Tag: Progress

CategoriesProgress

Look At How Far We Have Come

Posted on May 30, 2020

It is very easy to take things for granted. In addition, we can set some pretty high expectations. If we look at how far we have come though, it is truly remarkable.

Looking at the more general advances, such as powerful, light laptops and incredible mobile phones. Smartphones didn’t exist 15 years ago and now they are ubiquitous and incredible (phone, video conference, camera, payments, etc).

Something as simple as online grocery shopping is one of my favourite. Having done this at hour house for a very long time, I think it is amazing. In about 10 minutes, on my phone, I can order the same as last week while adding a few other things and removing some too. Then some friendly person delivers it to my home in a one hour time slot of my choice. Wow.

The hours I have saved over the last decade are many. Driving to a grocery store, walking through the aisles and going through the checkout before heading home could easily be 90 minutes every week.

I know some people say we still have so far to go. And yes, if we want every aspect of life to be perfect, we probably do. But when you look at how far we have come in just 100 years, the progress is staggering.

Especially in the area of cultural adaptation, a lot seems to have changed. What I find particularly fascinating about this is that everyone is born with no reference point. If you could simply take all that your grandparents had learned, or all the information in a library, and download it into the new baby’s head, that would be quite helpful. But we can’t do that (yet).

Every baby must learn to communicate and learn everything from scratch. With so much changing and nothing being instantly transferred to the next generation at their birth, it is amazing to see how far the world has shifted.

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CategoriesProgress

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.

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CategoriesActionProgress

Of Course It Is Uncomfortable

Posted on April 9, 2020

Most people find new things a bit awkward or challenging. If it is exactly your type of thing, maybe not. Otherwise, of course it is uncomfortable.

You could be learning how to ride a bike, solve a Rubik’s cube or do your times tables. Maybe you want to start a business or circumnavigate the globe, but you are not sure how.

Well, first you have to think you can. Next, you will have to prove you want it bad enough. This will become obvious as you will then have to learn some different things. Then you will have to do some different things too. This is rarely easy and of course it is uncomfortable. However, you must press on, as it is the basis of how you #AchieveAnything.

Of course there is more detail, it will be difficult and there will be diversions. There will be plenty of diversions. Like reading this post right now. Get yourself back on track and focused!

Believe, be curious, be done. Repeat. You will get closer to the outcome you want, if you actually work toward it. Put the effort in and thrive.

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CategoriesActionObserveProgressThink About It

What Ten Words Describe You?

Posted on February 23, 2020

Can you describe yourself? It’s a great exercise. Try it right now.

Grab a pen and paper or toggle into your notes section of your device.

Write the numbers from 1 to 10. Then see how many single words (or short phrases) you can write about yourself, up to a maximum of 10.

These words should describe what you think of you, right now. It’s not what your best friend thinks of you or what you think your mother might say. Be as objective and honest/realistic as you can. You don’t have to show anyone.

To get your mental gears going, here are a few examples:

  1. Olympian
  2. Tea lover
  3. Clean Air Advocate
  4. Student
  5. Soccer/Football fan

This is not a forever list. It can change as your life changes or your perception changes.

For those of you in the advanced class, now write 10 words/short phrases you would like to describe you by 1 January 2022.

If you had put smoker today, you may want to become a Clean Air Advocate by 2022. If you had put Olympian, you may want to describe yourself as a gold medalist after this summers’ Olympics. You may wish to move from ‘good father’ to ‘world class dad’.

These two lists are good steps to help you learn about yourself and see what you can achieve.

Many people will spend far more time planning their holiday than they will discovering who they are and what changes they could make to bring more joy to their life.

Consider this the first step towards becoming the person you would most like to be. Still yourself: Just a better version of you.

Go make those lists!

(If you get stuck, go into the Facebook group pages and I can help you out.)

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CategoriesActionGoals, Results & New ThinkingProgressReframe your thoughts

Become More Aware, And The Better You’ll Fare

Posted on February 20, 2020

Are you doing the best that you can? Is life as good as you know how to make it? Could you make it better – if you knew a little more?

Of course!

Think of it this way. When you were little, and in primary school, you had loads of potential. However, you could only operate up to the level of knowledge and understanding you had – primary school level. You had the potential to do secondary school work but you didn’t even know what the lessons would be about at that point.

Same thing as right now in your life. I’m certain you have the potential to do better at your job, your studies, your sports, health and fitness and your relationships. But, you are only working at your current level of knowledge and understanding in each area.

You could fumble around for years trying to use your own experience of trial and error to get some better results. Or, you could seek out something to read or watch or someone to speak to. Or all three!

Everything there is to know in the world today is on the internet. You can find anything you may want or need with some general questions typed into Google or asked of Alexa or Siri.

Start improving now. Shift your knowledge, understanding and mindset just a little bit more each day. By June, you’ll be surprised by how much progress you’ll have made.

