“Just a little more.”
How easy to say, but how difficult to achieve.
For “just a little more” is what distinguishes the victorious from the vanquished.
– Miyamoto Musashi
the advantage of rational thought over feeling
Success. No matter how we define it, we all want it.
And yet we are so often afraid to stand up and go after it without some sort of “proof” that our risk, our efforts, our vulnerability during the process of reaching will not meet with failure.
So, does this “proof” actually exist? Sure! But the kicker is that you must furnish it for yourself!
And here’s one way to do it: Rather than trying to “take control of your emotions” (…uhm, how’s that worked out for ya so far?…), instead just follow these 3 simple steps, and Act On Rational Thoughts Only:
Step 1: Complete a Thought. Which looks like this: Cause + Effect + Outcome.
Step 2: Practice Completing a Thought until you can do it Quickly, Consistently, and Thoroughly.
Step 3: Apply to ALL Thoughts.
I guarantee that if you can discipline yourself to Act On Rational Thoughts rather than acting on your emotional ones (i.e. feelings), you will (a) SEE yourself achieving whatever you set out to achieve, and (b) find your self-confidence soaring to new heights. And then what more “proof” will you need? 🙂
Give it a try – the only thing you risk losing is self-doubt.
some old school perspective from Mr. Bond
“Bond put the thought of his dead youth out of his mind. Never job backwards. What-might-have-been was a waste of time. Follow your fate, and be satisfied with it, and be glad not to be a second-hand motor salesman, or a yellow-press journalist, pickled in gin and nicotine – or dead.” – From Russia With Love, Ian Fleming
4 simple steps to achieving a goal
Looking to transform a Goal you have into an actual Achievement?
I’ve found it useful to include these steps in the process:
1. Reconfirm your Emotional Driver – What key idea/decision is driving me to now make this Goal a reality?
2. Identify your Next Action – What to DO next that will ratchet me up towards Achievement?
3. Reconfirm your Goal’s Context – What is my rationale for taking THIS Particular Action at THIS Particular Time? i.e. What material contribution will it make to the achievement of my Goal?
4. Complete your Next Action – Don’t just follow up, follow through!
Rinse. Lather. Repeat. 🙂
the popular habit that kills integrity
Passive-aggressiveness is a prison; one created and maintained solely by you yourself.
And like a prison, perhaps finding yourself in it from time to time may be an unavoidable evil.
But when being in the prison of passive-aggressiveness proves inescapable, such use ought to be as a temporary abode – never a dwelling place.
PS. Besides being the refuge of cowards, passive-aggressiveness is also the very antithesis of Integrity. Think about it.
what’s the true cost of guilt?
Guilt is far more toxic & dangerous than just a feeling, it is an internal environment – sustained by you yourself!
Here is how it works: The more you indulge in “feeling guilty” over the years, the more familiar you become with a guilt environment, and so the more readily & completely you come to accept that same environment as “natural”.
But what if you are not always consciously aware of choosing to feel particularly guilty? Doesn’t matter – as long as you engage guilt, its awesome power to shape your decisions will continually increase in the background, out of sight, regardless of actual circumstances.
The cost of all of this? Guilt in any form erodes self-confidence. So as you become inevitably doubtful of all the positive potential within yourself, the net price you pay is ultimately the ruination of your independent self.
So ask yourself – is the habit of guilt really worth tolerating?
look to critical mass for successful transformation
Looking to achieve “critical mass” on a positive personal transformation? Give this a try.
Step 1: Whenever you feel a burst of positive motivational energy, I recommend that you immediately apply it to mapping out a Plan & Schedule, and keep at it until this tool is ready to use.
Step 2: Then every day just follow that plan ruthlessly i.e. completely disregarding your present motivation, energy levels, etc. This last bit is critical.
Following these 2 simple steps is the easiest and most reliable way to move yourself forward – at least for your first few months of positive transformation.
Remember: If you insist on relying on daily doses of motivation to keep you moving forward and acting appropriately during that time, you will most likely find yourself disappointed. Why? Because chances are pretty good that your default mental patterns are far too powerful to efficiently overcome on the basis of daily effort.
The best news is that once you have attained “critical mass” and installed this new path forward into your life, you will be free to rely on anything you wish to keep yourself moving forward.