|Licensed iStock Photo.|
Excellent students of life take the time to answer good questions.
Sit down with a piece of paper and play twenty questions with yourself.
- If everybody where I work was just like me, what would this place be like?
- What one thing, if I did it every day, would make the biggest difference in my life?
- What is the one thing - that when it happens at work - causes me the most stress every day?
- What is the one thing - that when it happens at home - causes me the most stress every day?
- If my face froze in my most common expression, what would it be?
- If the last conversation I had with my spouse/ child was the only one they remembered - how would they remember me?
- If today was videoed for a group of my peers to watch - what would be their criticisms?
- If today was videoed for a group of my peers to watch - what would be their accolades?
- If someone looked in my checkbook and saw the daily spending habits reflected there - what would they say about my finances? (If nothing is written in there, it says something too.)
- What is the one thing I do every day that if I gave it up, my life would be better?
- If someone else said to me the worst thing I said to myself today, what would I have done?
- If every day was as well planned as today, how would I be living?
- If I ate every day like I ate today, what would I look like in a year?
- If I became just like the two people I choose to be around the most at work - what would I become?
- If I watched as much television as I watched today- everyday - how many hours would I spend a week?
- If I had an extra hour a day that I could spend doing anything I wanted - what is the one thing I could do in that hour that would improve my life the most?
- If as many people helped me today as I helped others - how much help would I get?
- What is the longest period of time today I focused on one task?
- What is one simple thing that costs no money that gives me joy?
- If today was my last day, would I have done anything differently?
You are the sum total of what you do EVERY day.
You Are What You Do.
You are not only what you eat but what you think and do.
Ninety five per cent of what you accomplish in this life is due to your habits. (Be Excellent in Anything: Four Keys to Transforming The Way We Work and Live )
Now, that you've written your answers, you've written your own plan for improving your own life.
That is the word. Why do people not fulfill new Year's Resolutions? They don't OWN them.
If someone else has told you something you need to be - that is their goal for you. Be honest inside your heart and gut where no one else can see and work on a habit that makes the most difference to YOU. This is your life. You get one chance. It is time to move forward.
Write it Down.
In Brian Tracy's book, No Excuses! The Power of Self Discipline he cites a study done of people who complete their New Year's Resolutions.
Of those who DON'T write down their goal - only 4% complete them. Of those who DO write down their goal 44% of them complete their goals. (That is an 1100% improvement in the likeliness of accomplishing your goal by just WRITING IT DOWN!)
There Can Be Only One.
Select ONE thing. One habit from your list above. Write it down as a goal.
"I will balance my checkbook every morning."
"I will walk for 30 minutes a day."
"I will join Weight watchers and count my points."
"I will cook dinner for my family every night."
"I will get up early and have my quiet time every morning."
Take the next 31 days to work on Just that one habit. Not two, not three, ONE. ONE! ONE! Experts in this sort of thing like Leo Babauta in his book the Power of Less shares to pick one habit and work on that one until it is ingrained and then add the next. This works!
Just one thing to improve your life the most. What is it?
It is in your list above.
Put it On your Calendar
Consider doing it first thing in the morning before you leave your house. Set it on your calendar. Set an alarm.
Setting the appointment takes the think-work out of having to figure out every day when you'll do something. And at the end of the day you are tired and low on self control and just won't do it. The appointment with yourself makes it mindless. And that is what habits are, something you do without thinking.
Write it. Own It. Put the appointment on your calendar right now.