Categories
Choice Decision Making Goal Setting Tips Success

Which Is More Important For Success: The Right Goal Or The Right Process?

The other day I was in a funky local cafe.

And part of their cool vibe was having paperback books you could read while hanging out there.

I spotted one of my fave books so I picked it up and flipped it open.

It was Atomic Habits by James Clear (and exceptionally great book).

I started reading the section that I had randomly flicked it open to and started to chuckle to myself.

I LOVE synchronicity and coincidence (which I consider means my alignment is good). 

The reason I chuckled is because I was reading a book on my Kindle earlier in the day by Scott Adams (the creator of the Dilbert comic strips), and he not only mentioned the same thing, but referenced back to James Clear and Atomic Habits as another person that agrees with this concept.

Therefore, I took that as a nudge that I need to share their insights and observations with you.

So here we go.

Categories
Choice Decision Making Emotional Goal Setting Tips Overwhelm Success

The 1, 2, 3 to Getting More Clarity

The title may be a little misleading.

I was actually not thinking of step 1, step 2, and step 3.

But rather, Level 1Level 2 and Level 3, when it comes to getting more CLARITY.

And in this case, the levels also refer to the size of the ‘problem’ or issues, or the size of the consequences of the decisions you have to make.

Let’s think of it like this:

Level 1 – A problem or decision to solve or figure out, but that is not too big or high in consequences.

Level 2 – The problem or decisions is a bigger, or more complex, and has more consequences if you “F” it up.

Level 3 – This is where the decisions you are making are complex, there numerous overlapping parts, and possibly a shortage of resources, so you need to be extra creative, plus the consequences of “F’ing it up” are pretty high (and potentially a huge pain in the butt and maybe even a potential financial loss).

So I see that these three levels of “challenge” require three different ENVIRONMENTS to enhance the probability of me solving it to the best of my ability.

I also like to use the metaphor of ‘stepping back’.

Level 1 = small step back.

Level 2 = medium size step backwards.

Level 3 = a big step backwards to allow the greatest level of perspective.

Categories
Choice Happiness Tips Joy Perspective Success

Learn a Simple Neurological Mood Booster

Who likes easy?

I know hard is where we build up our muscles.

BUT I do like the idea of a mix of easy, hard, and very little harder-than-it-NEEDS-to-be.

Life doesn’t have to be all about hard, sweaty, and grunts and groans for us to be succeeding.

Let’s sprinkle in a bit of easy with today’s tip on boosting our mood.

You know I am a fan of the idea that we can actually (self) create an elevated emotion state in our bodies, which causes a specific set of neuro-chemicals and hormones to be released throughout the body.

Re-enforcing the created feeling and supporting our overall health and well-being.

I want to take that concept, and a concept I read recently in a book by a Stanford behavioural scientist – BJ Fogg – called Tiny Habits (which I will review for you in a couple of weeks when I finish it).

Categories
Choice consciousness Decision Making Growth Optimum Health Success

Decision Making Mastery, Destiny, Convenience & Optimization

I have a sneaking suspicion you know where this is going.

And before we go there.

I want you to know this.

I care about you.

I want the very best for you.

I write because I love learning, teaching and sharing, but I also LOVE to help people have more joy, fun and happiness in their lives.

That’s pretty much my job.

Whether I am writing, presenting to an audience or coaching.

I want people to express their full potential in a way that is unique to them.

So, with that said, let’s see if we can get to where I want to take us.

When I was growing up in a country town in Australia, I would watch a show called ‘Playschool’.

And one of the tunes I can still hear in my head, 40+ years later is something like this…

Categories
Choice Life Lessons Perspective Problem Relationship Success

Don’t Do This, If You Want What You Want

This article and insight is inspired by time spent in the kitchen the other day.

I was in the kitchen the other day with my partner Ferry (who happens to be an awesome cook).

She said something that got me thinking.

And brought us to today’s conversation.

A conversation which includes politicians, fraudsters, hypnotherapists and probably we could put a 4-year old into the mix as well.

The thing that happened with Ferry in the kitchen was this…

It was a very simple comment.

Ferry said: “Can you put some water into the kettle?” (I am pretty sure she did not say please).

As I went about this chore I am thinking exactly how much water is ‘some’?

“Some” is pretty non-descriptive.

It’s a pretty broad generalization.

