3 Things I learned last week…8/10-16/2015

Another week and a few more learning experiences that I learned this week.

The more we need to do something, the more resistance we will have towards doing it.  Procrastination is the most common manifestation of Resistance because it’s the easiest to rationalize. We don’t tell ourselves, “I’m never going to write my symphony.” Instead we say, “I am going to write my symphony; I’m just going to start tomorrow.”The most pernicious aspect of procrastination is that it can become a habit. We don’t just put off our lives today; we put them off till our deathbed. Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the power to alter our destiny. This second, we can turn the tables on Resistance. This second, we can sit down and do our work.–The War of Art; author Steven Pressfield. 

This passage and this book really challenged me to think about what I am currently putting off.  As I stated above, the things we really need to do are the things that we usually have the most resistance to.  Things such as saving money, losing weight, writing a book, taking the class, attending the session, etc. We can come up with all kinds of reasons why we cant do it, but these are usually the very things we need to do.

Criticism:  None of us like to be criticized. I especially don’t.  Some criticism makes us better while other criticism is a deliberate intent by someone else to devalue what it is that we are pursuing.  This week I learned a new way to look at criticism.  Maybe it isn’t new to you, but it is new to me.  Criticism, in any form.  Whether it is in jest, a joke, a snarky comment, a response to a tweet or Facebook post, in any form.  The person doing the criticizing is secretly upset that you are pursuing your passion, stating your thoughts, or communicating your passions, and they are upset with themselves that they can’t or won’t do the same.  From here on I will ignore criticism that is not productive.

My goals are too small.  If you are reading this blog the chances are you are a very deliberate and intentional goal setter.  I am as well.  This week as I was looking at my goals and what I have accomplished thus far this year and in my life I am pretty satisfied.  However, I am starting to wonder have I set them too low.

I have studied and listened to some of the most successful people on this earth today and ones that were highly successful and are no longer alive. I have also listened to countless seminars on the art of goal setting.   One of the things that many people say is that you should set realistic goals.  I have done this with a lot of success.  However, if you want to accomplish bigger things and create bigger opportunities you have to set goals that are even bigger than you can conceive at this point. This week as I studied and listened to some of these highly successful people, I am encouraged now to set bigger goals than ever before.  One of my favorite quotes that I heard this week was this:  “Set goals so big that you are embarrassed to tell someone what they are.”

I am not sure if any of these things are that significant to you, but they are to me.  As I have shared with you in previous posts.  Experience alone is not a great teacher, Reflective experience is how you learn.  By reflecting on your experiences on a given day or a given week, or certain situation, is how you get better and this is what this blog is for me each week.

I hope you enjoy my thoughts.

To your success and your future.