Day #111: All In The Mind

Your strongest asset is your mind and your worst enemy is also your mind. How do you use it?

Like any day, I believe that it is in the first 5 minutes of waking up and deciding on what you will do and picking your attitude, will dictate the flow of your day.

How many times have you had a goal and weren’t able to find the means to achieve it? Probably a lot.

YES I AM SPEAKING TO YOU. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Many people have no idea how complicated and powerful the mind’s influence actually is, which explains why the problem isn’t their ambitious nature but the level of specificity of the goal itself.

Your mind will take your body to places you would have never thought. But your body will also enable your mind to grow and expand.

You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind. – Joyce Meyer

When your unconscious mind begins to take control of something which was difficult at first, this becomes a second nature to you. You can achieve this by learning something and adjusting to the custom of regular practice. Your goal is now part of your daily routine, just like brushing your teeth. That is how your unconscious mind rewards you for your hard work and determination. Every day that goes by, you find yourself naturally growing and moving closer to the next mini-goal until the day comes where you achieve your final goal.

So when constructing a goal, take a piece of paper and make sure you do the following:

1. Believe your goal is possible

2. Write down your goal in detail, with a specific deadline and outcome

3. Create a chronological strategy to achieve your goal by the deadline

4. Write down why it is important for you to achieve this goal

5. Write down how you will feel when you achieve it

6. Write down how your life will change when you achieve it

7.Should you feel the urge to veer from your goal or believe you can’t do it, look at 1-6.
(This means keep the paper you wrote everything on and refer to it when needed.)

8. START NOW!!

Day #110: 36 Weeks

Morning blues are real – only if you let them be and these will define your weeks.

If you are one of the many who wake up in the morning and have a fear of rolling out of bed, getting dressed and prepping yourself (or rushing) for work, then this is the blog for you.

Your first problem is your attitude. Attitude is going to change your day. Like perspective, it will set the tone, expectation and even the sense of direction in which the day shall proceed.

I love everyday and I love the ability to be able to start fresh. I have posted on this numerous times, but I think we can all agree just how important each day is.

52 Weeks means 52 more reasons to challenge yourself.  If you struggle with mornings, then I have a challenge for you.

You have 36 remaining weeks until the end of the year. So why not spice them up and make a difference both internally and externally.

You can do this in a number of ways, but the whole idea is to help motivate and encourage you. The first thing you need to do is actually identify if you will pursue a goal, follow a dream or even help others. Whatever it may be, you should have one day each week known as a ‘push day’. The day you break down walls and really set the tone for the week.

If you need a small structured approach then try this. Dedicate a day (set a time) to do something singular or particular that you have always wanted to do. If you can break it down into tasks, yes it may take a little longer, but soon enough you will be making progress and enough to even surprise yourself. Guaranteed. Persistence is the key here, but if you’re willing enough and motivated enough, then the next 36 weeks will be 36 weeks of achievement, progression and success. Yes you may even have a set back or two, but with each setback comes a bigger bounce.

So are you up for it?

Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in. – Bill Bradley

Here are some ideas you can do for the next 36 Weeks!

Whether you spend 1 hr on one of these, or longer. You could even set a goal of reading 30 pages. The idea is something to help you grow over the next 36 weeks.

  • Cook
  • Exercise
  • Read
  • Run
  • Write
  • Create
  • Volunteer
  • Start a business
  • Work on projects
  • Family time
  • Friend time

If you don’t have one, pick one above. Use this week to prepare and then next week MAKE IT HAPPEN.

If you would like to share your progress, feel free to do so as well!

Day #109: A Little Change

Change is what keeps the world moving. Without change there is nothing — there is no death, no birth, no progress. Change is that which allows life and that which allows for the possibility of success. However, change is also that which allows for destruction and failure. And change is both controlled and uncontrolled.

If you want change, then you must create action. You must do something. Nothing changes without action.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Consider this task of change: you want to push a boulder up a hillside. What is your best course of action? You know that you will have to exert energy into pushing the large rock up the hill, but do you push it at a slow continuous pace, or do you give it one big heave?

