LISTEN TO AUDIO CAST HERE: https://theoamberpodcast.simplecast.com/episodes/c20c365d
If I asked you if you’re doing exactly what you want with your life, how would you answer? If you’re like 80% of the adult population, you’ll answer NO to this question.
I’m always surprised by how many people I meet who aren’t living the life they want to live. I’m even more surprised when I hear that they aren’t doing anything to change it either!
I’ve come to learn that control over one’s life has a major influence on their contentment and happiness with how they view their life. When I say control, I do not mean ultimate control. We all know that’s in God’s hands. But the things we can control like how we use our time and who we spend our time with, is ultimately what affects our satisfaction and feelings of success.
I believe that people who feel in control over their life are High Achievers.
And there’s something that all High Achievers do:
- Besides working hard and going the extra mile…
- Besides persevering and overcoming obstacles…
- Besides progressing in little ways and in every way…
- Besides eliminating distractions and excuses…
They choose to do this one thing that influences everything else.
Sometimes it’s intentional and they make time for it.
Sometimes it just happens because it’s habitual and they can do it anywhere.
Some don’t even realize how big of a deal it is. It’s just a tactic they learned throughout their life in things like sports or business.
Some over time learned how big of deal it is and now they make it a mandatory part of their every day schedule.
It’s so simple yet so profound. On the surface it won’t feel applicable until you put it into practice and experience the magnitude of the intention.
It’s probably the only thing that will help you:
- Break through negative thought patterns.
- Rewire your subconscious mindset.
- Propel yourself to finally take action.
Did you ever meet someone that always seems busy and chaotic yet they aren’t getting anywhere?
Well, they probably don’t do this yet.
Did you ever meet someone who has big plans and goals yet never seems to achieve them?
Well, they probably don’t do this yet.
Did you ever meet someone with the victim mentality who blames everything and everyone else for their life’s circumstances?
Well, they probably don’t do this yet.
On the flip side, have you ever met someone who does what they say they are going to do?
Well, chances are they probably do this.
Have you ever met someone who manages a fully loaded plate that you often wonder how they get everything done and still have time to sleep at night?
Well, chances are they probably do this.
Have you ever met someone who doesn’t waste any time? They are effective and efficient with every hour of their day. They are productive not just busy.
Well, chances are they probably do this.
These are the type of people that can tackle a lot and still prioritize time for what’s most important.
They can be all over the place, but balanced.
They can be sporadic, but consistent.
They can be in high stress situations, but peaceful.
Just describing this type of person makes me realize how much of a rarity they are.
They’re out there though. I’ve been fortunate enough to read about them, study them, meet them, and even hang with some of them.
And the great thing is, anyone can be one of them, including you and me.
Are you ready to hear the secret that all High Achievers know and do?
Here it is.
They take time to stop, be still, and REFLECT on their life.
Wait, that’s it? Reflection is the secret that all High Achievers know and do?
I told you it’s simple.
This isn’t just a normal, quick, gloss-over reflection though. This is purposeful, intentional, and thoughtful reflection time.
High Achievers constantly analyze their current situations and ask questions like:
- What am I doing with my life?
- Is this what I really want to do?
- What are my goals in life?
- Are my actions and behaviors in line with them?
- If not, what do I need to do differently today?
High Achievers then come up with action plans. They draw up notes. They visualize. It doesn’t mean that all of their goals come true, but this initial step at least propels them forward to start notching things off their list.
From what I’ve discovered and experienced, three components make up effective reflection time:
#1 Active Relaxation:
High Achievers purposely take time to slow down, relax, and focus. This looks different for everybody. What is relaxation for one person may not be relaxation for another. Some need to wake up in the morning and enjoy some quiet time without any distractions coming from kids, house duties, and workloads. Others can turn the radio off and slow down their thoughts during the commute to work. While others like to go on a long run to clear their mind and let the creative ideas flow.
During this active relaxation time, it’s beneficial to slow down your breathing too. Just like during a cool-down after a workout, take :5 second breaths in and :5 second breaths out. Concentrate on slowing down the heart rate and relax the body. Don’t try to clear your mind. I’ve studied some awesome books on the subconscious mind and technically it’s not possible to think about nothing, nor is it the most beneficial. Instead, let the thoughts flow and eventually start guiding them through imagery of the end result.
