How to Take Action

 

How to Take Action 

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

"Don't wait. The time will never be just right." Napoleon Hill

What makes dreams into reality?

    I believe that perhaps the most important and an often ignored thing is simply taking action. I used to be really bad at it when I was younger.

    Back then I usually got stuck. I got stuck in my dreams about what I wanted to do. I got stuck in analysis paralysis due to my habit of overthinking things. I got stuck in procrastination and in pessimism. Things have changed a lot since then though. I have added many new habits that help me to take much more action than I used to. 

I hope this week's article will help you to do the same.

Get your day off to a great start by doing the most important thing.

    I first learned about this about 17 years ago when I used to sell computers.

    The boss told us that if we took care of the  most important task of the day often one of the more difficult ones too right away in the morning the rest of the day would be a lot easier and lighter. 

    He was right about that. When that first and most important task is done you don't have to worry about it .It won't weigh done on your day. You feel good about yourself.

And you'll have less inner resistance to taking action for the rest of the day.

Just take responsibility for your actions and the process.

    I love thesis quote from the ancient Sanskrit Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita.

"to action alone hast thou a right and never at all to its fruits; let not the fruits of action be thy motive; neither let there be in thee any attachment to inaction."

Why?

    Because every time I look at  it or remind myself of it I feel a sort of freedom and relief. This quote reminds me to understand that I cannot control the results of my action. I can't control how someone reacts to what I say or what I do. 

    It reminds me that it usually works better for me to stay motivated to keep doing what i do if I do something I really like doing. 

    Basically, I do what I think is right and that is my responsibility. And then the rest (the possible results) well , that is not up to me to decide about or try to control. I let it go. Taking action becomes a so much lighter activity when you only have to take responsibility for doing what you think is right.

Don't feel like doing it? Start small.

    Getting the most important thing done first thing in your day and setting yourself up for an action-packed day sounds great in theory.

    But in reality you will have unmotivated days. Days when you feel emotionally low or when you are confronted with having to do something you don't want to do. That's life. But no reason to let that sink your day into inaction and feeling sorry for 

yourself.

    I have found that the best thing for these situations is to start very small. To just..... write for 1-2 minutes.

    Lift free weights for just a few repetitions. Spend 1 minute with getting started on something that scares me. After that I  have the choice to go do something else. But I seldom do. I just need an easy way to get started and then, when I am in motion, I usually continue taken action for a while longer. 

Don't hurt yourself.

    This is a powerful motivator for me to grow and to become a better person. If I don't do what I deep down think is there right thing to do then I hurt myself and my self-esteem. What I do or do not do during my day sends powerful signals back to me about what kind of person I am.

    There is no escaping yourself. And there is always a price to pay when you don't do what you think is the right thing. 

A reminder for focus.

    If you don't remind yourself often about what you need to focus on and why you are doing it then it is easy to let days slip away or to spend too 

much time on less important things.

    So create a a simple reminder on a piece of paper. On it you can for example write down:  Your top 3 priorities in life right now. Your most important goal or new habit for the next 30 days.  A motto or quote you want to stay focused on and live by at this time in your life.

Stay accountable to the people in Your life.

    An accountability buddy can help you to stay on track and to keep taking action towards your goal or dream even when the initial enthusiasm has dissipated. 

    For example, many of you as readers help me to stay accountable to provide helpful content. I get feedback all the time about if I do things in a helpful or less helpful way. I get a ton of encouragement. People closer to me in my life help me to stay accountable to for instance not eating too much unhealthy stuff, to working out and to not working too much.

    Find someone in real life or online who wants to get in better shape too. Or start a business online. Motivate each other. Keep each other accountable so you take action and take steps forward each week.

Cycle fully focused work and fully relaxing rest.

    Get your kitchen timer or access the stop watch function on your cellphone. Set the timer for45 minutes. During those minutes just work on your most important task/small step forward. Nothing else. No distractions. 