So what does it require? If you give the boulder one big push up the hill, before you are able to make it to the highest point of the boulder’s ascent, it will start to roll its way back down the hill. When this happens, you will either stop it half way from or you will be run over while it tumbles down the hill. The same goes for creating change. If you want to lose weight and get into shape, don’t starve yourself and hit the gym 5 times a week because you will break the process. This change requires a slow and steady approach.

My challenge to you today is to pinpoint what makes you unhappy and change it — or at least take action.

Day #108: Lift You Up

We should all have some daily mantras to remind ourselves who and what we are doing that will help lift us up. With the busy lives we live, this can be forgotten way too easily, when really it should be a priority in our life, to keep us focused on track to be the best we can.

Below are 5 quick daily reminders, you should not only remind yourself of, but also explore and grow in each day:

  1. I am amazing.
  2. I can do anything.
  3. Positivity is a choice.
  4. I celebrate my individuality.
  5. I am prepared to succeed.

The message today is to realize just how amazing you are, that you can do more than you think you are capable of and you can choose to smile or not.

You should be able to handle and look after yourself and you should be willing to shine and step it up each day and everyday. Sometimes we just need to lift ourselves up.

Always find time for the things that make you feel happy to be alive. – Jelly Wong

Having read the above 5 points, do you believe them? Do you think you can apply them to your daily life. Make it a challenge, or a goal. If you don’t like these particular ones, create your own.

Think about if you had 5 of your own, what would they be? Remember, what you tell yourself is either going to lift you up or bring you down, so why not lift your self up and see how high you can go!

Day #107: So Happy

Whether it be the little things, the big things, or even the silliest of things. There are so many things that make you happy. They make you smile because you appreciate them, because you understand them and you enjoy them. Don’t focus on the sad things, the bad things, the negatives or the failures. But focus your day according to the things that make you happy. 

For me the below are just everyday things that make me happy.

Purpose, Breakfast, Simplicity, Conversations, Family, Exercise, Healthy Lifestyle, Running, Friends, Caring… and so much more. These are just the tip of the iceberg. (No particular order)

The point is; we are all going to have different things that make us happy and make us sad. But the best way to avoid being sad is focusing and using the things that make you happy to becoming a constant and ongoing part of your life. 

We can choose happiness in this moment – Jennifer Kass

Trust me when I say this, but as you create happiness for yourself, this will spread and be shared among those around you. If you were to be away for a while these people will notice the change… 

So be a fun spark and continue to share it where ever you go! 

Day #106: The Commute

Your morning commute to work is a mere metaphoric reflection of your life. Think about it. You travel towards a destination, which is never just a hop or a skip away. Usually it can take patience and sometimes even great effort. Like life, nothing is ever so easy and if you want to see results (good results) of your goals, then you need to be patient and persistent.

It’s like driving into a storm, it can be rough, tough and full of obstacles, misdirection and of course full of risk. But on the other side of any good storm, are better skies and a richer land. Calmness.

Storms, are the problems, hassles and ongoing whirlwinds we go through. If you want to stop them you need to go to the eye of the storm. The source of the problem.

To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like. – Unknown

Sometimes, traffic is bumper-to-bumper or even gridlocked, which means your journey to your end goal may take a bit longer than you planned. The traffic serves as a roadblock to your life, and you just need to navigate it at your own pace. Travelling will mean things will occur out of your control, requiring additional changes, plans, set backs and these can be both positive and negative things. But some times we just need to learn to adapt and adjust. Survive in the moment.

My challenge to you today is… next time you are travelling into work or your daily destination, take a moment to compare it to the bigger picture of your life. You may have an epiphany and just realize something new you can do. But the real point today is to be ready for things to not go your way, for things to take longer than expected. Adapt, try again and solider on. Soon enough you will get to your destination!

