To all our highly valued clients and acquaintances:
This quote can imply a lot. Sometimes we can be down on the things we’re not “up on”.
How we think and act, oftentimes based upon what we feel, is unbelievably critical in determining our likely outcomes and consequences, be it personal or public policy-wise.
“People are basically the same the world over. Everybody wants the same things – to be happy, to be healthy, to be at least reasonably prosperous, and to be secure. They want friends, peace of mind, good family relationships, and hope that tomorrow is going to be even better than today.” – Zig Ziglar – American author and motivational speaker.
I’ve been thinking more about why I feel what I feel and why do I think what I think. As a result, why do I act the way that I act, as basic as that sounds. From the classic book, “As a Man Thinketh”, a literary essay by James Allen, published in 1903, Allen describes it as “dealing with the power of thought, and particularly with the use and application of thought to issues. Allen had tried to make the book simple, so that all can easily grasp and follow its teaching and put into practice the methods which it advises.
Maybe the best definition of attitude is that they are habits of thought
We’ve all heard such quotes as “Attitude not aptitude determines altitude” or “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” Our destiny is tied directly to and starts with our thoughts. The question is, how are we creating these habits of thought, which often evolve into personal views of our life or even our world views?
Recently, I took a fresh look at the best-selling book Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear. When I have been asked about this book in the past, I thought to myself, what’s new? Doesn’t everyone know by now the nature and power of creating good habits, so good habits have you?
Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. As I have heard Stephen R. Covey often say, “results convert cynics”. As I’ve been reviewing the audio version of this book, I learned:
James Clear is a writer and speaker focused on habits, decision making, and continuous improvement. Since October 16, 2018, Atomic Habits has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 50 languages with over 73,000 Amazon Reviews – 85% are 5 Star Reviews and another 11% are 4 Star.
Over 8 million people read his articles each year and his work has been featured by CBS, Forbes, TIME Magazine, and more. Over 400,000 people subscribe to his weekly emails on how to form good habits and break bad ones. Over 5,700 students have taken his habits training programs. He is a recognized, credible positive influencer.
The Habits Academy is the world’s best online course on how to form good habits and break bad habits. It teaches you practical and effective ways to change your habits as quickly as possible. James teaches strategies that he researched and tested for years.
https://wsocourses.com/james-clear-the-habits-academy/
Atomic Habits reveals practical strategies that teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master tiny behaviors leading to remarkable results. If you’re having trouble changing habits, the problem isn’t you. It’s your system.
Here are a few ideas to consider as you work to create your systems.
- This Acronym for SYSTEMS – Save Your Self Time Energy Money and Stress.
- You have habits and then habits have you – get it to the “muscle memory” level.
- You create systems and work your systems and then your systems work for you.
- Be vigilant and be intentional – move them from light threads to being steel cables.
The goal here is to trust yourself and to create good systems. Once thought through, tested, and fully set up, systems (habits) can be a gift that keeps on giving. You become free to fully invest yourself into working your systems and enjoying the process. As you consistently execute with excellence, your momentum can exhilarate you as you create upward spirals of your desired results. What doesn’t work is not to have systems!!
If we are not persistently and consistently creating systems, we will not have transformation. Without being super-systematic, we risk having lots of noble-sounding ideas and escapable dreams that seem to be continuously out of our reach. Pioneering a landscape of new habits that are consistent with your vision for yourself and fulfilling your greatest needs for yourself and others can be like taking off a heavy winter coat as you are challenging yourself to ascend to unprecedented heights for your new frontiers.
This increased self-awareness can improve how we think and how we plan (aka, strategize). These improved practices can improve the quality of our life outcomes.
What are we learning, as individuals and as a species, to progress?
This recent article, which I treat like a weather report of today’s world, gave me pause.
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2022/03/inflation-war-stress
Inflation, war push stress to alarming levels at two-year COVID-19 anniversary.
APA calls for immediate steps to protect mental health as geopolitical turmoil, money stress pile on
“The number of people who say they’re significantly stressed about these most recent events is stunning relative to what we’ve seen since we began the survey in 2007,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer. “Americans have been doing their best to persevere over these past two tumultuous years, but these data suggest we’re now reaching unprecedented levels of stress that’ll challenge our ability to cope.”
“We know from decades of research that healthy and supportive relationships are key to promoting resilience and building people’s mental wellness,” said Evans. “Particularly during periods of prolonged stress, it’s important that we facilitate opportunities for social connection and support.” – Date created: March 10, 2022
Your strategies may not change the world and it may change yours.
Now is a time that we can all work on our life, not just in it. We can recalibrate our strategies, which may have great value for our life, never mind our work environments.
On Re-calibrating “What used to be smart is now dumb. What used to be too risky is now the safe thing to do. None of these changes are failures. They’re simply steps in the journey. We change. That’s part of the deal. A well-lived life without calibration is unlikely.” – from Seth Godin’s blog – an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker.
Transforming Yesterday’s Strategies – Breakthrough Discoveries
During April, I will be privileged to participate in a unique opportunity to deeper dive on this topic with a group of 40 colleagues, facilitated by two World-Class Wisdom Leaders.
In this course, we intend to discover the strategies that were embedded from much younger times that are unknowingly operating as obstacles to relating to others today.
The course promises that participants will disappear any irrelevant and disempowering strategies, leaving us with a new freedom from which to create and to be with all people.
Again, “Prosperity belongs to those who learn new things the fastest”
What can you learn and work on, in the weeks ahead, that will take you to places you haven’t yet been, in terms of fresh inspirational motivation, perspective, and strategies?
What can you read and/or listen to? Who can you dialogue with and/or brainstorm with?
Shall we explore how best to expand our future efforts together?
Again, I look forward to further communications in the weeks ahead, as we all work to strengthen and expand our effectiveness for greater freedom and fulfillment through both increased self-awareness and creative collaborations. We can all be fully engaged in worthy directions for satisfying solutions, as part of a forever journey that life can be.
Wishing for You the Best Possible Year in 2022 and way beyond…
With sincere and deep appreciation,
Don,