#2 Imagine The End Result:
A book called “Hyper Performance” explains this concept well. Imagine the outcome or the end goal that you wish to achieve. For example, the basketball going through the hoop, the ball going over the homerun fence, the hockey puck going into the net. “Mental imagery provides a powerful boost to physical prowess, coordination, stamina, and preparedness.” (HP, Page 107)
What the mind imagines, the body pursues. The subconscious mind has a lot more control over us then we know. The great thing is you can re-condition it and train it just like you train your muscles. That’s why a lot of athletes and other High Achievers practice things like positive self-talk, journaling, imagery and visualization, and they listen to books and audio books, etc.
“You might think of your unconscious mind as a super computer and your end-result imagery as instructions to change the programming.” (HP, Page 114)
#3 Mental Mapping Beginning With The End:
Reflect on the action steps of all things you want to accomplish from start to finish. In a great business book titled “Start with the End,” business leaders outline the strategy of beginning with the end in mind to grow their business. You think of where you want to be and work backwards, outlining all of the steps that need to be taken to get to the point where you want to end up.
We are currently in the process of re-building our company again and building some new business concepts. We know the potential of what’s in our head. But to get to that point requires a lot of hard work. To understand what work needs to be done, we work backwards, outlining all of the steps leading up to when we want to launch these new additions. And to take action on all of the things that need to be done, we visualize them as if they are for sure going to happen.
It’s hard to make projections because you never know what the future holds, but you still need to mentally map it out. Something happens to your mind when you visually feed it as if things are already coming to fruition. You can literally convince your subconscious that things are happening and then naturally, you’ll start to execute on such things.
I call things like this Mind Tricks. There are a lot of things you need to do to trick your mind into thinking that you are capable, you can do it, it’s not a dream anymore, you can make it a reality.
There are two things that I want to point out:
#1. Even Jesus Did It.
When you say you don’t have time or you don’t value the power and importance of reflection, think about this. Even Jesus did it.
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
And look what Jesus says to us, “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” (Matthew 6:6 The MSG)
#2. You Have What It Takes.
Stop thinking that other people have something that you don’t.
When you see people who have control over their schedule and are doing the things that they want with their life, it’s not always because they were given money, opportunities, or talents that you weren’t. Trust me, we all know that happens. But those stories are extremely rare.
Most successful and fulfilled people are not handed down life-long contentment and success. Typically, they fought, fight, and will continue to fight for it.
Behind every great story of a High Achiever you’ll find turmoil, obstacles, roller coaster rides, pitfalls, failures, struggles, losses, and sacrifices. Most often it was a “hitting of rock bottom” that spurred on their action. They finally got to a point where they stopped accepting mediocrity. They stopped doing what everyone else was doing. They started something in full faith knowing that it was going to be good no matter what happened.
You can do it too.
But before you start a company though, you need to slow down and eliminate some clutter, chatter, and chaos.
Before you write a book, you need to stop and think and actively relax.
Before you make the team, you need to imagine the end result.
Before you lose weight, eat better, and change your lifestyle, you need to mentally map out your journey from beginning to end.
You don’t have to fall into that 80% of adults who don’t do what they want to do with their life. Who feel trapped. Who feel like there’s no way out. You can be in the top 20% who find success, contentment, and fulfillment in controlling what they can, and letting God do the rest.
You just have to start tapping into the power of your mental capacity by harnessing the power of reflection.
But don’t just stay there.
I’m a firm believer in reflection time. I do it daily. But I also know that some people think too much. They dream up ideas but they never act on them. They are always in the contemplation stage. There comes a point where you just need to take action and do it already. Reflection helps you process things and when done right, it will help you progress with things too.
But how do you get from the motivated and inspired stage to Let’s Just Do It stage?
Well, stay tuned.
Because that’s the next blog.
As always, don’t take my word for it. Try making reflection mandatory in your life today. And it may just be an absolute game-changer for you and everyone in your life.
It’s not about us,
Coach Theo
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