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Choice Decision Making Goal Setting Tips Growth Success Uncategorized

The hidden power of an Impossible Goal

It’s question time.

Who reading this likes reading “business” books? 

There might be a few hands up, but chances are most people would lean towards some good quality fiction before they buried their nose, and used up their precious time, on a business book. 

However, recently I read a (business) book, which I even prioritized over the very well-written and suspenseful fantasy fiction book I was reading. 

It turns out that the business book was REALLY well written. 

Focused on a theme I am infinitely fascinated with. 

It also challenged some of my current beliefs and teachings – which is always a great thing. 

Learning and growing (evolution) is one of the main games after all. 

The thing I also realised with the theme, was it could as equally apply to “PEOPLE”, as it did business. 

It caused me to take a good hard look at a few things I had been trifling with of late. 

The book in question is called “The Science of Scaling” by Dr Benjamin Hardy and Blake Erikson. 

(If you are a business owner or in senior management, I STRONGLY encourage you to read this book before you start the New Year).

These dudes were about scaling businesses. 

Where I am about “scaling” people. 

Taking them from Version 1.0 to Version 2.0 (which is not a linear transition but an exponential transition).  

Do you want to know what my biggest take-aways were? 

Continue reading “The hidden power of an Impossible Goal”
Categories
Choice Confidence consciousness Growth Stress Success

How to Become The Person Who Doesn’t Get Taken Advantage of

The one thing we DO NOT want to do, when it comes to getting out of an emotional state of anger (or the likes) is to SUPPRESS our feelings of anger. 

We might have been taught this growing up. 

We might have even had parents who modelled the “stuff it down and hope it goes away” strategy; but I am here to tell you that is a super crappy strategy, which is sure to bite you on the butt at some point in the future.

And sometimes it bites HARD!!!

So, the first thing, not to do, is suppress your emotions. 

Probably in the same sort of vein – though maybe not as harmful – are ignoring the feeling, distracting yourself from the feeling, or numbing it out.

Again, these are all pretty substandard strategies. 

It (the icky emotion) might suck, but there is a lot of relevance to the saying “you need to feel to heal“. 

Which leads me onto my next big no-no. 

Continue reading “How to Become The Person Who Doesn’t Get Taken Advantage of”
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Choice Life Lessons Perspective

Doing This Drains Your Energy and Equanimity

Once a month I will record a short 3-5 min video with a practical Tip, Tool, or Strategy. Today is the first edition, and is one of the most important (and simple) STRATEGIES that I teach all my private Coaching clients. It will improve your decision-making “RESULTS” by about 200%!

Enjoy. 

Continue reading “Doing This Drains Your Energy and Equanimity”
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Acceptance Emotional Feeling

Building Emotional Fitness For Peak Performance 

I am sure that I don’t need to convince anyone that physical fitness, increases your ability to perform at your peak. 

And by physical fitness I am focusing – for this example – on the cardiovascular system. 

The ability to get the maximum amount of oxygen into our cells. 

One measure of physical fitness is how quickly an athlete can go from an elevated heart-rate to their resting heart rate.

For example, from 200 beats per minute, to 60 beats per minute (or lower). 

Sort of like returning to a state of (physical) homeostasis. 

Well, just like with the physical body, we want to do the same thing with our EMOTIONS. 

My definition of emotional fitness is the ability to go from an elevated emotional state (principally in a survival emotional state), back to a state of equanimity (calmness) or even better, into an elevated emotional state like joy. 

How quick can you get from anger, rage, frustration, or despair, back into a state of mental calmness, and emotional stability? 

That is what we are here to talk about today. 

Continue reading “Building Emotional Fitness For Peak Performance “
Categories
Choice Decision Making Emotional Feeling

How To Feel Good

This “strategy” is pretty simple. 

And sort of easy to do. 

I say “sort of” as there may be times when is harder to do, and I want to be honest with you. 

And as old-matey Jim Rohn used to say: “What is easy to do, is also easy not to do“. 

So, although this is not so hard, most of time, it actually needs to be undertaken, in order to have the feel-good experience. 

This strategy is also free. 

It doesn’t require props.

And it creates a ripple effect. 

As in, in can make other people feel good too.

That’s pretty cool.  

Continue reading “How To Feel Good”
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Uncategorized

You Can’t Get Habits To Stick, If You Don’t Do This 

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle (Greek Philosopher)

I thought it might be cool to start off with some ancient wisdom. 

Which also highlights that the conversation about HABITS – and their importance – has been going on for millennium.

