Embrace all of your wins no matter their size

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Embrace all of your wins no matter their size.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by National Cancer Institute

As we begin a new year it is a common practice to reflect on the year gone by to see how it compared to our expectations.

Far too many of us experience regret and even shame for coming up short of our grandiose plans. With the wind knocked out of our sails, it’s increasingly difficult to shoot for the stars again in the year ahead.

Instead of looking through these lenses, consider the phrase What I got done today is what I got done today.

Acknowledge all your wins, in which you met the many challenges that landed in your lap the past 365 days.

EXERCISE:

Display the phrase What I got done today is what I got done today on your bathroom mirror.

Reflect on its simple wisdom each morning and night as you brush your teeth for at least two minutes.

Better dental checkups will be an added bonus!

Friday Review: Charity

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Friday Review: Charity

How charitable are you to others and yourself? Here are a few charity-related posts you may have missed.

 

“Time is one of the most loving and compassionate gifts you can give someone, including yourself!”

 

 

 

 

“It doesn’t make any sense to make a key and then run around looking for a lock to open.”

 

 

 

“The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others.”

 

 

 

 

We find stories and patterns even in sparse data

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“We find stories and patterns even in sparse data.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Shubham Dhage

How do you navigate the complexities of your world?

How bombarded do your feel with so much information constantly coming your way from all directions?

To insulate and protect ourselves, most of us have set up systems that filter and separate the relevant from the irrelevant. One way we do this is to look for patterns and make up stories that fit with past experiences that are stored within.

When our minds fill in the gaps — regardless of whether they are accurate or not — we can more easily take our next step, and the next.

EXERCISE:

Where in your world do you invent stories and find patterns to deal with information overload? How does this strategy serve you and where does it trip you up?

Sometimes we need to be cautious about getting into action too quickly and take our time to discover the learning

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“Sometimes we need to be cautious about getting into action too quickly and take our time to discover the learning.”

— Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Leonard Reese

Have you ever played checkers? How about chess or Go? How long does it usually take before you make a move?

Where do you skip aiming before you shoot in the direction of your targets? How often does being too quick on the draw get you in trouble?

Life is an iterative game in which we are constantly receiving feedback from the world around us. Without taking enough time to examine what we have learned from previous moves, we can find ourselves on the losing end of the many games we play.

EXERCISE:

In what areas of your life are you too quick to act on limited information?

Where would slowing down to embrace more teachable moments help you better navigate your world?

 

Be a gardener and plant seeds of kindness and service. 

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“Be a gardener and plant seeds of kindness and service. Take an ECO versus EGO approach to life and watch things bloom.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Mei-Ling Mirow

Over the years, I’ve been a big fan of the National Geographic show Life Below Zero. The show has become so popular that in recent years it has evolved in a few new spin offs.

With the harsh weather and limited growing season, profiled residents have invested considerable time building greenhouses to grow their own food. Doing this protects the seeds and delicate young plants, and extends the growing season by about a month — resulting in a far more abundant harvest.

EXERCISE:

Where do you plant seeds of kindness and service in your world?

How have these ECO efforts enriched your life and contributed to your communities?

In your attempts to achieve and succeed, celebrate the efforts not just the outcomes

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In your attempts to achieve and succeed, celebrate the efforts not just the outcomes.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Anna Samoylova

In my most active business development years I invented a point system to keep me motivated and in action. Instead of only looking at my sales metrics for how I was doing, I gave myself points for all actions that could and often did lead to quantifiable results.

Phone calls, emails, social media efforts, and even research on prospective customers all counted. Attending networking functions, scheduling meetings, and even getting business cards and contact information scored points.

At the end of each day, I could quantify my level of activity and knew that my efforts would eventually pay off.

EXERCISE:

Where and how do you celebrate and give yourself credit for your attempts and efforts, regardless of the outcomes?  How would such a practice help keep you motivated when you might otherwise become discouraged?

Friday Review: BEHAVIOR

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Friday Review: BEHAVIOR

What do your behaviors say about you? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

Upgrade your morning routine to get an even better start to your day. What small or significant adjustments will you make?

 

 

 

 

To be. To do. To have. Take life in this order.

 

 

 

 

“Your beliefs don’t make you a better person — your behavior does.”

 

 

 

 

 

Life is harder when you expect a lot of the world and little of yourself

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“Life is harder when you expect a lot of the world and little of yourself. Life is easier when you expect a lot of yourself and little of the world. High standards, Low expectations.”

—James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

Image from Unsplash by Call Me Fred

How often do you find yourself upset when things don’t go your way?

If we wait for things outside our control to fulfill our expectations, we’re sure to be in for a very bumpy ride.

Alternatively, if we look within our own mindset and efforts, we can definitely adjust our approach to outside events.

EXERCISE:

How can you maintain high standards while monitoring and managing the expectations you have for yourself and the world around you?

“You don’t have to lose something to be searching.”

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“You don’t have to lose something to be searching.”

—Stephen St. Amant, Author of the Savenwood Blog

Image from Unsplash by Marten Newhall

Keys, glasses, cell phone, or important documents are things we commonly misplace.

When you lose something of importance, what is it like to go searching?

Even if we are super organized, with nothing out of place, some things can still feel as if they are missing.

In such cases, the searching may require us to examine new dimensions of living, to discover puzzle pieces we never knew were there.

EXERCISE:

Where are you searching for things to complete the puzzling aspects of your life?

What pieces might you find with an attitude of openness, curiosity, and wonderment, when nothing is actually lost?

“It is not too late to do what you want to do — If you stop waiting for the time to be right.”

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“It is not too late to do what you want to do — If you stop waiting for the time to be right.”

—James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

Image from Unsplash by Angelina Litvin

A major focus of many of my coaching engagements is assisting people in professional and personal transitions. Many are highly accomplished, and yet never feel ready to step into the unknown.

The need for one more seminar, degree, or other form of outside acknowledgement rarely quells the not-ready-for-prime-time player in them.

Perhaps readiness is simply a myth that we only discover once we begin.

EXERCISE:

In what area of your life are you fearful that it is too late to do what you want to do?

How will you summon the courage to step into the unknown and discover your readiness once you begin?