    After those 45 minutes are up, take a relaxing break. Distract yourself on Facebook if you like. Or step away from your work spacy and take a short walk, Stretch or go for an apple for the next 15 minutes 

    By working these fully focused periods of time you'll Get more done and do work of higher quality. Be able to concentric for a longer teem in our day and week and get less tired one thing at time to focus on thing at teem, instead of getting stuck your mind between work and relaxation and building up friction and stress within. 

    Be able to enjoy your rest periods without a guilty conscience. 45 minutes of work too much? Try 25 minutes instead. Procrastinating half-way into your 25 minute period? 

    Set the timer for 10 or 5 minutes and build up the time that you can fully focus on the work over the next few weeks and month.

Focus more on the how to and less on the what-ifs.

    If your thoughts starts spinning as you are thinking about taking action then in your mind shout: STOP!

    Don\t allow yourself to get stuck in the negative spiral of analysis paralysis. Sure, it is smart to think before you act in many cases but overthinking things tends to become a way to try to control things you cannot control or to simply stay away from action because you are scared in some way.

    After you have said stop to that train of thought open up your mind to what you CAN DO instead of all the things that could go wrong in the worst case scenario. Ask yourself questions like: What is one small step I can take today to move forward towards my goal or out of this situation?

    What is one thing I can learn from this situation? Write down the answers you come up with and take action on them.

People don't care that much about what you do so don't let that hold you back.

    When I  was younger I almost always let what people may have thought or said if I did something hold me back and I got stuck in inaction.

    It was more of a self- centered than accurate belief. In reality people have their own things goings on in busy lives. They think about the job, kids, a  partner, the cat, a vacation, what to have for dinner and they worry about what you and other people may think about them.

    You are probably not the main character in other people's lives. Even if you are that in your own life. A realization that can be a bit disappointing but something that can also can set you free from self-imposed bonds.

Tap into enthusiasm.

    When you dream and when you get started with something new in life then the enthusiasm flows like a fountain.

    A few weeks later it may have decreased quite a bit. Don't let that lead you to quitting if you think this is something you want to continue doing. Tap into enthusiasm in your surroundings instead. Let the enthusiasm of your accountability buddy flow of over to you and create a flow back to him or her by being enthusiastic about his or her goals and dreams.

    Listen to podcasts or audiobooks by inspiring people. Read blogs, websites and take courses that help you to get a dose of enthusiasm every week.

    Let the enthusiasm from friends, children or pets flow over to your. Listen to music and watch movies that increase your joy for life. Bring the enthusiasm of the rest of the world into your life.

Add the fun.

    Some tasks simply are boring or not much fun at all. Then try this while you are doing them to add a bit of fun: Add some music that gives you energy and inspires you . Make it into a game where you compete with friend abut who can finish something first or do the most amount of something in 10 or 30 minutes.

    Change your perspective on what you are doing, lighten things up a bit and it tends to become quite a bit easier to take a lot of action on what you may have procrastinated on for some time.

Celebrate what you did today.

    Take 2 minutes at the end of your day to think about, appreciate and celebrate what you have taken action on today. No matter how small the action may have been.

It will: 

    Motivate you to get going tomorrow too. Increase your self-esteem over time. Make you feel good abut yourself and that feeling will spread to the people in your life too.

Reinvent Yourself and Redefine Your Future

 

Reinvent Yourself and Redefine Your Future 

Do you ever wish you could change your past?

    We all go  through struggles in life, make mistakes, and face certain hardships and challenges that prevent us from moving ahead. The important thing is to learn how to come out stronger, and become even better than you were before.

    Though, this is easier said than done. Many of us may find that we're stuck or bogged down by certain limitations that prevent us from achieving our goals and progressing in life. 

    This can be super frustration, especially if you've been feeling this way for a while. When you aren't able to find a solution or way out of a rut, it can be demoralizing and cause you to spiral further downward. 

