3 Steps to Change - Ready, Willing and Able

We are creatures of habit, and therefore we may forget that we have the ability to change our old patterns, behaviours, and mindsets. Whether it's things from yesterday, a month ago, or a year(s) ago, it is possible to make some changes starting today.

Maybe you have been putting off things until tomorrow that you can do today, or you've been waiting for something to happen before you take the next step(s), or some of your patterns or behaviours are so ingrained that you feel you can't change them.

Perhaps you haven't been taking enough time for yourself or spending time with others, or you've been meaning or attempting to commit to something but you haven't had very much success, or you have been feeling stuck or unsatisfied at work or home.

There maybe something going on for you personally, or there may be someone you need to forgive, or you are holding onto past hurts, resentments, or grievances.


Just about anything, including excuses, can become a deterrent to taking steps forward if you let them. No matter what's going on, or what you are holding onto, or what you aren't doing, it's not too late to make a change!

Read: Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems 

The question is, "Are you willing to?"

Do you really want to do what you are saying you want to do?


Have you heard the saying, "Ready, willing and able"? This is what you want to ask yourself.

Are you ready to take a step, and it doesn't have to be a gigantic one, towards that which you would like to change?

Are you willing to do what is necessary to move forward even if it's uncomfortable or difficult to do?

Are you able to accept the setbacks, fears, trials and errors, rejections, disappointments, tough conversations, etc., that at first may accompany what you want to change? This can be the tough step and the one that holds you back the most. 

Being "able" to accept what's holding you back is exactly what needs to be looked at in order for you to make that move forward again.

You don't have to change anything if you don't want to. But, if you recognize something within you that is stopping your growth, or creating unhappiness in your life/relationships, or something you are complaining about, or you hear yourself saying something repeatedly that you want to do or commit to, then it's time to do something about it, and now is the time.


It may not be easy to change some things, and others may be easier than you think. Either way, you won't know until you try.

What's the worst that can happen? If you try something and it doesn't work, then you have a stepping stone for your next step.


If you really want to change something then you can do it!


If you are willing to do what's required then you will do it!


If you are able to accept that things will be different and maybe even difficult at first, than you are able to do it.

If you are can do all three steps, then you are capable of making a change.


Look over the last month or previous couple of months. What have you been saying or wanting to do and haven't, or what do you want to change about yourself or something in your life?

If there is more than one thing you want to work with, choose the one that you feel is the most important, or you think the most about, or weighs the heaviest on you.

What step(s) can you take to bring about this change?

When you took that step, what happened?


What, if anything, surfaced for you?

What did you learn?

Are there any other steps you need to take next to implement that change 

further? 

Remember, change may not be easy, but you will never know what lies around the next corner if you don't take the step(s) to see. Use these techniques to help you find the insight to assist you in taking the next steps to change and facing what is holding you back, or surfaces, and then using that knowledge as a stepping stone for your next step(s).

How To Live Life To The Fullest

Are you living life to the fullest? This is a difficult question to answer because what is a fulfilling for you might not be the same for someone else. People have varied perspective regarding their views on living life to the fullest. Every person has a different mindset, perception, expectations and experience. Hence, generalizing this concept is a near impossible task. Yet, there are barometers by which you can gauge the extent to which you are enjoying life. It is better to make hay while the sun shines rather than sit and regret later on in life. Here are 5 ways to live your life to the fullest.

Stay Healthy and Fit
 
You may not realize the extent to which maintaining a healthy lifestyle influences your life. It is not just about preventing disease and looking good. Feeling good about yourself is important to being content in life. You don't have to stick to a rigorous routine. Just a few light exercises, aided by some healthy food are enough!

Reduce Stress Accumulation

Stress hurts you mentally and physically. The pressure can break you down and throw you off track. It is important to reduce the stress. Try working out or meditating to release tension. Eliminate stress building activities and heavy workload.

Have Some Leisure Time

Too much working will take its toll on you. Set aside some time for doing a recreational activity like watching a movie or sports. It can be anything as long as you don't have to spend mental and physical energy doing it. This is a great way to recharge your batteries and rejuvenate yourself.

Try Something New

Try something which you have never done before. An adventure can have an extremely positive effect. You will gain a new experience as well as broaden your horizon and your worldview. It also helps in overcoming fears and inhibitions and enjoying life.

Develop Organic Relationships

Avoid toxic relationships with people who are only with you because of their vested interests. Organic relationships last long, maybe even for life. Having a healthy social circle and a strong family life is important for peace of mind and avoiding stress. You need to have someone who will support you in all your endeavours and keep your back. Loneliness can make the best of use go kaput.