Do I put in a teaspoon, a tablespoon, a half cup, a full cup, a couple of cups??

I have no clue.

Categories
Choice Decision Making Growth Life Purpose Success

When Would Now Be A Great Time To Check In On What ‘Is’ Working And What ‘Is Not’

Yep.

It is check-in time.

And what a great time of the year to be doing it.

When you make a course correction at the start of the year, it can mean you are in an entirely new place, space and version of yourself, by the end of the year.

High ROI!!

Apparently prior preparation and planning prevents piss-poor performance, so let’s see if we can take some relatively easy steps NOW, to create an even better experience over the course of this year.

The area we are going to target is “HABITS“.

And what better way to start off this inner reflection, than with a quote by James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits.

“New goals don’t deliver new results. New lifestyles do. And a lifestyle is a process, not an outcome. For this reason, all of your energy should go into building better HABITS, not chasing better results.”

He’s talking my lingo.

The importance of creating a ‘lifestyle’, and that lifestyle being created, and greatly influenced by, the HABITS we adopt in our lives.

Categories
Choice Decision Making Meditation Nutrition Optimum Health Perspective Physical Activity Success

Want More Energy? Then Target These 2 Things

I believe one of my principle ‘reasons for being’ on the planet is to help others.

And the thing I think most helps others is them having more ENERGY.

If we have more energy, then we have more capacity to do awesome stuff.

And to create awesome stuff.

And to be awesome human beings.

So I am fascinated with, and seriously committed to figuring out: HOW CAN WE HAVE (EVEN) MORE ENERGY?

Plus how can we best use it once we have powered up.

Today I will focus on the generation of energy, and then in another article I will talk about the (best) utilization of our energy.

There are 2 principle ways to have the most energy, as I see it.

  1. Generate more.
  2. Waste less.

Let’s start with the first.

Categories
Choice Decision Making Perspective Problem Success

If You Are not Using This Strategy, You Are Doing the Wrong Stuff

I am a big fan of ‘strategies’.

Especially if they are simple to learn and incorporate.

And extra especially is they have a High ROI (return on investment).

Meaning big results for minimal effort.

So I decided to grab the best strategy from my book Decision Making Mastery, and share here.

(Also, I dropped a rather large gas bottle on my finger a few days ago, so one of my two typing fingers is out of action, so I thought I would find a way to serve you, while only having one finger to type with ;-)).

My request is that you diligently use this strategy for ONE WEEK and then you let me know the benefits you experienced (and then I get to say “I told you so”.

Categories
Growth Meditation Nutrition Optimum Health Rest Success

8 Pieces of Advice for Smart, Busy People

Not that I own a car now.

I used to.

Now that I live in Bali, I own a scooter, but the same rule applies.

Doing maintenance on my scooter, means it continues to run well, and doesn’t let me down when I am trying to overtake a rubbish truck while going uphill.

It is essential, in my mind, to an easeful life.

And a flourishing social life. Woohoo!!

PLUS it is something that if I don’t do, makes my life way harder than it needs to be.

Likewise if I don’t take care of my health – via maintenance – I am likely to be dealing with a train wreck or health scare downstream.

I know you know this already.

But given the proliferation of confusing or bad advice (and the many distractions with shiny new things to focus on) it can be hard to know where to direct your efforts.

So I am going to share some absolute basics for maintenance and expand on the idea where necessary.

Tick these off and you are on the right path.

Categories
Choice consciousness Fear Feeling Perspective Self Love Success

You Can’t Do This and Expect to be Happy

Do you want to be happy?

Or happier?

I am pretty sure – about 99.999% – that your response to those questions is a resounding “OF COURSE!”.

So today we are going to talk about one thing not to do if you want to have a happy life existence.

It’s a pretty simple concept (like most things I teach), but it has major ramifications.

The image that comes to mind when I think about this topic is a wheelbarrow I was using the other day, while hauling bricks.

The wheel was a little wobbly (out of alignment) and it was WAY HARD to keep things moving in the direction of the drop-off point.

At one point the wheelbarrow veered off to the side and I lost the load (and nearly tore a muscle or three); so I had to start again from scratch.

TOO much effort required.

So what was the solution?

Simple.

The wheelbarrow needed the nuts on the axle tightened, so the wheel would come back into alignment and perform the role it was designed for.

Moving smoothly, in a straight line.

When things are out of alignment, life gets tougher.