Reinvent Yourself: DO IMPORTANT GOALS FIRST

When we go to work, there's an extensive system in place to ensure that we punch-in on time, get something worthwhile accomplished (at least on most days), interact effectively (and politely) with our co-workers, and punch-out before heading home.

Unfortunately, when it comes to accomplishing personal goals, these systems are harder to implement.

One thing that helps me accomplish goals is building a new routine into the beginning of the day. For example, when I was trying to lose weight, I made sure I woke up early enough to exercise before going to work. ("Before" is the operative word here because after work there's too many excuses not to do things. You're tired. The kids need help with their homework. You're hungry. It's much easier to let yourself off the hook.)

When you set time aside each day to attend to a goal (and when you put this goal ahead of the other events of the day), you're honoring the goal. You're giving it value. You're proclaiming to yourself and your household and to your day that this is an important and worthwhile goal.

In using this technique, you can achieve a wonderful sense of accomplishment - even if the rest of the day goes to crap.

By putting an important, personal goal ahead of work, your heart and your head begin to accept that no matter how bad the day might turn out, you've already done something important for yourself. You've taken care of your own emotional or physical well-being. You've done something for yourself.

And that emotional connection is so important. There's power in that feeling. (It gives you confidence. And peace.) And carrying those emotions with you throughout the day will improve your mood, and push your energy level in a positive direction.

So stop staring at the stationary bike. (.. that's what I was doing..)

Or maybe you have a treadmill. (.. clean the clothes off of it.. ha)

And hop on!

Even 10 minutes is good.

Start making room for the important changes in your life.

Just 10 minutes.

You'll feel much better about your day.

And yourself.

GTO

Write Your Eulogy

What would you want people to say about you after you're gone? Addressing that question can help you better understand who you are and who you want to be, advises Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute? (Ten Speed Press, revised and updated annually). This career-hunter's bible offers a checklist of values to help you set priorities. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January-February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]

GTO's Thoughts:

I stopped publishing this blog for a few months while I thought about my eulogy. I wasn't going to continue until I had figured out exactly what I hoped people would say about me when I die.

So here we are.  And here I am.  And I got nuthin'.

Although..

Here's two things that I don't want my family and friends to say
at my funeral:
(1) "He was a 'nice' guy."
(2) "He had great potential."

Ugh, the "nice" guy thing.

Nice guys have their points. (They hold doors, they say hi to people in the park, they'll listen when strangers tell them their entire life stories waiting in line at the grocery store.)

But a part of me wants to scream -- "NICE GUYS FINISH LAST!"

(I mean, look at me -- I'm in a casket! If I wasn't so nice, I'd still be alive!)

But, seriously, nice guys are (often) afraid of the world - and of life!
Nice guys don't (often) get what they want from this world.
And nice guys are not remembered (often).

Now "great potential" - that's something I think about everyday.
I'm more haunted by it actually.

I'm not doing enough with my life. I'm doing little things, but they're just not adding up to a colorful life. I want a colorful life.

I want to travel. Go on adventures. Stay with friends wherever they live. I want to see the Aurora Borealis. Skydive. Pilot a glider. I want to be interviewed by a magazine. Any magazine. Swim with dolphins...

(Yeah, just some basics. I'll start with them, then move onto more creative ventures.)

But I've got to stop having potential, and start having:

KINETICISM.

That's the real trick.

Thanks for reading!
GTO ("the nice guy with great potential")