These are 5 ways through which you can gain more from your life. Keep in mind that these are not the only things that you can do.

The Ultimate Guide to Success: How to Achieve Your Goals in 10 Steps or Less (The Ultimate Success Series) (Volume 2)

Attitude is Everything

Attitude can be defined as the way an individual looks at life. It is the outward reflection of what is taking place on the inside. It becomes his/her personality...it pervades their feelings and becomes their actions. Attitude is one of the most important aspects of life and a key to interpersonal relationships. There are two types of relationships in animal (or human) life, symbiotic and parasitic. Symbiotic relationships are mutually beneficial. Both of the animals (or organisms) involved receive a benefit from the other living with them.


Parasitic, on the other hand, is a destructive relationship where one benefits to the detriment of the other. When trying to accomplish something new, or break old habits in life, we need to associate ourselves with others who bring us up, those that help us become more than we were without them. Creating symbiotic relationships will only accelerate our progress. Attitude is key in tough situations; the better your attitude is in tough times, the better those opportunities become.

Read: Attitude Is Everything: Change Your Attitude... Change Your Life!

An oft-quoted cliché illustrates this point: "Most people are as happy as they want to be". There are very few, if any, easy roads to take on the road to success. Bumps and potholes, construction and traffic jams will constantly confront the typical person. The difference comes in how well the person can handle these difficulties. Shakespeare wrote: "There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so". Attitude leans heavily on thoughts, and the harder things seem in the mind, the more difficult they will be in reality. It is imperative that everyone makes themselves as happy as they can be, and forsake the negative thinking disposition, and become forward thinking individuals.



Attitude, like the common cold, is contagious. The more negative people that there are in a room, the more negative the conversation will become. The inverse is also true. Think about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the face of hatred, death threats, trials, and persecution he pronounced, "I have a dream". His dream was for the future. It was positive. Many people looked at his attitude and proclaimed that he was a dreamer, and that he was crazy. However, to the masses who followed him, his dream became one that penetrated skin color and pierced the hearts of thousands. About half a century later, no one can look back and say that he was not effective.



He sold millions in the future generations on his "dream"...what he really sold was a contagious positive attitude. It has been said by a well-known motivator, "It's your Attitude rather than you're your Aptitude that ultimately determines your Altitude". Very simple, you can become what you put your mind to. In all the studies done there is no evidence to say your knowledge or ability will give you the upper hand. The key to success is positive attitudes. There are many people with minimal abilities achieving greater heights than people with far greater knowledge or learning. Attitude has been called the spiraling effect.



This is the effect "like minded" people have on each other. It's been said; "Birds of a feather flock together". It can work both in the positive and the negative directions. If you have ever been in an environment where people hated their jobs and talked bad about their employer then you know how that can affect attitude. It can feel like a thousand pound weight weighing you down. On the flip side, groups of very successful people create more wealth for each other, as their positive attitudes create a form of synergy. In contrast the other group creates a negative synergy and the group becomes much less effective. It's the old saying the poor get poorer and the rich get richer. I believe they do it because of their own attitudes.

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Test Your Goal

So you know what you want. You have a clear image of having it, experiencing it, doing it. You truly believe it can happen. You know you deserve to have it.


But before you act to achieve your goal - particularly a major, life-changing one - you may want to ask these questions first:


How badly do I want this? Do you have a burning desire to achieve your goal? Or is it something that you think is just nice to have, something you can do without?


If your goal is big and can have a considerable impact in your life, it is best to choose a goal you are passionate about. Having a goal you feel lukewarm about or do not have much enthusiasm for may delay you - or even hinder you - from reaching it.

At this point, you may also want to review your motivations for setting that goal in the first place. Your motivations may help you in answering this question.


How will this change my life? Once you have achieved your goal, how do you think will you change as a person? Will certain areas of your life be affected, such as lifestyle and relationships? If so, how will they be affected?


Picture yourself, the people around you and your situation. Let it unfold like a movie in your mind. Do you like what you see? Do you like what you feel at that particular moment?


Will I be compromising any of my values in achieving this? Is your goal aligned with your values, or does it contradict them? What were the values at work when you made your goal in the first place?


What do you think will be the consequences when you reach your goal, if it is not consistent with your values? Can you take the consequences? How would you feel? How would it change your life?

Does it feel right? At the end of the day, your intuition, your inner voice, will be your guide. If it feels right, go for it. If not, think it over again.

Sometimes, in the process of achieving your goal can you only answer all these questions. If at a certain point you realize that this is not the right goal for you, you can still stop. On the other hand, if you find out you are on the right track, you will feel all the more energized moving closer towards your goal.

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