Go online, to the library or the bookstore, and find one more trick, helpful hint, piece of advice or idea and implement it straight away. Do this daily and your skills and talents will start to grow exponentially. So will your confidence. Then soon after that, your bank account.

You have the power to improve yourself.

Use it!

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CategoriesActionGoals, Results & New ThinkingProgressReframe your thoughts

You Can Turn This Around

Posted on February 17, 2020

It’s not hopeless. It doesn’t need to be forever. There are always options. Good ones even. You can re-build or re-start from scratch. There’s a lot of awesome out there!

First you need to want something different. Ideally you can picture it in your mind, feel it in your bones and then describe it on paper. If you can’t find the time, or make the effort, to write it down, in a few bullet points, consider re-assessing if it is simply a wish rather than a goal.

If you’ve done the writing and are ready to go, then make a short little plan including the very next three simple steps you think you need to take to inch yourself closer to that goal. Call someone. Find an answer. Buy or borrow a book about it. It will then seem a little easier and you’ll feel like you’re on your way. Because technically, you are! (Cue the Quote: A journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step…)

Do these three steps as quick as you can. Do one now. Then the other two. You will feel good for starting.

You don’t have to do these steps and you don’t have to change anything. But if you want to change something, you really should get on with it: the clock’s ticking. If you don’t have anything in your life you would like to change or improve, you may now return to your regularly scheduled programming…

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CategoriesActionGoals, Results & New ThinkingObserveProgressThink About It

Use The Feedback

Posted on February 14, 2020

Great, positive feedback is what the majority of people would like to get. It feels good and it’s energising. One great piece of feedback, or good feedback from the right person, at the right time, can keep me motivated for days or weeks.

Improvement feedback can be harder to take. It doesn’t have to be harder to take, but in general, a lot of people will have some challenges with constructive feedback, never mind factual or negative feedback too.

Since starting this blog, I have had a good deal of feedback. Some really good and positive feedback, while others have given good insights into ways I could improve the site or content. I have found both to be very useful and I have been delighted each time that someone has taken the time out of their day to think about the item, write down that feedback and send it to me.

The real key to feedback is not how it makes you feel in the moment. Although that can be helpful, and is important, what you need to do is reflect on it and use the feedback. That is the real key.

Use the positive feedback to encourage you to keep going. Maybe even create a notebook, journal or notes page in your phone, to capture all the good feedback. Then it is there for you when you need a little motivation or want to get smiling again. I have some from many years ago. It really makes a great impact each time I see it.

With growth or improvement feedback, you should consider it, assess whether it has some element of truth (whether you want to face that truth or not), and if it does, look at how you can start using the feedback and incorporating into your life. People are trying to help you, for free, so that you can improve and do better socially, financially, health-wise or whatever the topic is. People’s intent is usually good. But even if it isn’t, you can still use their insight and comments to help you improve and grow.

I’ve been using the feedback I’ve been getting for this blog and hopefully people are seeing the result of that. And what can’t be seen yet, I’m at least working on behind the scenes.

Always thank the person giving the feedback, whether you like it, or not.

Today, try to give at least one person some useful and actionable feedback. Also, listen for, or ask for, feedback from others for you to use. Write it down. Thank them. Use it! You will grow much faster, improve yourself quicker and see the benefits of that growth realised much sooner (in health, wealth, relationships, career, etc.).

Use the feedback.

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CategoriesActionProgress

Do Your Own Pushups

Posted on January 30, 2020

The optimal way to change something in your life, is to make the effort yourself.

Sure, you can watch Tiger Woods play golf everyday and that might help your golf game a little. But to make, lasting and significant progress, you need to go do it yourself.

Whether this means getting up early to travel through rain or snow to get to the gym and do a challenging workout, put in the work to build your business or put the gruelling extra effort in to progress your career, only you can do it. If your personal trainer, competitor or work colleague put in the hard yards and focus on the results, they will get the benefit, not you.

It’s nice to have supporters and people cheering you on and hoping you get the work in and the results out, but only you can make it happen. No well intentioned effort from your Mom, Dad, spouse, friend, neighbour, etc will make your body, business or career better. You have to grind it out and win those results for you. And you will feel amazing for it!

Go! Do your pushups.

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CategoriesGoals, Results & New ThinkingReframe your thoughts

RESULTS!

Posted on January 21, 2020

We all want results. We want the outcome we envisage in our head.

We do not want reasons. We do not want excuses.

As Jim Rohn said, “Results are the name of the game!”

Reasons or results. You will always get one or the other.

One of my favourite quotes, which has been sitting on my desk for over a year now, is…..

“Results don’t lie.” – Unknown

Whether you are losing weight, training for an event, or trying to earn more money, you can always tell how you are doing by the actual results.

If you want to be brutally honest with yourself, check your results.

Good luck!

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