WEEK 157: A SIMPLE, POWERFUL LEVER

Handle them carefully (words), as they have more power than atom bombs.   Pearl Strachan Hurd

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): What up world?

Hope this message finds you well.

What a fantastic day to be alive...and let me tell you I do not say this as everything around me is all peachy and rosy. 

Actually, had one of the hardest weeks of my life, yet I write this message to you in high spirits and living in the realm of opportunity.

Let's start with the week and get into the learning for this week.

It is human nature to feel that what you do is appreciated. 

Yet...this week my work was called into question. 

It was hard to take, but I did and actually as I reflect back the criticism was what I needed to see the erros of what I was doing.

Anyhow, this was event #1.

Then as the week progressed, I was hitting a new level of health as it has not been ideal lately. 

However, after a solid week, I went out Friday night and indulged a little too much. I felt horrible the next day, and my body was saying WTF?

Again, this led me to taking some time to reflect and analyze why I was in this yo-yo pattern with my health - one week feeling great and then a few days getting myself back to the previous level.

After some deep journaling I was able to identify the source (by the way if you are not doing this, you are bottling way too much inside of you).

It took an hour, but it was an hour well worth it as I gained the clarity of why I was stuck, but two how to move forward. 

Powerful when you get it.

This was event #2.

Later on in the week pressure from other areas of my life were magnified to the point I felt overwhelmed (it happens to everyone from time to time).

I was caught in circumstance and it had a tight squeeze grasp on me. 

It was no joke and I was caught in the "what ifs" and "the worst case scenarios." One thought led to another until I found myself in a deep and dark rabbit hole.

This was event #3.

As you can see, not a week where you would think I would feel my best, yet I do.

How you might ask?

Well, it has to do with a simple, yet powerful lever you usually operate on a subconscious level.

Literally, it is one of the easiest things you do daily, but probably are not aware of it. 

What is it?

Language.

Yep, 100%.

Language my friends. 

This is the lever which will either keep you STUCK or propel you forward.

And going to take it one level deeper and identify what you must STOP in order to make progress...Complaining.

Going to let you know right off the bat "Complaining" is the first thing that takes you out of the game.

"I can't...it is too hard...why me...if only...I just need to vent..."

Now you might argue that complaining is good for you and often times you feel better after you do it.

And I will tell you that is science. 

What?

Yep, dopamine is actually released when you complain as one, it is easy, and two, you usually find others who agree with you.

Yet...this is the very reason why you stay STUCK.

I have said this in the past, but you will always stay STCUK by making decisions based on your current level of play, not the play of who you want to be in the future.

Complaining keeps you at your current level.

Additionally, it robs you of perspective, which clouds your ability to see things clearly.

Thus, complaining and finding others who make you feel better when you vent with each other will only keep you STUCK.

I know you want to throw something at me, but just dropping some truth here. 

Literally, by complaining you keep yourself STUCK in whatever area of life you are discussing.

It might feel good in the short term, but that type of "language" will keep you stuck in the long term.

Don't get me wrong, I fall victim to this as well.

Yet... the key is to be aware you are in the midst of a downward spiral.

Then, choose to change the language to move yourself out of that space. 

Really is that simple. 

This will allow you to move from being STUCK to moving forward!

Language. Language. Language!

Use it to your advantage. 

Be the writer of your story this week...J

Top three activities that move me forward?

1. Atlas - create momentum and power every morning.

2. Zen - protects the greatest asset you have.

3. Journaling - gets everything out of the brain and lets you see things clearly.

Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections?

When focused on outcomes or caught in a downward spiral.

Check your language you are using in your mind and while talking to others. 

What are you grateful for?

The knowledge to heal the body and give it the proper nutrition to operate at the highest levels. 

-----
PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

STRATEGY LIST