Scott's Thinking - Page 218 of 236

The Glass Is Half Full

Posted on July 16, 2020

The glass has 250 ml of water in it. That is the fact. Your interpretation of the situation could lead you to say that the glass is half full. Or you could announce that the glass is half empty.

Many studies have been made of this simple exercise. In addition to scientific research, many people have tried to elicit people’s opinions at home or in a pub.

Many people believe your answer gives insight as to whether you perceive things in a more optimistic or pessimistic way. Another way to look at it is whether a person has an abundance mindset or a scarcity mindset.

Either way, unless you describe it as 250 ml of water or that the water is at about the halfway mark, then you are using your opinion. And that opinion can be rather revealing

Though having a negative bias or positive bias on such an insignificant matter, probably isn’t going to change your life. However, this minor bias can start to be the way you see more things.

This bias can develop into a positive cycle of abundance and appreciation or a negative cycle of scarcity and criticism. The shift is so subtle at first. Most people will not notice it. But as your bias continues to strengthen, you and others may start to pick up on the focus.

Your glass may never be filled to the top.

So when the glass is half full, enjoy it!

Progress Reframe your thoughts

Someone Must Be First

Posted on July 15, 2020

Sometimes it is exciting to be first. In other circumstances it can bring fear. Regardless of how it feels, eventually someone must be first.

Some people seem to love to go first while others shy away. The circumstances are often a factor too. Almost everyone likes to be first in the queue for ice cream or their favourite food. Very few people are itching to go first when its time to give a 5 minute speech.

Some people become inspiring firsts, like Rosa Parks or Neil Armstrong. They lead the way and make it easier for the next person to see themselves in that position.

Where can you be first and make progress in your life or for society?

This morning, I was saddened to read about a young person’s reluctance to be first. The person said they wanted a career in a certain field. The problem, in their eyes, was that there was no one else like them when they were networking and attending events. So rather than decide to be the first one, they chose to withdraw from the career that interested them.

Someone must be first. And it was their chance to be the trailblazer and the inspiration. Their life would be different. Others would have followed. They would not have been ‘the only one’ for long.

Be brave. See the opportunity. Be the trailblazer.

Observe Progress Think About It

The Half Year Highlights

Posted on July 14, 2020

We need to keep track of our wins and celebrate them. So get out your journal, or any piece of paper, and your pen. The half year highlights need to be listed out.

We are in the midst of Q2 earnings season. This is when companies reveal how they did in the second quarter of the year (April, May, June). Granted, this year has been a little different so far. But the announcements coming out are making interesting reading, especially when comparing to Q1 2020 or Q2 in 2019.

Every quarter, corporations note down their key accomplishments and share them. You should also get into this habit. Though you do not have to share them. However, you should be honest with yourself. It is easy to make excuses, develop reasons and blame circumstances. There is no need to do that. You are better than that.

So if you have your monthly goals list, you can compare against that. If for some reason you did not set out your goals in late 2019, you can simply note down your highlights to date.

Be clear and specific. For example, I can note that I have written this daily blog every day since I started on 10th January (on target). In addition, I have had readers from 50 different countries (well above target). Finally, the family has successfully come through this initial Covid period (on target).

The half year highlights should also be celebrated ?. Presumably you have worked hard and been disciplined to achieve these milestones and make progress on your goals. Even if you weren’t quite on target, you will have sacrificed time and effort to get your results. Celebrate them and work harder and smarter in the next quarter.

Good luck!

Observe Reframe your thoughts

It’s An Opinion

Posted on July 13, 2020

We can get fairly worked up over an opinion. A long time ago, I can remember vigorously debating with friends. It’s an opinion, became my overriding thought. I don’t need to change theirs. It doesn’t change the reality.

What is useful is to understand their opinion. A person usually holds a different opinion because they have either received information in a different way to you or they have had a personal experience.