    Yet, it is possible to break free from those limitations or set backs, and to get ahead in life again. You can indeed take control of your actions and reactions to work them in your favor. I've experienced this first hand over my many years working as a life coach. 

Here are 4 ways to start re0inventing yourself right now so you can achieve a better version of you!

1.Refresh Your Perspective

Before you decide to re-invent yourself, it's important to double check your attitude. 

    If you've been having negative thoughts about the situation you're in, then chances are you're not going to progress much even if you've made up your mind that you want to change. This is especially so when you've been facing the setback for a while you may feel accustomed to accepting the negativity. Below are some negative attitudes to  get rid of , and more positive ones that you can adopt:

Limit/Remove: Self-defeating talk Replace it with: Positive affirmations:

    I am confident in the presence of others. Everything will work out for me. The tools I need to succeed are in my possession. Happiness is within my grasp. I will say "NO" when I do not have the time or inclination to act. If I fail, I will fail forward.

    Positivity is a choice that I choose to make. My commitment to myself is real. Limit/Remove: Toxic people who bring you done left you up. Replace them With: People who inspire, uplift, and empower you. 

    limit/Remove: Comparing yourself to others. Replace it with: Comparing yourself to who you were yesterday. Limit/Remove: An abundance of "should haves"/regrets. 

    Replace it with: An abundance of' 'could haves'. Learn from your mistakes and move forward in a productive manner. Stop "shielding" all over yourself!

    By simply mastering a positive perspective, you can really change your overall outlook and see possibilities you hadn't before.

2.Recognize the power of Purpose 

    The next important step to overcoming your limitations is to know your purpose. Whatever it is that you're wanting to achieve or do, you need to know why you are doing it. This way, you can leverage your positive attitude and get to where you want to go.

    Your purpose doesn't need to be revolutionary, such as overcoming injustice in the world. It can be as simple as wanting to be a healthier you for your family and loved ones!

    The key is in knowing 'Why' you're doing something, as it needs to bring meaning to your life. Many times, we find ourselves lost, stuck or feeling demotivated and this os often because we never quite have our purpose figured out. If there is no concrete meaning or reason to why we were chasing agter something, 

    What's the reason for doing it? Why feel motivated "Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose."- Viktor Frankl

    Having a purpose gives you direction and allows you to outline what is and what isn't important. By having a purpose, you can plan out goals that align to your purpose, and ensure it will get met. 

    Even if you find yourself lost or facing a setback, you at least have a purpose to go back to and a new sense of direction goals to work towards.

3. Understand How to Hit Your Goals

    Once you have identified your true purpose, You can get down to setting out SMART goals!

SMART goal setting is a goal setting method that considers certain factors about a goal relative to the person setting it .

They are:

1. S-Specific
2. M-Measurable
3. A-Achievable
4. R-Realistic
5. T-Time bound

    The strength of SMART goals is that they set a clear path to achieving goals, and they have a clear time frame in which to achieve them. When you understand how to reach those goals, things will seem less complicated, and you'll find yourself feeling more confident about certain decisions or actions.

Specific

    It is important to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. That way you can focus your time and energy on achieving you goal. Also, having a specific goal helps you stay away from distractions. Let\s use the example of wanting to be a 'healthier you'. Saying that you want to be healthier is vague. Instead, you could say that " you want to lose 15kg within a year".

Measurable 

    You want to know when you've achieved your goal. You should also be able to tell how far you've come during the process, and how much further to go. Be specific with how much or how many about your goal. Using our example while explaining the Specific acronym, you can make the goal more measurable by saying, "I will start to lose weight by exercising 5 times a week".

Achievable 

    Look at what skills and resources you already have, and compare them to the things needed to achieve your goal. Think about whether you'll be able to learn or get the things you lack right now .

    A goal like this is not achievable: "I want to lose 20 pounds in 1 week." Meanwhile, this person is not at all in shape, and losing weight and building muscle would realistically take months.

