Happy Thursday!
I hope all is well in your world.
I had a very busy day yesterday, but left work with a sense of gratitude and completion.
I got into the gym for a nice “tune-up”. Still sore from wrestling with rocks and barbells, I took it easy.
I created a circuit of exercises that included walking lunges, reverse cable wood chops, squat-curls, and Swiss ball supine lateral ball rolls. I kept the rest periods short and did three circuits. I left the gym feeling much better than when I walked in, which is always a good sign.
My Buddy Rory will be here today to visit for a few days, so Vidya, Penny and I are excited to see him. We always have a great time together.
Friday morning, we’ll begin our rest together by getting a massage and having a steam. Rory and I like to chant and meditate in steam rooms, so it’s always fun to have him around.
CLARITY – BELIEF – ACTION!
Clarity, belief, and action! These are the essential components in the creation of any dream, goal or objective of significance in our lives.
Though you may get by creating without these essential elements at times, these elements can not be overlooked or avoided when any significant change needs to take place in your life.
This week in my blogs, I’ve shared some views and tips on applying the principles of clarity and belief. Today, I’d like to share a few of my thoughts on taking action.
I created the diagram above to teach my coaching clients and students how reality works in both the creative process and the change process; changing is creating and creating is changing.
Whenever we “desire” change, we are expressing a willingness to fill something within ourselves. That may be a perceived need, or something we want.
The desire principle represents “yin”, the emptiness of the female energy. Our desires are primarily emotionally driven and the emotional aspects of creation are also yin energy states.
Emotion is a powerful driver, but it often lacks logic, reason, or clear motive; emotionally based changes often lack logic. Changes without logic typically don’t have any lasting, or functional significance in our lives.
Emotionally based changes without logic are akin to suddenly feeling tired of sitting on the drivers side of your car and deciding to sit in the passenger’s seat and trying to drive from there!
Sure, you can meet your desire for change, but the loss of logic equates to a loss of functionality, and an incalculable increase in risk; you may enjoy the change for a few minutes, but wonder where you are when you wake up in the hospital.
For healthy, long-term, functional change, desire must be balanced by reason (logic). Notice in my diagram that the forces of desire and reason depend on the stability and consistency of your will (the axle).
Many have an adequate emotional charge, and can give many reasons why they want, or need to change, yet without the will power to make the change, they become people that sound good in conversation but never seem to progress with their stated plans.
If you’ve ever parented a teenager, you already know what I mean.
Only when we combine the ingredients of desire (emotion), reason (logic), and will power, do we see tangible results.
As you can see by my diagram of a wind-powered water pump, without these three components functioning synergistically, there can be no “product”.
Regardless of what we tell ourselves, or others, no one can celebrate a tangible outcome without an effective mix of these essential change ingredients.
Tips For Taking Action:
1. Create a list of all the action items you see as essential to completing your dream, goal or objective.
2. Prioritize them to the best of your ability from the most important action items to do now, to the ones that are progressively less important. If you can create a projected timeline and schedule your goals accordingly, it helps meter focus and energy output.
3. Begin each day by creating a goal/task list. I use three columns for my own task/goal lists:
A. MUST DO: Each day, list no more than three “Must Do!” items. Focus your efforts completely on the most important of the three and work toward the completion of the next two. If something stops you for any reason, go to the next item on the list.
B. Should Do: This is your second most important list, and again, no more than three action items. These items are only addressed when you’ve completed your “MUST DO!” items. If for some reason you can’t complete any of the must do, but have completed the tasks that were possible to complete, then you begin working on your “Should Do” action items, starting with the most important and progressing to the least important.
C. Would Like To Do: You can list up to three “Would Like To Do” items. Again, these shouldn’t be approached until you’ve exhausted your ability to address the MUST DO, and Should Do items on your list.
Many will find it hard to follow a list process like this, largely because of poor self-management. We find out quickly what our bad habits are when we set ourselves to any worthy task.
Many, for example, will fritter away much of their day talking on their cell phones, texting, returning (relatively unimportant emails, hanging out in coffee shops, watching silliness on TV, etc.
Part of being effective in the change process is being honest with yourself, witnessing your behavior, and choosing to change as needed to become functional.
My advice for those new at making significant changes in their life is to start with small, easily manageable changes, such as cleaning your car, office, or house on a regular schedule.
With mastery of making and maintaining little changes, we learn how to let go of fixed ideas and fears around the change process.
With practice, we learn to naturally apply the same focus and awareness to big changes as we’ve learned to apply to the little ones in our lives.
Enjoy the process!
If you are still feeling challenged you can listen to my audio: 7 Practical Ways to Transform Challenges Into Success! available from www.ppssuccess.com
Just in case you are not on the CHEK Institute mailing list, I wanted to make sure you were aware of our special Valentine’s day sale today only.
Purchase any correspondence course and get 30% off an extra manual to share with someone special!
Thanks for sharing with me today.
I’m taking the day off tomorrow to rest and play in my rock garden.
I hope you enjoy my next Tao-te-zen offering tomorrow.
Love and chi,
Paul Chek
