In today's world there is always so much to do, we have a constant fight on our hands to keep up with our commitments from appointments, your job and family commitments. Alongside that we have we never ending flow of distraction with media, the TV, radio, social media and emails coming in daily.
People are genuinely very busy, but this is not to be confused with being productive and making progress in life. I have studied and worked with all sorts of cultures; businesses and individuals around the world and people, no matter where they're from mainly want the same main things in life.
1. They want security for themselves and their families both financially and materialistically such as a food, clothing, a nice house, car, etc.
2. They want to have recognition, to feel important and that they are contributing and adding value in their life be it a great mom or a valued member of the team.
3. They want to be challenged, to be moving towards something, to be engaged and are at their best when committed to reaching a goal or aim. This pursuit can anything from a family holiday, promotion or income level we need to be inspired and moving achievement.
When these factors are missing people suffer all sorts of problems from lack of self-esteem, depression poor health apathy of the mind and body and lack of motivation.
So how come people are struggling now more than ever they have such a wealth of technology and information at their disposal. If you want to learn any skill from a language to how to repair your car its all available even for those who cannot access, the internet books are freely available across the many empty libraries around the globe. So lack of information is not a problem here.
So it mentally where we let ourselves down or is it the lack of some motivation factor? Well, there are lots of theories and studies have been done on Phycology and the power of the mind and body connection.
There is no doubt in the minds infinite power, and it's uses from visualisation to NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and mind programming. We have all seen the amazing transformations when someone is hypnotised it's almost as though another person has emerged.
However, with all these skills and practices peoples result are sporadic and short-lived. They achieve some improvement but then they slip back into old habits and unrewarding behaviour patterns.
So a lot of people dismiss these methods as not a worthwhile pursuit as they had tried before and failed. So from the outset this pattern is lingering in the background of their mind.
I have seen truly amazing results in individuals only for them; 6-12 months later do a U-turn back to their old self and undo all the positive changes. This behavior defies all logic and can be very disheartening for the coach or trainer.
So What It That Stops People Moving Forward towards making positive and permanent changes that stick and become a habit for life, leaving behind the old pattern never to return.
I have been in war zones and military conflicts, trained people and coached people in a lot of different areas. In those environments, people set goals and dreams and always talk about when I get back I am going to do ....
Often its after a loss of a friend or injury that brings their life to focus and reality to bear. On their return to the civilised world, all those goals and dreams subside and they settle back into a normal routine.
One instance that is particularly powerful was a friend of mine caught a tropical disease in Sierra Leone and was sent to a specialist clinic. He was seriously ill with a parasite that was feeding on his internal organs.
While at the hospital, he seen up close and personal these people who had been diagnosed with lung and mouth/ throat cancer, mainly attributed to smoking. He saw these people unable to breath without tubes and with disfigured mouth and faces; it drove home to him the dangerous effects of smoking.
On his return, he vowed and became a walking billboard on the damaging effects of smoking and pronounced he would never again smoke like he had for last 40+ years.
As you probably can guess what happened, only a week later I seen him standing outside with a cigarette, smoking again. He told me he just could not quit even after everything. I later thought I have seen this behaviour so many times and here is the reason I think it happens and the key to lasting change.
It's because we have become too COMPLACENT.
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| Sometimes Leaping Blindly Can End Very Badly |
It's far too easy for us not to do the important things; we are so fortunate to have food, water, and so many luxuries compared to some countries. People today overindulge in everything from food, drugs, sex, and spending.
We see this in the astronomical rise in Obesity in developed countries around the world. We tend to focus in instant gratification and if we want something we get it no matter what the consequences. We take the easy route and most never make a strong commitment anymore, but rather try or see how it works out or give things a trial run. We need only again look at the pattern in relationships, with the divorce rate sky high to see how people attitudes have changed over time.
Brian Tracy a master of success states that 10,000 hours is required to master any subject, thousands of studies back up his finding, but many people struggle to commit just a fraction of that. They rarely throw themselves into something completely and with 100% devotion, but instead lose focus and jump around to the next thing or course.
It's like starting a business; it's estimated that it takes at least two years to get it set up to a solid and scalable model properly. Some people want to make money within two weeks or 2 months, which can be done, but in the majority of cases it does not happen.
We need to change our expectations and take a more committed approach. We should be like a king who invaded the distant shores and burned his ships telling his armies "we win the battle, or we will never see home again."
If we stop taking the easy route out and commit to our goals and dreams a 100%, we will accomplish amazing results. Like Robert Kennedy, another master of production and success states "Work on One Thing At A Time & Do It To The Best You Can."
One way to reinforce this commitment is to have towards and away goals or drivers. Meaning think of all the Negatives that will happen if it's not done. These can be more powerful that toward goals, which are also essential to do.
Examples are, do you want to continue risking your health by smoking with the possible result being lung cancer or throat or mouth cancer? Go visit a hospital ward to see these people who sadly made the wrong choices and whose lives and families are ruined.
Go see an obesity clinic and see the reduced quality of life with people unable to care or look after themselves due to being trapped in their bodies.
Go visit a homeless shelter and see people who in some cases made catastrophic failings in managing their finances and now have to depend on others for survival. Although these images are hard hitting if you don't make the hard decisions now, if not When?
Think long and hard and honestly about where your heading and what consequences may await you as everything counts your health, finances its all important to think otherwise is naive remember nothing is as sobering as your mortality you only have a short time in which to act as one day may be too late
We are sadly becoming a more selfish society, in spite of the abundance the majority have. We even see people turn their back on their children now for their personal gain or needs. It is interesting to note that in the animal kingdom this is the strongest and most primal instinct of the mother to protect your offspring. It's disturbing that people have learned to turn off this primal function and leave their children without protection, care or food, seen sadly all too often in today's media.
So make some iron-clad commitments, and it will add incredible focus and drive to your life, but nothing will happen without taking ACTION so don't put your life on hold or be the person who takes the easy route.
Remember nothing is as sobering as your mortality you only have a short time in which to achieve the things you want in life, as one day may be just too late.
Fully Engage in Life and it may astound you, where you end up.
To Your Success