Realistic

    Before you proceed to making the commitment toward that goal, you neeed to think about how realistic it is. Being realistic means you are willing to make all the commitments required for that goal to be achieved. 

    Research all the stats, facts and figures relevant to your goal. Then consider the resources available to your, such as your budget, time, help from others, etc. Ask yourself if

your goal makes sense in your situation. In the case of our example, it would be unrealistic and unhealthy for someone to achieve that much weight loses in 1 week.

Time Bound 

    Every goal must have a commencement date and an end date. The act of having deadlines set to your goals is ample motivation to drive you into action., Without a deadline, it is not possible for you to know if you're making headway with your goals. "I will start losing 20 pounds by exercising 5 times a week for the next 12 months" is a time bound goal.

    Remember that some goals are short term while some are long term. It is important to always bear this in mind, because this will help you in making a clearer and realistic strategy for your SMART goal setting. 

4.Know the Value of Your Time

    Re-inventing yourself requires your to know the value of your time. Time is extremely valuable; it is something we can never get back once it's gone, and it's very limited in quantity.

Therefore, we need to know just what is it that we're using our time for, and to be sure to use it well.

    So what are you prioritizing? Is it aligned with your purpose? How do your habits stack up to our time budget? Are you spending more time in a wasteful rather than productive way?

    To learn more about how you can quantify and put a value to the time you spend on certain tasks, I'll recommend you read this article:

    Once when you've figured out what's unimportant, what do you do with those tasks? Once way is delegate out those tasks. If you're unsure of what should be delegated, this article will show you how:

Make progress Towards an Improved Version of You

    These 4 steps may seem overwhelming at first, but once you can take some time to go through each, you'll be making progress in no time. 

    Refreshing your perspective enables ou to step out of your current mindset to see new possibilities. Knowing your purpose will allow you to use the refreshed perspective you now have to get moving in the right direction. 

    Understanding how to set goals that align to your purpose will also prevent you from falling into potential setbacks or spending time on things that don't bring meaning to your life. And finally, ,knowing the

value of your time will ensure that the tasks you do will multiply your available time and help you progress towards actual goals and the future that you dream of. By implementing these steps, you'll soon discover that it is possible to overcome whatever circumstance you're currently facing, and be ready to take on goals that actually align to your purpose.

Know Yourself and Seek Self Improvement

 

Know Yourself and Seek Self Improvement

    Today, most people like the idea about self-improvement. It's trendy. But before you can improve yourself, you have to get to know who you are, What you want, and why it's so crucial to know the answers to those questions. 

    Once you know who you are, what you stand for, and what you want, then you can go on to work on self-improvement. 

    This article will take you through the main reasons why you should take the time to get to know yourself, how to get to know yourself, and then finally how to seek self-improvement. 

Why You Should Get to Know Yourself

    Many people go through life without getting a clear understanding of themselves. There's a difference between wanting to be someone and then the actions that relates a person. It's easy to tell people who you are, but can you actually walk the talk?

    We have a tendency to brush away our shortcomings and  play a certain role that we've intentionally or unintentionally created for ourselves. It may work for a while, but it won't help you achieve anything in the long run. 

    Yes, you can say you're a good spouse. People will believe you when trey see the picture-perfect image on your office, but if you go home to a different story, it doesn't really matter. 

    In the end, the opinion that matters the most ate the one we hold about ourselves. A lie will drain you, overwhelm you, and unresolved emotions will resurface. 

    Maybe you choose a certain path many years ago and now you feel stuck. You look in the mirror and you don't recognize yourself. The week seems endless and it's only 7am on a Monday morning.

    These are just exampled, It doesn't mean that only unhappy people need to get know themselves and seek self-improvement. Even if your life is truly as great as it looks like, it's always worth checking in with yourself. 

    It's natural to change throughout life , but too many people are afraid of reacting to this change or realize that the path they once choose may not be right anymore.

