As an authority on personal change, my clients frequently inquire about my own accomplishments and daily challenges. I\u2019m always glad when this subject comes up because I believe in leading by example. If your coach\u2019s personal life is a mess (or just plain stagnant) then you might want to find someone who walks their talk.<\/p>\n
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Football coach Lou Holtz once said \u201cyou\u2019re either growing or you\u2019re dying\u201d and I couldn\u2019t agree more.\u00a0 The act of pushing yourself to learn and do as much as you can keeps your heart beating and your mind razor sharp. Acquiring new knowledge and skills is one of the best things you can do for yourself and research shows that it even helps stave off age-related mental decline.<\/p>\n
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But sadly, once most people graduate college, their thirst for knowledge starts to wither and die. Problem!<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s been calculated that the average person reads about 2 books a year while the average CEO reads over 70! How many books have you read this year (not including 50 Shades of Grey ;))? How many new skills have you learned? How much have you improved on your existing skills? Are you becoming more intelligent? How about a better friend, partner or parent? Have you been working on your shyness or getting your anger under control?<\/p>\n
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If not, then what\u2019s stopping you?<\/p>\n
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You are. That\u2019s who.<\/p>\n
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Most people whine that they can\u2019t find the time. But if you commit to giving up just an hour a day of crappy reality television for 1 year, then you\u2019ve just recaptured 365 hours that you can use to transform yourself in any way you see fit.<\/p>\n
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So get cracking, I say!<\/p>\n
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And if you have no clue where to start, then let me share with you a few of my minor accomplishments (in the areas of business, health, relationships and plain-old soul fulfillment).<\/p>\n
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In the last six months:<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve attended four different seminars (so I can help my clients achieve better results in half the time)<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve watched\/reviewed over 15 self-help products<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve read over 50 books (not an exaggeration for a speed-reader)<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve given up meat and fish and eat a 90% raw vegan diet (those who know me know how crazy this is coming from a prior Paleo fanatic)<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve given up all stimulants (coffee, tea, cacao, etc)<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve cut my food budget by 50%<\/p>\n
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I moved my bedtime 2 hours earlier (still trying to get my butt in bed by 10pm)<\/p>\n
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I now see clients only 4 days a week so I have extra time to spend with my girlfriend<\/p>\n
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I’ve enjoyed 3 vacations<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve cut out all major sources of negativity from my life<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve been working on increasing the intimacy in my romantic relationship<\/p>\n
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I began creating 2 new products (one of which should be available before Christmas)<\/p>\n
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I have improved my vocal tone and pronunciation (with the help of a speech coach)<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve been taking acting lessons (just for fun)<\/p>\n
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I was filmed for an upcoming documentary about hypnosis<\/p>\n
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My purpose of sharing this list is not to brag but to inspire you. I truly believe that ANYONE can change nearly anything about themselves once they make a firm commitment to doing so. Here are the simple steps to follow:<\/p>\n
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Step 1:<\/strong> Decide what you want to accomplish<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whether you want learn a new skill or improve on an existing one it all starts with a goal in mind. Once you have it, write it down and put it somewhere you can see every day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Step 2:<\/strong> Determine the necessary actions<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you want to be in a relationship by January 1st? If so, the steps might be to get a makeover, brush up on your social skills, and go out to places (consistently) where your dream partner would be likely to congregate. Write these steps down.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you get stuck, then work backwards. Imagine you\u2019ve achieved your goal. What did you do (in the future, of course) right before you achieved it? Got it? Great. Now ask yourself what you did right before that last step. And so on\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Step 3:<\/strong> Take action<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now that you have your list, start taking (daily) action. The key to building in new habits is to start very small (with the first baby step) and work on your consistency. It\u2019s better to meditate 5 minutes a day to start than twice a week for 20 minutes. Once the habit is established, then you can crank up the amount of time invested.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Step 4:<\/strong> When you fall off the wagon, get back up immediately<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don\u2019t waste time beating yourself up, just get right back on and keep moving. If you feel like giving up then remind yourself how horrible your life will be if you never achieve your goal and that YOU are the only one responsible for your future. Then daydream about how awesome success is going to feel. Make big, bright mental pictures of how happy you\u2019ll be at the finish line. Then, go take more action.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And the last step is to simply\u2026 start right now! Stop wasting time because the world is changing faster than ever before and you need to keep up whether you like it or not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of my ex-girlfriends used to complain that she hated change, to which I replied, \u201cWell get used to it because the only thing that doesn\u2019t change is that fact that everything ALWAYS changes.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No matter if you take action or not, you are either changing for better or for worse. So which will it be? The only person who decides your future is YOU so get going and make it beautiful.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n P.S. If you understand the correlation between the title of this post and Eddie Murphy\u2019s picture, you just won yourself a shiny new gold star. Wear it with pride.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n -Jay<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As an authority on personal change, my clients frequently inquire about my own accomplishments and daily challenges. I\u2019m always glad when this subject comes up because I believe in leading by example. If your coach\u2019s personal life is a mess (or just plain stagnant) then you might want to find someone who walks their talk…. <\/p>\n