If you’re tired of the life you’re living. If you find yourself bored and depressed, you and only you, have the power to change the direction of your life. Don’t wait for someone else to come along and do it for you, because it won’t happen. If you're bored, depressed and unhappy now, you don’t need to stay this way, but you will have to do the work to overcome it.
To get the best out of life, you need to optimize your energy and you do this through reducing stress, eating healthily, ensuring you get enough sleep and exercise. You can’t skimp on any of these, if you want to increase your energy. However, you don’t have to do everything all at once. You can change your life, one habit at a time, so why not get started today?
The number one challenge holding you back is you and your lack of belief in yourself. If you don’t have belief in yourself, do what it takes to see yourself as a success. Depending on where you are in life, this may be a short, or long journey. Read books on being a success and act on what they say. Read books on your area of weakness, that other people have overcome and follow their advice.
You may have heard it before, but make your bed every morning. It’s not that making the bed is important, but it’s important you make your bed. This means you start your day with purpose. This causes you to focus and succeed on that one little thing, which then leads to another and then another.
This reinforces ‘little things matter.’ When the little things matter and when you do the little things, you can be encouraged that you’ll do the big things. The big things matter and instinctively we know it. Just like doing that one little thing, of making your bed, you can get to a point of doing the big things in life, the things that genuinely matter.
Look after your mind and body. If you want a nice car, once you get it, you’ll look after it, because the cost was high. Whatever it cost, you appreciate it more, because you had to work for it and pay for it. If it was free and easy, you wouldn’t take the same care.
If you want a nice body and mind, the same reasoning applies. You have to look after it. And the sooner you start the better, because what you value, you take care of.
Starting when you’re young, improves the end result. The best time to plant an oak tree was 50 years ago, the next best time to plant is now. Even if you’ve messed up, to this point, there’s nothing to stop you turning the page and beginning a new chapter.
Block your valuable time, from time wasters. Don’t fritter time, don’t waste time, or let others intrude on it. Don’t leave time to randomness. Don’t be distracted.
What you value, you take care of. Value your time.
When you leave your time to randomness, you’re stealing from your own greatness, your own potential and capabilities. It’s the little issues and random doings, which steal from your greatness. Focus and action bring abundant rewards.
It’s distraction, laziness and procrastination, where time gets frittered away and you get nothing done. Greatness is achieved in doing all the little things, every day, which moves you towards your goal, not in allowing distractions to rule and govern your life.
Keep a pen and paper handy. This helps eliminate some of the distractions in life. You can write what comes to mind and get onto it later in the day, or week. When we’re distracted, it’s because we do what comes to mind, before we forget, but often it can wait. So, write it down and continue on the task at hand.
If you want more free time, you need to manage your time more wisely. There are plenty of books available, which teach on time management. You’d do well to read a few of them.
Then there are the bad habits. Too much tv, too much internet, too much sleeping in, too much chocolate, too much alcohol. One habit you could change is to turn the phone off in the bedroom, if you want a good night’s sleep.
Nothing happens through the night, that you need your phone on. Put it in another room and if it rings, you’ll hear it, otherwise, don’t touch it. It’s also about self-control. Can you live without your phone? Can you develop your self-control?
Much of life is about self-control. Control your time, control your eating, smoking, drinking, spending, exercise, family time, work time, play time. Don’t leave what’s important in your life, to randomness. Prioritize what’s important in your life.
I call this “The 7 F’s.” To live a successful life, we need to master the 7 F’s. Faith, family, fitness, finance, friends, fun, function (vocation). I include faith, as it’s what keeps me grounded and what gives me hope. It gives me strength, courage, peace and joy and I would encourage everyone to have an element of faith. Bible study, for me, is a huge aspect of my life. I consider myself successful (although still a work in progress) and I wouldn’t have made it without my faith.
What’s the one thing you can do today, which really matters to your day, which really matters to making your day successful? Keeping your 7 F’s in mind, set your priorities and work towards them every day.
Meditate, even if all you can manage is 5 minutes, preferably in the morning. For me, mediation isn’t about being empty headed and chanting “Om.” Meditate on a bible verse, until it becomes clear in your mind, or until you receive a revelation of the meaning of the verse. Towards the end, gather your thoughts around your needs and wants, your requirements for this day.
In the evening, work your routine, so as to get a good night’s sleep. Have wind down time. This might mean, reading a good book, taking a relaxing bath, anything calm and quiet. No screen time though, because it’s addictive and stimulates the mind. You want to wind down, not get wound up.
Having a wind down routine, sets you up for the following day and gives restful sleep. You can reflect on what you need to do tomorrow, so you’re not chasing your tail in the morning. Prioritize your to-do list, organise what you need, so you’re in control of the morning when you wake.
It puts you on top, rather and leaving you chasing the day, all day, every day. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to learn what it is you need to know, to take you in the direction you wish to go.
Get up early. Most successful people rise no later than 5 am. If your life is in balance, this isn’t hard to do. Get enough sleep, enough exercise, along with an input of good nutrition and a 5 am start isn’t hard to do (and yes, the hours you work at your regular job, can also have a negative impact), but do the best you can, to get a good night’s sleep.
Unless you have a young baby, the time of least distraction is before the sun rises. What you’re aiming for is tranquillity. Tranquillity to think things through. What do you need to do, to have tranquillity in your life? Give yourself a few minutes in the morning, to think through what you need to do and then work towards it.
Journal, reflect and meditate. What worked for you yesterday and what didn’t? How and what can you improve on today? Is there something you need to learn, to move you forward?
Work on the minutes, the little increments of time in front of you and the hours will take care of themselves. If you have great minutes, you’ll have great days and great years.
Life’s not just about setting goals, but also about having a vision, something worthwhile to get out of bed in the morning for. A vision is how you see your future and goal is what you need to work on, to ensure your vision becomes your future.
A vision is the exciting part. It’s what inspires and motivates. The goal is the hard work, the focus, the planning, the determination, discipline and effort, which will get you there. What do you see, for your best life? Write it down and work towards it (remembering the 7 F’s).
Friction and obstacles create growth, so anytime your having difficulty, take the time to make a plan and then act on it. I mentioned tranquillity, however with tranquillity and quiet, there’s often no growth. Without growth, we perish and die, even if it’s just our mental state. So, give yourself a challenge, something which makes you uncomfortable, something which stretches you and causes you to grow, something which brings excitement into your life.
Remember, you can’t move forward while lying in bed. Get up early. Get away from the screen time, renew your mind with meditation, or a good book, something spiritual. Think about what your ideal day would look like and work towards it.
Then at the end of the day, give thanks. Be grateful for what you have and for what you’ve achieved, because that elevates your state, which in turn brings restoration of mind and body. It brings peace, joy and happiness.
Although success looks different to everyone, everyone wants success. No one leaves school excited, because they’re going to one day, be an addict, or a failure. It’s taking little steps every day, towards mastering your life, that brings success. Just as the addict chose to take little ‘failure’ steps every day, to get where they did, you can choose to take ‘success’ steps every day and the days will fly by and one day, you’ll see; you made it.
One day, when you've mastered your time and you get out of your own way, you too will be flying high, enjoying life. You too, will live a life of success, happiness, peace and joy.
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