Their opinion is valid. It can take people a very long time to change their perspective and their opinion – ask Copernicus. There are many barriers. Not least of which is being an outcast from one of their dominant tribes.

Try to discover more about their opinion.

Stop and listen. Both sides. See what specific, periphery ideas you can agree on. Note those. Then progress to other common ground. Discover what specific item is you are disagreeing on. Are there any facts you could search the internet for? Are there interviews, podcasts or videos outlining the idea from various perspectives? Is there someone who may be more eloquent with respect to this topic? A third party may reduce the tension and emotion.

Your opinion is simply an opinion based on what you are aware of at the time.

For example, it used to be conventional wisdom that Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ the ‘New World’. For people who had never heard of this land mass before, Chris discovered it. But for the people who lived there, he was a visitor at best.

He didn’t create that new land mass. He went looking for something new and found it. A bit like someone looking for your wallet and jokingly calling out ‘finders keepers‘ when their hand is in your pocket.

When it’s an opinion, let it go calmly.

Reframe your thoughts

You Can Convince Yourself Of Anything

Posted on July 12, 2020

Some people believe in God and others do not. The placebo effect is well known and so is self-healing. You can convince yourself of anything. So what have you convinced yourself about?

Science v Faith: Do you have a science or faith based orientation?

Fact v Opinion: Do you base your decisions on the ‘facts’ of the past. Or do you let yourself have an opinion or vision of the future?

Logic v Emotion: Are you led by logic or driven by emotion?

You may even find that these answers depend on the circumstances or you have adjusted them somewhat over the years.

And what sort of jail have you created for yourself by your thoughts, beliefs and convictions? What walls have you erected around you? How high is the ceiling you have created that keeps you from soaring?

It is time to reconsider your thoughts and beliefs. Many people do not do this or they wait until it‘s too late. It may feel uncomfortable but it will get easier as you sit calmly reflecting on these sometimes brutal facts of reality.

Many people hold the same views as when they were six years old. Is it time for a refresh?

You can convince yourself of anything. So decide, commit and keep the faith.

Observe Think About It

Your Dominant Tribe

Posted on July 11, 2020

Have you ever found yourself torn between two groups of people? It could involve friends, family, associates or others. Your dominant tribe will usually shine through when you are in this position.

Imagine yourself walking along the road with four good friends that you haven’t seen in awhile. You are heading to a restaurant to have a fabulous, fun, dinner together.

You pass by the local concert hall on the way and notice one of your favourite bands is playing and it starts in 30 minutes. Two of your friends are super keen on the concert but the other two need to eat and head off.

Now you have many different forces tugging on you and pulling you in different directions. Will you go with the concert-goer tribe or dinner-going tribe?

There will be emotions at play as well, such as the guilt of spending time with one couple of friends instead of the other. There might also be the fear of missing out, either of a great concert or an exciting catch-up over a delicious meal.

Sometimes these moments of decision are easy and at other times they can be quite difficult. Reviewing the decision the next day can be instructive as they help you understand the forces in your life. Your deepest values tend to shine through in these moments.

Your dominant tribe is not always so obvious when core values are put to the test.

Action Gratitude

Celebrate! ?

Posted on July 10, 2020

When you have been working at something and reach a milestone, you need to pause and Celebrate! ?

This is such a critical factor in continued success.

Take a moment to reflect back on what you have done. Look at what you have achieved. Remember those moments of joy you had along the way. And reflect on all the challenges you had to meet and overcome to reach this point.

For me, I am celebrating with this blog. This is my 183rd daily blog in a row. I’ve completed half a year of daily blogging. At an average of 250 words per blog, this means I’ve written approximately 45,000 words. That is roughly the number of words in a bestselling non-fiction book. ?

I’ve enjoyed the process and had a lot of great support from people. So thank you to everyone who has given me feedback! Whether it has been tips, suggestions, thumbs ups, comments, shares or very kind words of support, it has all been great encouragement and has kept me motivated to press on!

