Progress Archives - Page 41 of 46

The Miracle Of Making Progress

Posted on May 16, 2020

I love hearing success stories. It’s fantastic to learn about how people turned their lives around. The miracle of making progress is one thing I never tire hearing about.

Whether it is reading about someone I’ve never met or hearing from friends or clients, I love hearing about their progress. It is so encouraging to know that they have done their own pushups. It is great to know that they are reaping what they sow and it is turning out well.

The best gift I can receive is people feeding back to me about the new habits they have or goals they’ve achieved. Small wins are as exciting as big wins to me. They all add up over time and compound on each other.

I say it is the miracle of making progress because so few people recognise their own progress. It is a miracle that people make any progress and doubly so if they notice, and appreciate, the progress they have made.

A great way to start building miraculous progress into your life is to follow Hal Elrod and his Miracle Morning advice. I’ve used it for years. You can even just do the six minute version if you are short on time or motivation. Try it now.

Good luck and let me know about your progress.

Progress Reframe your thoughts

Few People Want To Experience Pain

Posted on May 15, 2020

Not many people enjoy pain. Most of us would prefer pleasure, luxury or comfort, if we had a choice. Few people want to experience pain and will avoid it if there is any way that they can.

Whether it is physical pain, like a twisted ankle, or mental discomfort or anguish from a difficult situation, many people would rather avoid it.

Certainly few people want to experience pain due to a reduction in their lifestyle, whether it is their financial position or social status. People work very hard to achieve their goals and would like to see their life on an upward trajectory at all times.

It is hard to accept a different situation in life where you feel you’ve taken a step back, or regressed, rather than progressed. My friend Jenny used to say, “No downgrade”.

The challenge is these new unusual times. Many people may end up suffering a small or large setback in their life over the coming 2-5 years. Nobody will want this but it may be a reality for many.

So it’s a good time to practice kindness, being patient and empathy. The Great Depression lasted 10 years and WWII lasted six years after that. Whatever we experience, keep a positive mindset. The severe challenges are unlikely to last 16 years, as it did for a previous generation. Though, even if they did, you may as well enjoy every moment, because whatever it is, is what we will have.

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 Progress Reframe your thoughts

How Can I Do What I Want And Have A Different Life?

Posted on May 6, 2020

This is the unspoken question many people have in their subconscious when they are embarking on some change. How can I do what I want and have a different life? This idea, whether conscious or not, is certainly more likely to be felt if the activities for change are not something you want to do.

I want the new job, higher pay and fancier title. How do I get that without having to update my cv, look for a job, tell anyone, do more work than I am now or work any harder or have to learn new skills?

Can I please stay the way I am, with my habits and my own way of being? Can I do that and have everything else that I want? The short answer is no.

The next time you think to yourself, “How can I do what I want and have a different life?”, remember, you can’t. You must take the bull be the horns and ride it. Success leaves clues….

“Success leaves clues. Be a better observer of the winners and the losers, those who are doing well and those who are falling behind. Take mental notes and say: ‘I’m going to adjust what I’m doing based on what I see’”
Jim Rohn

Just be aware of what you are observing. Is it the best example to follow? Or, at least, is it better than what you currently follow? If it is, go ahead, use that until you find something better. If it isn’t, even if it is your Mum, Dad or local clergy, do not follow their lead. Find an example that leads you to the results that you want in your life. Then you need to put in the work!

Action Goals, Results & New Thinking Time

Focus For The Next 4 Months

Posted on May 3, 2020

One third of the year has come and gone. If you’re like me, lots has happened and lots hasn’t. I have to focus for the next 4 months to catch up on a few things. Amazingly, four months have already zoomed past and it hardly feels like the year really got started.

We’ve had a bit of an interruption on our little planet, of course.

Now that things are settling down a little though, don’t let that interruption be your reason for not achieving your goals. You must take stock of the last four months. Celebrate your successes! Similarly, consider those items not completed.

Assess these incomplete goals and decide if you took on too much, they weren’t realistic or they’re not that important to you. Redouble you’re efforts and focus for the next 4 months, if those goals are still relevant. Be brutal and dismiss them if they are not. They must be a “Heck yes!” or a firm “No”.

I have a lot of interests. Of course, this can make it difficult to say no to various things. However, I must do it. I try to think ahead and consider whether the ‘distraction goals’ will be worth remembering in six or 12 months. Look back on your life and you’ll recognise what important goals look like.

Now is the time to focus for the next 4 months. Pounce on those goals!

Action Progress

Driven To Succeed

Posted on May 1, 2020

It’s always exciting to watch someone in action when they’re driven to succeed. The planning, the grit, the grind and the discipline make you realise how tough it is to succeed at things.

What you call success, and how you measure it, is important. Moreover, success means different things to different people at different moments in their life. That is to say, things change, perspectives change and priorities change. Encourage people when they are making these changes.