Day #105: Next Highest Peak

Climbing to the top of the peak requires hard work. I would like to think that I am a hard worker, and I hope you can honestly say the same.

As with hard work comes a great climb. A journey and sometimes a struggle to the top which takes you through plenty of threatening and exciting situations.

Climbing the mountain of success is like stepping into the unknown, but with passionate determination. – Chris Furlong

Even though it may be scary or full of obstacles, your passionate determination, continues to motivate, empower and drive your hunger to reach the next highest peak.

By the time you reach your destination you should have and will be experiencing one of two types of growth. Now these are both well valued growths and important and I’m sure you have parts of your life in which you could have a bit of both. But for the sake of the task, I challenge you to pick one of these. Which one would you think would summarise your style? Your journey?

  1. The first type of growth is logarithmic.
    Logarithmic growth increases quickly in the beginning, but the gains decrease and become more difficult as time goes on.
    This could be: Fitness/Strength, Literacy, Language, Weight Loss, Musical Skill
  2. The second type of growth is exponential.
    Exponential growth increases slowly in the beginning, but the gains increase rapidly and become easier as time goes on.
    This could be: Investments and Wealth, Social Media Followers, Entrepreneurship or Business Growth
I guess the whole point of this is to understand that the view at the end of the climb is worth it. How you get there (through growth) will vary and that’s OK. But remember it is important to understand the type of growth curve you are and set your expectations. If you’re not happy. Then CHANGE IT!

Make your climb to the next highest peak.

Day #104: It’s All Control

You can’t expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter. But what you can expect is things to go wrong, things to go out of control and not to plan.

When this happens, it means you need to keep it together. You need to hold on to your emotions and ensure they do not overpower your intelligence.

We may not be able to control everything but we can control our actions and we will always have a choice to choose how we react in the moment.

I’ve been tracking my heart rate for almost a year now; I am fascinated to know how my heart rate changes across the different times throughout the day and with different activities I am doing. Like any situation you heart rate will change, but through practice and techniques we can learn to maintain and monitor your heart rate to be measured lower. Like emotions, in the times of unfair, unjust and crazy – taking charge of emotions and tapping into your inner intelligence, will not only help others but save yourself from doing something you may regret.

I understand that things can be rough and tough and out of your hands, but that’s why you need to be able to control what you can. Especially yourself. 

Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t. – Steve Maraboli 

Day #102: Your Own Story

You create your own story.

Imagine if someone was to write your biography and this was to be circulated to your family, your friends, your Facebook friends, your mutual friends and across the inter-web.

What would it be like?

Would you be proud of it? Would others benefit from it? Would others be inspired by it? What impact would it have on others?

These are all very confronting questions. It makes you think if what you are doing, is want you want to be doing.

I’m not here to make you feel bad, nor tell you how you should be living your life. But what I will tell you is you own your life story.

If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? ― Steve Jobs

Forget what society tells you. Society today stereotypes how life is supposed to go after graduation… and it is a little something like this:

  1. Get a job
  2. Buy a car
  3. Pay off student debt
  4. Get married
  5. Buy a house
  6. Begin saving for retirement
  7. Have/Adopt kids
  8. Retire
  9. Have grandkids
  10. Die

These are great and they are all things that should and will happen, however the order is up to you.  I personally would suggest paying off that student loan ASAP.

But these should not be your life – what about everything else you want to do?

Regardless, your life should be composed of goals as these will help inspire you to move forward across different areas in your life. These can be both short and long terms goals. For every short-term goal you achieve, you should feel one step closer to a long-term goal. An example of how this would look is something like this:

Long Term Goals:
$60,000 Salary

Short Term Goals:
Up-skill/Complete an Education

Get a Job
Build a Professional Network
Build a Reputation
Get a Promotion

Once again, the above is just an example. This doesn’t even need to be related to work. Another example:

Long Term Goals:
Run a Marathon

Short Term Goals:
Lose 10kg

Start a Regular Running Routine
Run 5km
Run 10km
Run 20km
Run 35km

These are all just examples, but you get the point.

