1. Some great insights I read this week…
Tim Ferris re-posted “100 Tips for a Better Life,” by Conor Barnes. I was expecting a basic list, with things that I had already read or heard, but much to my (pleasant) surprise, it was loaded with tips that I had not heard of, or thought of, before. Some not-so-great ones… but many great ones. See the whole list by clicking here. Below are a handful…
#3. Things you use for a significant fraction of your life (bed: 1/3rd, office-chair: 1/4th) are worth investing in.
#17. Done is better than perfect.
#39. If something surprises you again and again, stop being surprised.
#50. Remember that you are dying.
#83. Compliment people more. Many people have trouble thinking of themselves as smart, or pretty, or kind, unless told by someone else. You can help them out.
2. Word I love…
I love the word intention! To me, the word intention is so powerful, meaningful, and important. What we do and how we do it matter, but WHY we do what we do matters MOST. We’ve all heard that if you give… you get. It’s true. It works. But if you give to get… it WILL NOT work. If you give just to give… you WILL DEFINITELY get. Pay attention this next week on WHY you are doing the things you are doing. Make sure your intentions are genuine, good, and in line with your principles. The WHY behind the what is a key factor in the ultimate outcome. (I pulled out Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book, The Power of Intention this week and was flipping through it. Good book, and great reminder of just how powerful and impactful intention really is.)
3. Success technique I revisited this week…
Dr. Biasiotto, from the University of Chicago, did a study with fascinating results. He took three groups of people and tested them on how many basketball free-throws they could make, establishing a baseline. Then, he had the first group practice shooting free-throws for one hour each day for 30 days; the second group visualized practicing free-throws for one hour each day; and the third group did nothing at all. The three groups were tested again on their free throws after the 30 days. The first group improved by 24%. The second group improved by 23%. And the third group had no improvement at all. Most people are not surprised to see that the third group had no improvement at all. A lot of people ARE surprised to see that the second group had improvement, despite not physically shooting the ball. But everyone should be AMAZED that the second group had almost the same amount of improvement (23% vs. 24%) as the group that physically practiced. One thing that can help ensure faster and greater success in ANY area of life is visualizing. To see the outcome that you want, to play that over and over in your mind, will help bring that thing to you. It is a critical success technique used by the most impactful athletes, the most productive business professionals, and the most successful leaders. The more vivid the visualization… the better. See what it is you want with great detail, in color, and add sound, taste, smell, etc. The more senses you include, the better. As your conscious mind sees exactly what it is you want, your subconscious mind goes to work to bring it to you. You should work on this powerful technique. I use it, but had gotten lazy with it. I will recommit to more and better visualization.