    Change is scary, but it's even more scary to ignore your emotions and not react to them. For better or worse change is the only constant. If you get to know yourself now, then you'll be able to handle change better obviously, you can't always control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it. There' s no time limit for getting to know yourself or window of opportunity. Remember that:

"Self-improvement and success often occur together, But that doesn't necessarily mean they're the same thing."

    You can be at the top of your game to the outside world, but still feel the need to get to know yourself and seek self-improvement.

    It's never too late to get to know yourself, because once you do, then you'll be ready for whatever comes next, when you know yourself, a new road won't seem scary because you already know whether you're planning on turning left or right.

How to Get to Know Yourself

    So, it's settled. It's a good idea to know this person that your wake up to every morning and look at while brushing your teeth. The person in the mirror that king of looks the same, but yet somehow seems different over time. Here comes the million-dollar question: where do you start?

    Unfortunately, there isn't a quick answer (or solution) to this. It isn't math. There's no right or wrong. You can't find a page with all the    secret answers and ace the test. 

    Most people will get a better feeling of who they are over time by simply looking back at their previous actions, reactions and decisions. But you can also choose to take active part of the progress right now .

Here are some active actions you can take to get to know yourself.

1.Increase Your Self-Awareness

    It's all about your now. Let the outside world exist on its own. It's not about your neighbor or the guy from high school that posted yet another sunny picture from Dubai. It's not about them. 

    Take some time to look at yourself. What have you been doing? How do you react to certain situations? what makes you smile?

    And if you keep going back to comparing yourself to a specific person, then ask yourself why you're so fixated on them. Figure yourself out. You're worth knowing.

2.Face Your Fears 

    It might seem obvious, but for some reason you keep avoiding that one thing. A lot of people let fear stand in their way even though they know deep down they have the ability to face it. It's easy to say of course, but if you manage to overcome your weakness, it will change you for the better. You will learn from it, and you'll know a whole lot more about your character. 

3.Focus on Your Strength 

    It's always a good idea to focus on what you thrive at and nurture it. It will help you become more successful, but you'll also get a better understanding of yourself as our strength are a big part of who we are .

    Even if you've been running towards the wall for a while and your head is really starting to hurt=you'll always have some strength in you that you can return to. Go back and focus on the and see where they'll lead you. Maybe a talent will turn into a career. Maybe a character trait will turn into a new path or relationship 

Now, let's move on to how to go further and seek self' improvement. 

    Ryan Holiday said: "You can't learn if you think you already know. You will not fang the answers if you're tooo conceited and self-assured to ask the questions. You cannot get better if you're convinced you are the best."

How to Seek Self-Improvement

    It's important to leave ego behind and realize that you'll never move forward, if you don't accept that you're not the best. You can always become better. Maybe you're currently the best at your job, but you should never stop competing against yourself. It's not about putting endless pressure on yourself. It's about keeping yourself in movement. 

    Maybe you dined some soul-searching and you realized that you did choose the right path. That's great, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try to improve yourself. or maybe you just realized that you want a completely different life. You quit your job, bought a dog and moved to a new city. great, but you're not done yet 

    Once you tell yourself you have done what you set out to do, then you'll run int o the same wall that knocked you out n the first place. 

    Self-improvement  not about putting yourself down. Self-improvement is about lilting yourself up higher. The only way to do that is by accepting that you're not the best. You can always become better. Even (or maybe especially) if you're only competing against yourself.

Final Thoughts

    Self-improvement can be applied to anything from learning a new skill, learning to deal with your anger ,or putting yourself in a new situation that searers you. Some people need to change their scenery completely. Some people just need to attend a meeting every Thursday. Others may need to take up a self-defenses class to feel in control again. 

Sometimes life is not about gaining or achieving. Sometimes life is simply about losing and letting go. 

    People are capable of doing (almost) everything that the people they admire are doing. saying you can't limit yourself by saying you can't do a specific thing, because you're you . It all comes down to mind-set and commitment. Get to know yourself and then set out clear goals .

Aristotle once said:

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then ,is not and act, but a  habit."