What do your habits say about you?

Victory is a word that has been rumbling around in my head the last few days and you know when there is a rumbling you need to look at it closer, put it under the microscope and find out what is going on.

Victory

The dictionary meaning conveys a strong force and is referenced mainly to war or military engagement and the one meaning that relates well for me is the success attained in a contest or struggle over an opponent, obstacle or problem. It is the act of triumphing.

For me then victory is when you don't back away or retreat from the struggle.  You are steadfast in what you promised yourself.  You know there will be obstacles, opponents and problems and when you triumph the victory is all the more sweeter. I needed to look closer at my habits and see if they are serving me well and create good habits that will lead me to victory.

The last post was about taking up the challenge and making the choice.

 A choice between standing down or accepting victory. 

Choice gets easier when good habits are involved.
"the last of human freedoms: the ability to choose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances". Victor Frankl

Stephen Covey and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was one of the first great self- help books I read.  I had the audio as well and on my work road trips would listen to each one and get very excited about what I was hearing.  I knew that the lessons I was learning and applying were strengthening my effectiveness and character.
Covey's 7 Habits start with self awareness, self mastery, personal leadership - those private victories and the sequence of growth continues to those public victories - success with people, for example "Think Win-Win", "Seek First to Understand".  

Habits

 "Successful people daily weave habits of effectiveness into their lives in order to achieve desired results."

Habits have a strong pull on us. They are consistent and can be conscious or unconscious patterns in our life.  A habit starts out as a thought, turns into an action and when repeated turns into a habit. 

Our habits define what we do, what we feel, what we say or do not say.  It is our habits that reveal our character and plot our destiny.

Would you agree? Habits are worth taking a closer look at.

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Paying Attention is a good starting point

I have found that the best lessons, the lessons that stick are the ones that I have lived as they leave a lasting impression on my psyche.

When you pay attention to those defining moments it leads us to make change happen.

The Before

For two years I was not paying attention and allowed procrastination and excuses to rule, I lead a reactionary life and then had the cheek to feel stagnant and confused, blaming others for my lack of purpose, blaming my environment for my situation.

The anxiety would increase and manifested physically. By not paying attention it cost me dearly, being stuck manifested in lower back pain and there were times I struggled to walk, pain would be in my shoulder and I couldn't lift my arm which made it difficult to do everyday things, like dress myself, drive the car, cook the meals.

By not paying attention, my immune system was weakened, more trips to the doctor, more worries, more anxiety, more struggle.

So I stopped. This was not the best life, I was overdue to pay attention.

In a quiet moment, these are the lessons that spoke to me

What do you see here? How do you relate to this seagull?

• Don't give the power to everyone else's thoughts

• You are only worth what you believe you deserve

• Stop allowing your environment to predict your future

I paid attention

I knew I was to pay attention to the lessons I have lived and recognise that all the skills I have learnt and inherited are useful, that no experience  is a waste.  This lead me to change and action.

 When you are in times of change……

• Seek clarity as it provides the step to unconscious motivation
• Know that setbacks are your steps to success - the scars you carry are a testament to your strength
• Understand what is your purpose, your vision, your unique path you need to walk
• It's more than OK to be vulnerable and ask for guidance
• Act how you want to feel, who you want to be and set up habits that will serve you well

Love this moment. A unique path for everyone

Feeling stuck?  Finish these thoughts

"I am worthy and capable of success because......"

"If I fall I will take care of myself by...."

Successful people are not superhuman or require a super intellect, there is nothing mystical or lucky about success.  Just ordinary everyday people, like you and me, who have developed belief in themselves and in what they do. It appears they have superpowers more than the mere mortal can accomplish. 
Why is that so?  It is because they show strong thinking and belief in their place in this world, they have focus, persistence, innate motivation, they think big on what can be achieved and know that is not done alone and surround themselves with like minded. On the flip side anxiety, indecision, procrastination, self sabotage can cause you to freeze and get stuck in thinking that is not serving you well.

Perhaps, you are stuck and seeing the effects of not having your best future?
Give yourself the time to pay attention to your thoughts, actions and habits and this will lead to the path of change.

Just 2 simple tips here for action

  Act your life into a new way of thinking.  

Don’t overthink – don’t think yourself into a new way of acting..act your way into a new way of thinking, if you want to be enthusiastic, you act enthusiastically. The power is in the doing.

Start with your identity how do you identify yourself – act out who you want to be.

·      Useful Habits

The mind has a memory. And it’s damn smart; it “subconsciously” recognizes patterns.

Once the patterns become a habit, it’s hard to stop. It requires extra mental strength to break the habit.

It takes at least 2 months for the actions to become a habit

“Starting from small, it becomes big.”

·      Start with thinking outside the box, repeatedly, you become extremely creative.

·      Start with getting out of your comfort zone, repeatedly, you become confident and fearless.

·      Start with telling yourself what you want to achieve in life, repeatedly, you will get there.

·      Start with just getting it started, repeatedly, anything you want to be and do, you can be and do.

"Another world is not only possible. She is on her way on a quiet day I can hear her breathing. " - Indian Activist 

All about my business at http://isucceed.info