Category: Reframe your thoughts

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Self-Discipline Is Key

Posted on November 27, 2021

It feels easier in the moment not to be disciplined. You can shrug it off. Believe that you will do it later. You think you’ll get back on it again later in the week.

After a few weeks of great daily self-discipline will be the opposite. It’s harder in every moment. Though it gets easier with practice. But it is definitely harder to start. But the longer term benefits are great. If for no other reason than you can count on yourself to achieve when you say you will.

Usually though, we find other things in our way and don’t get back to it. A few weeks of that and we won’t feel so good about ourselves. It’s self-inflicted though.

If you find it hard to count on you, who else can? But you have the control to change it all around. Only say things you are actually going to do. Don’t over-commit. Set timers to help keep you on track. Be pleased with each commitment you stick to. Those are powerful building blocks.

Self-discipline is key. And that key will unlock all the doors you can imagine.

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CategoriesActionHealth & FitnessProgressReframe your thoughtsTime

It’s Hard To Change

Posted on November 21, 2021

Habits and patterns of behaviour can be incredibly difficult to change. Our environment has adapted to make the habits easier. In addition, our desire for familiarity adds to the challenge of changing. Finally, our self-image will stop us if the new habit is not in aligment with how we see ourselves.

Three things to make it easier to change are as follows:

  1. Adjust your environment to make the new habit easier and the old habit harder. For example, have all your clothes ready by your bed to go exercise when you wake up. Also, put your alarm on the other side of the room so you have to get out of bed to shut it off (and therefore not hit snooze and roll over). Put the volume high too so you need to go shut it off or turn it down.
  2. Be patient and know that it will take days, weeks and months to get familiar and comfortable with this new routine. The greater familiarity and better environment will make it all seem easier.
  3. Remind yourself daily, 10 times per day or more, that you are this new type of person. You could say, ‘I am an early morning person.’ You could add, ‘I am a fit and healthy person.’ By saying the ‘I am’ statements many times per day, while also doing steps 1 & 2, you will reinforce this new personality you are becoming. This will improve the chances of your mind and body accepting this new way of being and thriving with it.

Yes, it’s hard to change, but you can make it easier on yourself and increase your probability of success. Start today!

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CategoriesGratitudeHealth & FitnessObserveProgressReframe your thoughtsThink About It

Why Choose Anger?

Posted on November 20, 2021

You can choose your focus. Sure, different thoughts, good, bad and odd, come into your mind. However, you get to choose which ones you will focus on or hold onto.

You don’t have to swing at every pitch. You can let a few thoughts go by. Generate good thoughts. Let poor thoughts pass on by.

If you’re not doing this, ask yourself why. Do you enjoy the intensity of feeling? Are you keen to solve everyone else’s problems? All 8 billion people need you to help them?

There might be injustices in the world but your anger won’t reverse them. If you want to calmly write letters, lobby people with power to change things or put forward sensible arguments, then do it.

Try to stay away from the outrage, the anger, the poor thinking and the cherry-picked opinions and facts that keep you as a prisoner in that state of mind.

From what I can tell, the vast majority of issues come from a few people who have made poor decisions in life or else from misunderstandings or accidents. We would do better to reduce our involvement where accidents are more likely to occur. Also, take the time to understand a situation very well, from all sides, before being an outraged judge of it. Finally, volunteer to help kids and youth to improve their thinking and their decision making so they grow up to be good and useful members of society rather then destructive ones.

Redirect that powerful energy. Why choose anger? Especially when you can choose positive impact!

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CategoriesActionReframe your thoughts

Defending The Cause

Posted on November 19, 2021

It is important to stand firm for your beliefs. Defending the cause is an important tradition. But when should we learn to take the momentum and build something better rather than fight against something that is losing power, quite negative and improving the lives of every few people?

Fighting for worker’s rights in the Industrial Age was probably a useful battle. With so many laws and protections for workers now, we may possibly be getting diminishing returns by fighting against management.

Perhaps looking forward and educating and empowering workers would be better for them. Help them learn while taking more responsibility and accountability. Helping them become better, stronger and more independent would be a real benefit to them. It may work better than only protecting them.

Remember that when we are protecting some, we do not need to attack others. Uplift those that can benefit from it rather than being anti things that are improving already.

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CategoriesObserveReframe your thoughtsTime

Life Is Like Chess

Posted on November 16, 2021

The more you consider the long term, the better you usually do. It starts off so clean and simple. But then things get more intertwined and complex. If it lasts long enough, everything thins out and becomes simple again.

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CategoriesGratitudeReframe your thoughts

Have Good Manners

Posted on November 15, 2021

Manners are free to exercise. They are simple to learn and understand. They are easy to practice. The cost of having them is small. The cost of not having them can be large.

Being well mannered is something in your control. Even if someone else has bad manners, you can still maintain your good ones.

Do the right thing. Have good manners.

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CategoriesActionReframe your thoughts

Stop Doubting Yourself

Posted on November 13, 2021

You’ll do better if you just do and not doubt you.
What is the point in doubting yourself? Just try hard, roll the dice and let the chips fall where they may.

You’ll do as well as you do. You’ll probably do better if you put some prep into it and have positive thoughts around it. You should try. And feel good for trying at all.

If it is really important to you, you’ll get better and try again. No one will know or remember the pain or embarrassment you felt in trying. The history books and long memories will only remember that you made the attempt. Make it a good shot.

Stop doubting yourself.

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CategoriesActionObserveProgressReframe your thoughts

Do One Less Thing

Posted on November 7, 2021

It doesn’t feel very high achiever, does it? Or, does it? That one more thing often means you are running late with greater stress. Or it keeps you up too late at night. That one more thing can really hamper your day.

Sure you can achieve one more thing, but was it an essential thing? Was everything essential today? Try to eliminate one thing from your day today. Make some breathing space. You could relax for that spare 10-15 minutes. Or get places on time. Or early!

You could go to bed a bit sooner and get a better night’s sleep. This all sounds good, healthy and sensible. So maybe go do it then. Don’t overthink it. Just remove those things from your day you won’t remember in 30 years.

Make more room for loved ones and the essentials of your life.

Do one less thing.

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