come on. Move swiftly.

Gratitude Health & Fitness Observe Progress Think About It Time Weight

The Irony Of Science And Medicine

Posted on April 20, 2021

It is incredible to see all the advances in science and medical interventions. Millions of people are saved every year. The irony of science and medicine is that with 100’s of millions of people saved, the planet has a population and consumption issue.

One hundred years ago, people would die earlier. They would live to 30 or 40 years old and then something would happen. Several people lived into their 70’s and 80’s but it was a lot more unique back then.

Advances have meant that we don’t really need to look after ourselves very well because some smart person will save us. Previously, if you smoked too much you might die of lung cancer. Or if you overate, you may have died from type two diabetes or heart failure.

Things like Polio, Malaria, Infections and many other nasty situations would kill large swathes of the population. Today, many of these deadly circumstances can be avoided by a jab or some antibiotics.

The 1918 flu pandemic, killed roughly 50m people. 500m were infected of the 1.5bn estimated on the planet. With 5 times the people on Earth today, we could have seen 250m Covid deaths globally. That the number has just passed 3m may be a testament to the advances we’ve had.

A great job has been done saving people and prolonging their lives. Although, that seems to have contributed to a climate situation that could kill a lot more.

The irony of science and medicine.

Action Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts Time

Focus On The Thing

Posted on April 9, 2021

Gosh it can be hard to get clear and focused sometimes. There are so many interesting things in life. You need to focus on the thing that brings you closer to your goal though.

You need to be clear where you are heading. Then do only those things that get you there. Remove all the extraneous distractions. Once you do this, you will move forward so much quicker.

This week I am reminding myself of the things I need to reduce or stop. There are many things not on the path to my top goals. Some are fun or enjoyable though. Which make them more difficult for me to remove from my day.

However, in order to win and achieve the goal, I need re-focus and commit.

Is there anything you have been aiming for but not really putting the required time or focus into getting it done? Are there too many emails, requests, unnecessary things, keeping you away from the achievement you want most?

This was coming, but today’s Quote Of The Day Show podcast episode really underlined this idea for me today.

Sometimes the Knowing-Doing Gap comes in, sits down and wedges itself between you and your goals. Get back to doing what you know you are supposed to do.

Focus on the thing.

Action Progress Reframe your thoughts Time

Start Small But Dream Big

Posted on April 5, 2021

The trouble at the beginning is that there may not be much there. Sometimes there is a seed or an idea. Start small but dream big.

The critical part is to start. You can make whatever fanciful dream you want, but if you don’t begin, you won’t get there. And you can’t usually do step 2 until after you’ve done step 1.

Sometimes we can use a shortcut to get somewhere. However, even shortcuts have a beginning point. Don’t try to maximise, effiency-drive everything. Every podcast started with one listener as did every Clubhouse room. There is nothing wrong with that.

Now staying that size is a problem. You should grow a little. If not, check out why. Ask around. Get some answers. And then do something about it.

It is not everyone’s destiny to become some huge big deal. But it isn’t appropriate to stay so small as to be insignificant. You should be able to build an audience. If not, you have got to ask yourself why.

Just because you start at the bottom, doesn’t mean you have to stay there. Add more value, develop a skill, practice, learn, develop.

You have it in you to do something exciting! So get on that. Take an interest in your craft.

Start small but dream big.

Action Financial Progress Think About It

Producing And Consuming

Posted on April 1, 2021

Do you consume more than you produce? It is an interesting question. Producing and consuming are both required in life. However, imbalances in your life will occur if you do one more than the other.

Producing here means providing something of value. The more you offer in value, the more productive you are being. The more the market perceives value in what you are offering the more you can charge for it.

If more people like what you offer, the larger your business will grow. This is how the world has companies valued at billions of dollars. Because of this, we also see billionaire founders and investors. This is what happens when you provide something that others find valuable, not just what you think is valuable.

What you think is valuable is what you will consume. The more value you place on a product or a service, the more you will be willing to pay for it. This payment you make will come from your own resources such as income or savings.

If the value of your consumption is more than the value of your production, you will have less money or wealth. If your production value is greater than your consumption value, you will attract and keep more money.

