Understand the importance of choice
Humans are fundamentally different from animals. Animals are a direct product of the environment. They react to external circumstances and adapt to them, thus changing over time. Their evolution is slow and random.
Humanity is an indirect product of the environment. Although it is a means by which people have adapted and changed, our personal choices largely determine our environment. This is the fundamental difference between humans and animals.
We decide on the direction and strength of personal evolution by intelligently constructing the environment around us.
You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. You are what you do. Your life can be measured: it’s directly proportional to the importance of the problem you’re trying to solve. So choose wisely.
Don’t avoid problems
Psychological research shows that fear of waiting is almost always perceived as worse than actual experience.
It always amuses me when people say things like, “You have three adopted kids and were you able to get a Ph.D.? I would never be able to do that.” Or, “I’ll never be able to survive the death of a loved one.” The fact is they’ll be able to. If their loved ones died or if they had to do something difficult (we all face difficulties), they would find new strength, solve problems, and surprise themselves. Of course, sometimes life hurts. But we’re going through them, getting stronger and hopefully smarter than we were before.
I recently met a woman who has 17 children, eight of her own and nine adopted children. She is raising them together with her husband. You might find this odd. But if you want to, you can do it just as well. By the way, their family is thriving, not just surviving.
No matter what challenge we face, we can adapt to everything. We can take a lot more than we think we can bear. So when it comes to goal setting, we’re intentionally preparing for something daunting.
Although most people look for the path of least resistance and thus get used to being light and idle, you should look for challenges and difficulties. Let me give you an example: trees that grow in windy and forceful circumstances are forced to take root as deep as possible and therefore become invulnerable to the environment.
You’ll grow more as a person if you solve more problems.
Use a tenfold mindset
Before writing the first Harry Potter chapter, JK Rowling planned seven years at Hogwarts. As a result, the Harry Potter story became the most read book of all time.
Before making the first Star Wars movie in 1970, George Lucas planned at least six films, so he started with episode four rather than episode one. As a result, almost 40 years later, the whole world goes crazy when the new Star Wars movies come out. This would not have been possible if Lucas did not have such a thoughtful and ambitious plan.
So let’s look at your goals for the year. Most likely, they reflect timid thinking and an uncreative approach to planning. Without a doubt, your goals are not very difficult and you can achieve them. But don’t forget, you can endure much more than you think. You can adapt to anything.
For example, you set a goal to make $50,000 in a year. Take it higher, change the goal to $500,000.
When you multiply all your goals by 10, you’ll have to start achieving them in unconventional, innovative ways. The traditional approach doesn’t work with a tenfold mindset.
But achieving what is planned will require more than just expanding the boundaries of thinking. The efforts that are being made must also change. Just like their abilities, people underestimate the time and effort it takes to get things done. That’s why they’re often late for dates and don’t finish the work they’ve started.
Instead of expecting perfect conditions, expect the worst. Instead of underestimating how much time and effort it will take, overestimate these things. Put more effort into achieving your goal than you think you need.
If you’re going to think 10 times more broadly, you’re going to have to put in 10 times more effort. Without effort, it doesn’t matter how big your dream is. But when your behavior meets (and even exceeds) your expectations, dreams will quickly become reality.
Choose your main goal for the year and plan to achieve it by April 1. So you have 3 months ahead of you instead of 12. Are you ready to be bold and creative?
Bet on everything
People are afraid of obligations. We would rather leave the choice open. We would rather make a few investments to reduce the risk.
But if you want to do more, you need to put everything on one option. It’s actually much easier and less risky to focus on one thing rather than just a few things. And yes, failure is possible.
After you understand what you want, bind yourself to unbearable obligations. Go all in. When you do this, you’ll understand the true meaning of confidence that can only come from within.
After realizing that feeling safe is only an internal feeling, and not something outside of you (like a steady income or health insurance), you will see yourself in a new light. Your confidence in yourself and your abilities will increase significantly. The obstacles that once held you back will be a means to move forward. Your inner state will match your inner desires. True security is spiritual, not material.
How you tune in to the game is much more important than how you play. To win, make bold promises before you start, commit yourself to it, and then you will inevitably have to play at the highest level.
Go ahead and state your goals publicly. Promise more and then get to work.
Improve your skills
The famous psychologist Anders Eriksson coined the term “thoughtful training”. His research was made famous by Malcolm Gladwell, who is famous for his 10,000 hour rule.
As history shows, people with innate abilities rarely join the global elite. Rather, those who devote most of their time to their craft get there. For example, most of the world’s best violinists played 10,000 hours of violin before they turned 20.
You can master anything, and you’ll enjoy it more and more as you get better at it.