So, nothing new. 

However; there are parts to the ‘good habit building‘ thing, which are important to know, but even more important to actually PRACTICE. 

The context, or impetus, for today’s discussion, was a recent personal experience. 

As you probably know, I spent 14-years in the Australian Army, where discipline was a big thing (obviously). 

But the truth is, my dad was super disciplined, so I was actually taught the virtue of discipline for 17 years, before I even donned my Army greens. 

My point being; I have a pretty high level of discipline. 

Also, recently I completed a yoga teacher training course, where at the end I made a commitment to myself to do a daily practice for 1-year, to confirm for me the effectiveness of the methodology I had been taught (i.e. Traditional Hatha Yoga). 

So, I made a commitment to myself (which I am good at honouring), plus I have a high sense of disciple, HOWEVER a couple of weeks ago and 90+ days into my year-long daily commitment, I just “FORGOT” to do my daily yoga practice. 

WTF?!?!

One would think with such a high level of disciple, I would have not missed a beat. 

Therefore, it would seem (since reality is showing me), that having high levels of discipline is not enough when it comes to performing Habits. 

That, my friends, is the topic of today’s conversation.

Continue reading “You Can’t Get Habits To Stick, If You Don’t Do This “
Categories
Choice consciousness Growth

Time to Get Clear About What Is In Your Control

Once a month I will record a short 3-5 min video with a practical Tip, Tool, or Strategy. Today is the first edition, and is one of the most important (and simple) STRATEGIES that I teach all my private Coaching clients. It will improve your decision-making “RESULTS” by about 200%!

Enjoy. 

Continue reading “Time to Get Clear About What Is In Your Control”
Categories
Choice Decision Making Growth

Like Oil And Water These Things Don’t Go Well Together 

As I suspect you know – I believe that it is the quality of our decisions that shape our destiny (which I even wrote a book on). 

The yogi’s – 100’s of years ago – also knew this. 

When considering the elements of the “mind” then understood that there was an Higher mind and a Lower mind. 

Somewhat similar to our conscious mind and unconscious mind, but not exactly. 

The yogi’s actually identified 4-parts of the mind. 

Which is similar to modern psychologists with their Triune Brain model. 

Although, I think the yogi’s had cooler sounding names.

The one I really like is the “Buddhi” part of mind. 

The higher mind. 

The one more closely connected to our individual (Purusha) and collective consciousness. 

I doubly love the idea of having a “sharpened” Buddhi. 

In modern language that would equate to a well-developed prefrontal cortex.

But the thing that most stands out for me (and was of primary interest to these yogi’s), was the power of DISCERNMENT. 

Seeing the big picture. 

Continue reading “Like Oil And Water These Things Don’t Go Well Together “
Categories
Choice Decision Making Growth Life Lessons

Making Assumptions About “Bad” Stuff

I am almost 100% certain, that you, like me, have done this before. 

And rather than me doing the big build up thing, let’s jump immediately into today’s topic. 

But just to make sure of my “almost 100% certain” assumption, let me ask you this.

Have you EVER labelled an event – at the time – as “BAD”, only to find out at a future date that it was probably one of the best things to ever happen to you? 

I am guessing you have. 

We all have. 

The next thing I am curious about is…

Exactly how many times do you think this has happened to you? 

Once? 

A few times? 

Or if you really think about it…a LOT!

Continue reading “Making Assumptions About “Bad” Stuff”
Categories
Belief Choice Perspective

How We Mess With Reality, And Not In A Good Way

Since a “picture tells 1000 words” I figured I only need to write a handful of words today. 

Which is good for all of us. 

The other evening, I observed this “phenomenon“. 

As you know, I live in a Bali village (not in a straw hut, but an actual house). 

And in said village there are LOTS of ceremonies, celebrations (weddings, births, funerals, etc.), band practice (preparing for celebrations), roosters, dogs, and most recently a gaggle of ducks. 

So, at times it can be a wee bit noisy. 

The other night I was observing mine, and my partners REACTION to “loud noise”. 

This time it was band practice, and it started about 8:30pm, when I am generally winding down for the day. 

I felt myself getting a bit worked up. 

I also noticed Ferry going up a few more notches higher than me. 

But then I reminded myself of something I already know. 

It is the STORIES we tell about the reality of an experience, which determines the MEANING of the experience, and therefore our body’s ultimate response. 

The lightbulb went on, and my level of bothersomeness went down.  

Continue reading “How We Mess With Reality, And Not In A Good Way”

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