Hey Charlie Brown… there’s another way – by Michael Harris, PhD
Have you ever known on of those guys (or girls) who were always “swinging for the fence”? You know that consistent “hero or the goat” mentality that frequently has them rebuilding after they have crashed and burned? Have ever wanted to tell them there is more than one way for them to succeed?
It probably isn’t their fault, you know. All you have to do is turn on your TV or go to a movie and the consistent theme is “All or Nothing”. We use this strategy for daily for almost everything in our lives. Our businesses, our intimate relationships and of course what would our sports be without the “hail mary pass” or bases loaded, full count?
I’m not saying that competition is bad or that there are situations in which the outcome comes down to a critical decision. I’m saying that we don’t have to live our lives creating that situation over and over as a way of life.
What might be useful is a little balance, some planning and some time management as another way to have a life that is far less stressful, causes fewer dis-ease(s) and heart attacks; and dare I say this, creates more FUN.
Here’s a list of 5 things to keep your life from being like an action movie
1. The 5 P’s
Proper Planning Precedes Peak Performance, it’s one of the best saying I ever learned. Plan your event, activity or personal performance. Practice it until you can do the activity (regardless) in any situation. One of the best ways to know that you’ve mastered something is that you can to that activity in more than one context.
2. Sleep on it
In our modern society, it still amazes me how little we use our intuition or our unconscious mind. If you have something you are trying figure out or decide make sure that you have given your mind time to relax and weigh the options. The answer will present itself and when it does ACT on it immediately. People might lie or tell half-truths, but your unconscious never will. Cultivate a relationship with the part of you that already knows all the answers.
3. Never Hurry
Wallace Wattles said “work as quickly as possible but never hurry”. It took a while for me to get that working quickly and hurrying are two completely different modes of operation. Only work as fast as you can maintain quality. As you get better, faster or more proficient you speed will continue to improve. Hurrying on the other hand is ineffective, it causes the respiration to be shallow, tenses the muscles and creates fatigue. This applies to any context.
4. Begin with the End in mind
When I was a kid, it always seemed like driving home from a place was faster than driving to a place. It’s the perception of the mind that makes that possible.
“Beginning with the end in mind”, means imagining your goal(s) or intention(s) as ready completed and you are standing on the other side of that goal enjoying the rewards of your effort. Working backward from the goal to the beginning will give your mind a different perspective and by working backward in your mind at night and working toward your goal during the day gives your mind two opportunities to side-step problems or pitfalls in your plan.
5. Just say “no”
Jim Camp, author of “Start with No” is a favorite of mine for this example. There are always going to be people who want you to do things on their schedule or to perform tasks designed to make the other person’s world just a little bit better. Remember that you always have choice about whom you spend time with, what you do, how you think and where you live.
If someone is trying to pressure you into making a decision, particularly a decision that affects you or your family and loved ones, long-term, then time is definitely on your side. Tell the other person who is pressuring you to make a decision that you will make a decision when it’s time and if they need an answer right now, then the answer is no. Don’t worry about saying “no”, when the universe closes on door, it opens another and usually that new door is better than you could have possibly imagined.
Conclusion
There is always time to get things done and completed with ample time for yourself, your family and your friends. Remember to breathe and stop taking life so seriously… you‘re never going to get out of here alive, so relax and have some fun; it makes others wonder what you’re up to.
Author Bio:
Michael Harris, PhD is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Fitness, Life and Business Coach.
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