There is another significant milestone happening on the 11th July. My in-laws are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. That’s quite something. Congratulations Clare and Don!

Celebrate! ?

Whatever the milestone, big or small, it will feel great to have reached it.

Progress Think About It

Precision Is The Key To Success

Posted on July 9, 2020

Whether you are attempting secondary school mathematics, or helping NASA prepare for a rocket launch, I believe precision is the key to success.

You don’t generally play a piano. You select specific keys and strike them with precision. Playing any key in any order while lazily hitting random keys together, is unlikely to make a great symphony.

The more precise you become with something, the greater your probability of success with it. I think people generally understand this concept. We see so many people trying to learn, practice and improve their skills. It could be at school on tests, in sports, or during their career.

The more precise you can be in speaking and communicating, the more success you are likely to find in whatever endeavour you pursue. This can be particularly true when you ask for something. Make sure you are clear about what your are asking for. The greater the precision, the more likely people will understand the request and be able to deliver on it.

I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.
Lily Tomlin

When following instructions it is useful to follow along precisely. For some reason, people sometimes ignore the instructions or skip over several steps. I wouldn’t be so brazen. Especially if it is important.

Follow every step precisely because precision is the key to success. ?

Health & Fitness Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts Time

Expectations v Reality Gap

Posted on July 8, 2020

It is wonderful to have great expectations. Having them also brings you hope for a better future. However, the expectations v reality gap (ER Gap), must be monitored closely as it can destroy your mind.

Our own expectations for our life, and the world around us, is often being recalibrated. This is usually in an upward trajectory. For example, it feels good to believe that I will make more money, have a better relationship, progress in my career and be healthier. The opposite is not very encouraging or motivating.

It is useful to have expectations surpassing our current reality. Doing this gives you hope and an objective to strive toward. This will help to motivate you to take action toward fulfilling those expectations.

However, there are two cautions to be noted.

Firstly, be careful not to let your expectations get too far ahead of your reality. It is easier to get disheartened if you are chasing the big dream and not seeming to make any progress. Remember to divide up your goal and expectations into steps or levels. As your reality reaches the next level you will gain momentum. Then you can recalibrate to focus on the next step in the process.

The second caution is to recalibrate your expectations downward when your reality is negatively impacted. So if your career, school grades, finances, health or athletic goals suffer a setback, recalibrate your expectations. You can do this by adding in a few more steps to your timeline. You can also extend your timeline out a little.

These two cautions are very important for your mental health. If the expectations v reality gap gets too wide, you will torment yourself and cause undue stress in your life.

Mind the Gap and stay out of the ER (A&E).

Gratitude Observe Progress

When Is A Problem Solved?

Posted on July 7, 2020

There are often different solutions to problems. And some problems have had tremendous progress. But when is a problem solved?

If I have a cut on my arm, I usually consider the initial problem solved once it stops bleeding. Usually I consider the whole problem resolved when any scab is gone and the area looks similar to how it was. If there is a little mark or scar that reminds me of the problem, that is fine. It’s not ideal but it is fine.

Some problems are more difficult to conclude that they are resolved. For example, there has been a very recent case of bubonic plague in Asia. It was once a highly feared and deadly disease. Now it can be controlled more easily. Is it a crisis? Is it a problem? At what point would you have unanimous opinion that it is no longer a problem?

We can look at homelessness, illiteracy and poverty in a similar way. Is there a measure whereby you would have unanimous agreement that these challenges were no longer a problem?

People build organisations and associations to tackle a problem. Usually this is a good way to deal with an issue. Unions would be a good example. Union membership is well down from 60 years ago though. Is there a point in the future that they will no longer be useful? Perhaps sufficient legislation will be in place or the culture will be sufficiently different to make unions irrelevant.

If that were to become the case, what would happen to the dwindling union organisations? When would they say that their job was done and it was time to close up shop?

When solving a problem, remember to be clear about the metric that determines that the job is done.