What's Going Right In Life?

Let The Journey Begin ...

I've spent the past 20 years studying the power of the mind and human behaviour. I've also studied some of the world's best in personal development to come up with how to achieve the best from life.

Some of the most important things I've learnt have come from helping clients solve their life problems. As the old saying goes: By helping others, you are also helping yourself.

Over the next few newsletters I plan to help you to achieve more from your life.

This is our year for achieving. The year for getting results.

So, let's begin the journey ...

First, make a list of what is going right in your life.

How many things can you think of?

When I ask my clients what is going right, the common response is "Not Much".

When I ask what is going wrong, there are many items on the list.

This indicates they are giving more energy to what they don't have and what is going wrong than to what they do have and what is going right.

Let me help you out with your list of what's going right.

Write down:

• 5 things you love about each member of your family
  
• 5 things you love about each of your friends
  
• 5 things you love about your job
  
• 5 things you like about your car (even if it is an old bomb - it has a roof to keep the weather out, windscreen wipers to clear the rain, heater, air conditioning, seats, a glove box, boot to store things, etc)
  
• what's working well in your body - arms, legs, eyes, nose, etc. Some people do not have all of these
  
• everything you own. Do a stock take on each room in your home, garage and garden. Itemise each thing. Number of shoes, utensils and shirts. This also helps with your Home and Contents Insurance!
  
• your investments. What are the assets you own?
  
• the people who are helping you to achieve - like financial planners and coaches.

Now I'm willing to bet, especially after writing a list of all you own, there are hundreds, if not thousands of things on your list. These are all things that are assets to you. They are in your life because they serve a function.

Now you have more things going right than going wrong. When things start to go wrong, read your list and focus on what you do have and the thing going wrong may just pale into insignificance.

For example, when something doesn't work out, I focus on what a great family I have, our awesome home and the things we are able to do. Instantly, the thing not working out has no significance. It no longer matters in comparison.

Action Plan

As this is the year to achieve, make your list of what is going right, what is happening and what you do own.

Put it in a safe place so you can regularly review it.

Importantly, you now become grateful for what is in your life. Gratitude means you attract more of the same.

Do You Have Good Will-Power?

In my last newsletter I wrote about managing your time. You can read the article here.

One of my subscribers - Bobby Huddleston - pointed out that in order to manage time, it is important to manage self.

And this is so true. If you are unable to manage yourself, you will have much difficulty managing time and every other part of your life.

What you do, think and say is very much determined by how much self-control you have.

A recent client who consulted with me to Quit Smoking told me she had no will power.

What she meant was, she has no will power to quit smoking. She certainly had the will power to smoke.

Being the New Year, there is a good chance you have made some New Year's resolutions. The most common are to "Quit Smoking", "Lose some weight" and "To get fit".

Research shows most people fail on their resolutions within two weeks of setting them.

While resolutions are the same as Goals, there are a number of reasons why people never achieve them. Some reasons include:

(i) The end result is not defined.
(ii) There is no defined starting or finishing time.
(iii) There is no specific plan in place on how they are going to achieve their goal.
(iv) The resolution is a good idea but they don't have the motivation to achieve it.
(v) Results are not monitored.
(vi) Getting the result is too hard.
(vii) It's a "hope" or "wish" and they don't have the time or energy to put into achieving it.

Resolutions like "To lose weight", "Be healthier" and "To cut back on alcohol" are too wishy washy and will never be achieved. "To lose weight" can mean 1kg or 10kg and also indicates there is no plan in place on how to achieve it. "To be more healthy", "get fitter", "drink less caffeine" and "be more conscientious" mean nothing, as they are not defined. To "quit smoking" is good because it is definite but it needs to have a completion date to it.

To achieve your goal, you need will power. This is determined by how keen you are to achieve your goal. The keener you are, the more will power you will have.

Whenever we have a task to complete, our brain weighs up the positives and the negatives to achieving it. Because we run on energy (and feelings are energy), when we like something, we feel good and emotionally "pull it closer". When we hate something, we emotionally "push it away".

As an example: You have decided to get fit. Tomorrow you are bouncing out of bed at 6:00am and going for an hours walk. At this point, you are "all fired up" with lots of will power. The good feelings are, say, 50 units of energy; the bad feelings 10 units (after all, you haven't been for a good walk for some time!).

The alarm goes off at 6:00am the next morning. You feel tired. The bed is so cozy. You now have 50 units of energy saying "Stay in bed" and 10 units saying "C'mon sleepy head. Out of bed. Time to pound the pavement."

Result: back to sleep with the promise you will start tomorrow!

To have good will power to achieve your goal, write down:

• How important your goal is to you - and "why".
• Define your end result with specific detail.
• A thorough plan - step-by-step - on how you are going to achieve your goal.
• The benefits of achieving it - how good it feels, what it means to you.

Whenever you lose will power, revisit this list as the information should help you get back on track.

Good luck and let me know how you go!