In addition, how I measure success is probably different to how you do. For example, I may want to learn to play the piano for fun at family gatherings. However, you might be practicing to become a concert pianist and get paid to tickle the ivories at The Royal Albert Hall.

Regardless of how you look at success, it is personal. It is your view of success. Simply be honest with yourself when deciding what you would like to achieve and to what level. This should make you happier at the end of your days.

Just don’t sell yourself short. You really should go mad for your dream once in a while. Likewise, think carefully before you sacrifice everything for your dream. It may not be worth the price.

Whichever way you look at success, I think the quote below is valuable for those who are driven to succeed.

Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.
Jerry Rice

Remember to stick to the long term thinking about your dream. This will require commitment, focus and some sacrifice in the now. But how nice will it feel when you arrive at that moment of success? All that hard work, effort and those re-purposed moments will make it all worthwhile.

Enjoy the journey!

Progress Time

Time Pressure Is Good

Posted on April 25, 2020

How amazingly productive would we be if every day at work was like the day before we would go on holiday for two weeks? Time pressure is good!

What about exams? The last few days before an exam can often seem incredibly productive and focused.

There is something about a deadline which gets our attention and focus. For some reason, if there isn’t a deadline, we can putter around and prevaricate a little more than necessary. Not everyone is like this of course. And not everyone has the same deadline challenges.

Some people are structured and methodical at work and ensure projects are progressed well ahead or on schedule. That same person could be the type that nearly misses every plane they are booked on.

I used to be more casual with getting to the airport, but now I like to get there early. There is still the underlying pressure to pack, get in a cab and go. However, I prefer to have that packing pressure three to five days before the flight. It’s not perfect, but I am definitely getting better. Progress is also good.

And getting this daily blog written every day? Well, I’ve been getting better. Without the accountability of time, imagine how we might all drift through the days and years.

Having a time pressure is good.

Action Goals, Results & New Thinking

How You Train, You Remain

Posted on April 22, 2020

From the time you are born until the time you pass, you are training your mind and body. For this reason, be mindful, because how you train, you remain.

There is a very good reason your parents remind you to shut off the light when leaving a room, use good manners and sit up straight. Additionally, there is a reasonable correlation, if only in my mind, that developing good study habits will aid in your future success.

Your mind is like ‘the cloud’ in that you can store incredible amounts of data in it. Above all, it records everything that you see, hear, smell, taste, feel and sense. Similarly, your body has ‘muscle memory’ and it remembers everything it has done, seen be done or the mind has visualised for it.

Therefore, it is so important that you train your mind and body in the most efficient and empowering ways possible. Set yourself up for success. Train your mind and body for success and life will continue to get easier. Develop good, strong and supporting mental and physical habits to help you through the tougher moments in life. Focus on positive words, people and events.

Ensure that your self talk is positive and empowering. Remember to use good posture as it signals to your brain how you are feeling. Just sitting up staight and in a strong position can highly influence how you feel. Force yourself to smile and and your brain will relax. Try both of these now.

My favourite trick to shift my mood from dull, flat or negative is to wriggle my nose like a bunny. It moves my face, and I think it’s a bit silly, so within about two seconds I can transform my mood.

Remember, you are continually shifting closer to positive or negative, the light or dark, good or bad, so be mindful of what you are thinking and doing. Even when you don’t think you are in training, you are.

Action Progress

Focus On Your Opportunity

Posted on April 21, 2020

The entire world seems to be on an edge with unprecedented events happening weekly. You must search for your opportunity and then focus on it. Make this your moment. Ignore the distractions because this could be your time. Focus on your opportunity.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Albert Einstein

Action Progress Weight loss

The Formula To Make It Happen

Posted on April 20, 2020

I was struck by a post on LinkedIn about how our focus can bring different results. In essence, it was the formula to make it happen, using the topic of weight loss.

It resonated with me as it is in line with one of my chief beliefs about how we can achieve anything. Although humans are quite good at having ideas and starting projects, the difficult bit is usually in the follow through and results.

After all, “Results are the name of the game”, as Jim Rohn would say. However, results can be tricky to get if you are not aware of the pitfalls and distractions.

If you can keep the following key ideas at the top your mind, you are far more likely to achieve anything you need in your life:

Restart at ‘failure’. Don’t wait for Monday to start again if you fall off track. Every minute of every day is a new opportunity to restart. If you ate too many calories at lunch, then eat far fewer at dinner. If you didn’t make enough sales calls in the morning, make more in the afternoon.
Focus on the one essential thing. Keep it simple. Figure out what the one essential thing is for you, like calorie intake, and stay focused on it.
Track/measure. Count the calories and weigh in daily.
Try more than one thing at a time. Eat less and exercise.
Reassess by facing harsh reality. Re-check your focus, measurements and concurrent efforts on a daily basis.

That is the formula to make it happen, regardless of whatever your ‘it’ is. Yes, it takes some effort. Yes, you have to do your own pushups. Yes, you have to want it bad enough.

I know you can do it, though. Attack the day and do whatever it takes.