Do you sometimes feel like you are in a rut and you can’t get out? We all do from time to time. When I was younger, I remember lying in my bed most evenings before I fell asleep, and all I could think about was everything that was going wrong in my life, and played a video of all the things I wasn’t happy with over and over in my mind. I would think about all the things that I wasn’t achieving and wished that something would happen one day to make everything better, a miracle. Unfortunately, that miraculous day never came and the video kept playing over and over each night before I slept.
Did you know that only 10 percent of your happiness comes from external circumstances? At that time, I didn’t know that. When things aren’t going as well as you want them to, perhaps you aren’t getting the results you want or you feel like you are in a dip, it’s difficult to see how things are really going to turn out the way you want them to.
Sometimes when we are so caught up in our “problems”, we are unable to see any solution ahead or we keep trying to fix everything on the outside, when in fact, it is the inside that needs a little tweaking as well. Sometimes the smallest changes have the most influential impact and can change your life forever.
Over the years, I learnt some really powerful principles that transformed my life and it took a complete 360 degree turn, the results have been unbelievable. If you practice just a few of these principles below, I know you won’t deny how powerful they are
1. Change your focus
Why? Because what you focus on, you create more of. The worst thing to do when something bad happens is to keep thinking about how unfair, how crazy, or how unbelievable it was. The fact is that we can’t change what happens, but we have a choice in how we respond and deal with what happened. If you only focus on what isn’t going right, how will you be able to see what can go right?
Start to focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want; start to focus on what you can do and not what you can’t do. Focus on what is going well and not on what isn’t going well. Do you get my point? We do it subconsciously, but we are only sabotaging ourselves in the end because what we focus on is what we bring about.
2. Question every thought
Your thinking is shaped by your beliefs about the world, your paradigms, and beliefs, and how you see the world is different to everybody else. Your experiences as a child, your parents, friends and family influenced your views and the way you perceive the world—basically, how you think. Unfortunately, the beliefs you formed might not all have been good for you, but may hold you back instead.
If you want to change your results, start by looking at the related supporting belief. Your beliefs give you thoughts, which give you feelings. Then you act on your feelings, and this gives you your behavior, which in turn leads to your results. Question your thoughts and identify the limiting ones. If you don’t think something is possible, it isn’t. If you don’t think it will work out, it won’t. Take control of your thoughts or they will control you.
3. Aim to change or re-develop a bad habit
We all have some bad habits that are obviously not helping us very much. Habits can be the most challenging to overcome. but it is definitely worth the time and effort put in to try. Habits are formed from repetition, and the best way to undo a habit is to replace it with a better habit, also through repetition.
Which habits are undermining your results? What new habit could you develop to transform your results? Choose one habit to change and start with that, even if it’s just checking your email every 2 hours instead of 10 minutes—your results will change!
4. Take Responsibility
If you want to change your results, you need to accept responsibility for them. It’s not empowering to feel like a victim and to blame others for the results you have. You can either be on the “cause” or the “effect” side of the equation; which side do you choose to be on? You have control over the results in your life, and you have influence, if you want. It is up to you to decide to take hold of the reins again and take responsibility for the things that you are not happy with. If you take responsibility for your results, your results will change.
5. That one skill!
What is one skill that, if you excelled at it, would change your life forever? Sometimes, the thng that keeps holding us back is a constant; something we feel that we are generally lacking in. Is it public speaking, communication, time management or positive thinking? Imagine how different your results would be if you could master the one skill that keeps holding you back? Here are some great ideas
6. Make a 30-day plan
Another great way to change your results quickly is by using the 30-day plan. The idea is to think about what you want to achieve/change in the next 30 days only, so it is not so overwhelming and easier to start.
You can do this in 3 easy steps.
1. Think about what you want to accomplish in 30 days. How many new clients do you want? How much weight do you want to lose? Etc; Write down your 30 day goals. Make sure they are specific, measurable, and attainable, but still challenging and exciting!
2. Think about what you need to do to accomplish each goal. Write down all the action steps you are going to need to do, break them into weekly and daily tasks and put them in your calendar.
3. Think about your obstacles—what could happen that would prevent you from achieving this goal. Be prepared for the moments you normally hesitate and make a plan to overcome your obstacle.
These ideas have worked for me and millions of others. Some of the ideas may seem simple, but if you are not seeing the results you want, your solution might not be so complicated!
I challenge you to take up one of the suggestions in this article. Share your comments; I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas and stories!