Producing and consuming are part of life. Which one you focus on helps determine how you spend it.

Action Observe Progress Time

Getting Distracted

Posted on March 29, 2021

What do you do when you can’t seem to focus? What is your remedy from wandering, scrolling, staring or getting distracted in some way?

This evening has seemed to be one of those times. Despite getting some things done, I did not get as many done as I could have. There were a few things on my mind, for starters. Then I got caught in an interesting scroll on Instagram for 10 minutes.

Writing out my to do list for tomorrow kept taking longer as I remembered many things that have slipped by me over the last week. While it is productive to do the list, sometimes the time taken to do it feels like wasted effort. It feels like I could have done one of the things rather than write a bunch down.

Then there was the wandering around the house to find the children and remind them it is bedtime. The third time round the house was starting to seem more like an exercise session with a stair-master. And since each round involved passing through the kitchen, there was the compulsory look in the fridge and cupboard for more food I wasn’t even hungry for.

Don’t get me started on replying to international and local text messages. I know better. Though I am also trying to reply more quickly rather than forget and take 2-3 days. Oh, the precarious balance.

Uh-oh, I’m getting distracted.

Action Progress Think About It

You Do What You Want

Posted on March 21, 2021

I notice that people will listen and then do it their way anyway. There is little interest in doing it another way. You do what you want because that is how you are programmed.

Sure we can listen. And sometimes what is said matches what we want to do. In those instances it looks like we are following the advice given. However, that is not always the case. Often enough, it just happens to be the next thing we were going to do.

What is more easily spotted is when you offer the advice and it is not taken or followed. This usually means that there is no interest in that direction or there is a speed bump.

Often enough this speed bump is some type of fear or shame. It can be overcome. And it will be overcome by those that are unstoppable. Those that are simply uncomfortable may not find the strength to get past the speed bump.

It is an ‘I think I do’ want it gap. I just don’t want it so bad that I am willing to get quite uncomfortable over it.

I like to travel in comfort but not if it is going to the wrong destination. Get clear on your vision, put the extra daily effort in and do what is best to get you there.

But you do what you want.

Action Gratitude Health & Fitness Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts

Choose Discipline Or Disaster

Posted on March 14, 2021

Discipline sounds so strict. It has echoes of an unwavering sergeant major accepting nothing but your best. She asks you to choose discipline or disaster.

I have seen this in my personal life. If I am not disciplined about something, it can turn into a disaster. Now disaster is a relative term here as there are many stops on the road to disaster, but I think you understand what I mean.

Take the early morning alarm scenario. If you are disciplined, you can wake up on the first go. Then you can get ready as planned and and be where you should be on time. Alternatively, you can hit the snooze button a few times and then find yourself late for the rest of the day. This is sometimes the beginning of many disasters.

If your sports team is not good about their discipline, they may not build up sufficient strength and stamina before a match. This lack of discipline could result in a disaster. This could be a terrible score or perhaps some unnecessary injuries.

Of course, with a bit of discipline, you can find some amazing results. You don’t have to be perfect, but consistency helps.

Choose discipline or disaster. The former has more upsides.

Gratitude Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts Think About It

How Much Is Enough?

Posted on March 9, 2021

We all start out looking for more. More air, food, water, sleep, stuff, etc. But we don’t always say what enough is. How much is enough?

Take, sleep, for example. How much sleep does one need? Many experts say 6-9 hours of sleep per night on average. But you might be chasing some amazing opportunities. Then your sleep time might go down to 2 or 3 hours per day. After a week like that, you might need a few days with 10 hours of sleep to catch up back to a normal equilibrium.

Money is a topic we discussed in a Clubhouse room on Monday. Often people will set a specific goal to achieve. But once achieved, people don’t always stop. People can get caught up in the chase and forget what they are even chasing.

If your goal is to earn $3 million, could you make $5 million? And if you can make that much, why not use those learned skills to earn more. Soon you could be on the treadmill of more more more and not stop to smell those roses.

It is a good idea to note, at the start, how much of something will be enough. Then you will know when you can let up on the chase and maybe broaden your focus.

How much is enough?