I’m sure you have some area’s in your life you want to change, that you want to grow in?

The best way to do that is to set some goals.

Remember actions will always speak louder than words and in today’s world your word should always go a long way. Think about what legacy you are leaving. Not just in the long-term, but daily?

How are you completing the day. How are you impacting (positive/negative) others around you? When you finish work for the day. When you finish school for the day. When you have been out socializing. What impression, legacy and influence are you leaving?

I challenge you to ask yourself these questions. I challenge you to write down some goals today, or if you have some already, re-write them for clarity and for a birds eye view.

Day #101: Reality Test

Sometimes we need to really question ourselves and our journey and in a sense take a reality test. We should do this on a regular basis to keep us honest, checkpoint our goals and commitments, as well as help identify any gaps or areas in our life we need to focus on.

“You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.” – Andrew Murphy

Firstly, grab some paper, a journal would be better. Grab a pen, your favorite of course and see below 24 questions that will potentially take you forward and jolt you outside your current reality:

  1. What would happen if you just went for it?
    Deep down, you want to go for it. But you’re scared. The good news: even if you’re scared, you still have a choice. Fear doesn’t run your life; you do.
  2. Who are you?
    Write down a list of what’s important to you about life.
  3. Who are you really?
    What was important to you before other people told you what was important to you?
  4. What’s your deepest, most secret desire?
    You know it’s there. Just be honest and admit it. You’ll feel amazing… and free.
  5. If you knew you couldn’t fail, what’s the benefit of not beginning?
    Bet you can’t think of a good answer for this.
  6. If not now, when?
    The past is gone forever and the future is anything but guaranteed. What are you waiting for?
  7. Who’s permission do you need?
    You know you only need your own permission, but do you seek someone else to tell you it’s ok?
  8. What’s stopping you?
    If you haven’t started working towards what you truly want, something is.
  9. Who or what is holding you back?
    The only answer to this: you.
  10. If you don’t know what you want, why on earth aren’t you trying to find out?
    Unless you’re content to just drift through life, never knowing where you’re going, and never being truly fulfilled.
  11. When you know what you truly want, will you actually do anything about it?
    Most people ignore it or talk themselves out of doing it.
  12. What’s important to you?
    Make a list. Be honest with yourself.
  13. What’s really important to you?
    Seriously. Be honest. Otherwise this is pointless.
  14. If you wrote a list of everything that’s important to you, would you even be on it?
    If you’re not, is there a good reason for that?
  15. If you don’t prioritize yourself, how will you ever be happy?
    It’s not going to happen by accident.
  16. What’s the excuse you use the most?
    Would to tell your best friend to use that excuse?
  17. When will you stop using your excuses?
    Excuses stop you from getting what you truly want. If you’re happy with that, then keep using them.
  18. Do you feel good when you know you’re using excuses?
    I’m guessing you don’t. Just a hunch. And I bet you feel great when you make progress. Just saying.
  19. Will you ever get what you want if you keep making excuses?
    Make all the excuses you want. Just make sure you don’t wake up one day and finally admit that’s what you’ve been doing.
  20. Why won’t you just be honest with yourself?
    Lying to yourself is easy most of the time because we’re so practiced at it. But it’s not the right thing, and you know it. It might be painful to be honest right now in this moment, but it’s much more painful to lie to yourself forever.
  21. How long can you go on doing what you’re doing?
    6 months? 1 year? 5 years? If you don’t take action and do something different, nothing will change.
  22. When you’re totally honest with yourself, what will happen?
    Great things, right?
  23. Do you choose comfort over happiness?
    There’s a big difference. Find out what that difference means for you, and what you’re currently choosing.
  24. If any of these have resonated, are you gonna make an excuse or actually do something about it?
    If any of these have resonated, are you gonna make an excuse or actually do something about it?
These questions were originally formulated by Matt Hearnden