If you spend three hours seven days a week focusing on a specific case, you’ll get 10,000 hours in 10 years. If you spend four hours five days a week, you’ll gain 10,000 hours in 10 years.
If you’re thoughtfully preparing for what you do at work, you can only work 3-4 hours a day. But your activities must be directed and productive. And this is impossible without setting priorities and constant practice. Think about what kind of task will make everyone else seem easy or completely unnecessary? What are you willing to consciously practice for 3-4 hours a day?
Simplify
To set priorities for 3-4 hours to hone your skills, you must simplify your life. No doubt, you need to get rid of activities, behaviors, relationships that are pulling you back.
It is difficult to get rid of everything secondary. Just yesterday I sent a letter to a professor to warn him that I would no longer be able to take part in joint research projects this year. While I love working with this particular professor, projects distract me from my top priorities — my family, my blog, and my personal development.
It may be a little scary to cancel projects, break commitments, or end an unhealthy relationship. But once you do that, you’ll feel incredibly relieved. You’re free! They are free from the fetters of inner feelings.
Simplify your life as much as possible. We all only have 24 hours a day. How you spend this time depends on your priorities.
If you can’t set priorities for 3-4 hours a day, you don’t deserve to be a top-notch specialist in what you do. Make a plan for daily practice if you want to become a pro. Do it.
Go beyond the banal
Henry David Thoreau
American writer, thinker, naturalist.
A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to leave alone.
I recently spent Christmas in Omaha with family on my wife’s side. I’ve always been inspired by their lives and characters.
My father-in-law is a very smart and successful person. He’s one of those people who can do anything they can think of. He never gives up and is always figuring out how to do what he’s trying to do.
But what amazes me the most is his utter disregard for what is valuable to most people. Although he is a millionaire, he and his wife live in a small apartment. He doesn’t wear fancy clothes and doesn’t drive expensive cars. He doesn’t care about looks. He doesn’t care at all what he makes on other people.
But it’s hard to meet a more hardworking and more sincere person. He lives happily according to his beliefs, spends time with his family and works hard every day.
Save yourself the trouble of buying more and more things. Keeping what you have is always better than spending it. Relieve yourself from worrying about what people might think of you.
Establish rituals and habits for personal development
We grow by repeating things over and over again. According to one psychological study, it would take 66 days to form a new habit. Following new good habits will help you maximize your potential.
Study every day
Ordinary people want fun and fun. Extraordinary people are looking for challenges and new knowledge.
Real learning is a complex process that involves more than just the accumulation of knowledge. There is a difference between knowing and understanding. You don’t really know something until you’ve experienced it, until you can just explain it and do it. I can read all the books about building a computer. But until I build the computer myself, I don’t really know it. Theory and life experience are two completely different things.
So don’t just learn from books. Put into practice what you’ve learned from books and do real things. Make mistakes and gain experience.
Write a diary
If you don’t journal, you’re losing a lot. The benefits of this activity are numerous. And it doesn’t require much effort. In fact, it is recommended to do this for 5 to 10 minutes a day.
And there’s no right or wrong way to keep a journal. You can use it to record important events that have happened. Or to write down your goals and goals. Or use it for interesting ideas and inspiration. Or just throw negative emotions into it.
What is useful to write down in a diary:
Write 15 times every day about the goal you want to achieve. Moreover, write down your goals and attitudes in the present tense (for example, “I’m married to the girl of my dreams. I’m married to the girl of my dreams. I’m married to the girl of my dreams.”)
Write down your other goals and keep lists of tasks. I usually write down weekly, monthly, and yearly goals at least once a week. Repeating injects these goals into my subconscious mind and allows me to discover new opportunities that I might have missed without a diary.
Write about important events you don’t want to forget.
Write about existential issues (principles, God, the universe, and life in general).
Write about the most important people in your life (your wife, children, parents, mentors).
Exercise
If you want to be healthy, happy, and productive, make it a habit to exercise regularly.
Exercise reduces the chances of depression, anxiety, and stress. They also influence career success. If you don’t take care of your body, other aspects of your life will suffer as well.
Build a life, not just a career
One overdeveloped muscle can hinder overall health and strength. You’ve probably seen guys from the gym with huge arms or broad shoulders and “chicken” legs.
Focusing on just one area of your life is like going to the gym and working out the same muscle over and over again, ignoring every other aspect of your body.
When planning your year, think about more than just success at work. Plan relationships and all important aspects of your life, such as travel, experience, goals, spirituality, personal development — in short, anything that interests you.
Many of my goals for this year have nothing to do with work.
Source: https://lifehacker.ru/consciously-evolve-2016/
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