How we try every method, getting frustrated, and quitting…

I have had this on my mind for some time. As an individual who has tried multiple methods to figure out what works best for myself, I have determined that what works best for me is not necessarily what is going to work best for others. BUT that does NOT mean you have to change how you are doing things for your own well-being to stay connected with others, instead what we need to do is prioritize ourselves, and learn to work with and collaborate with, or rather communicate clearly with those around us.

For example, a close friend and I have discussed for some time partnering together on some business projects. We both are very DIFFERENT individuals from each other, but we do get along very well, communicate clearly with one another, and recognize that a method that works for them may not be what works for me, and vice versa. Through this, as we dive deeper into what will be the first of many projects together, that we must work together to find the best way to combine are styles, methods, and be able to keep a clear, and open path of communication regarding what we are working on.

For us to succeed, we must not only communicate clearly with each other, but we must have a solid framework that works for us in our own day-to-day lives. The work that they do and how they do it is very different from the work I do and how I do it. The reason why we can work closely together is because we have a solid enough foundation as individuals that we are able to communicate clearly, and work together around each other’s focus, method of thinking, and method of productivity.

Defining your Foundation

This is where we will be primarily focusing today, what are some tools, resources and methods that we can use to develop our own solid foundation of living, to coordinate and work with others too!

There are a lot of great ways to build a solid foundation of living, that is the most productive for you! Author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, Mark Manson talks about the 5 Principals of Productivity (That Actually Work) and he discusses how there are so many great resources out there for “Productivity Hacks” but something people commonly miss is that not all of these methods are for everyone, which means the hacks that are presented in the video they are watching, or the article / book they are reading may not be for them, or it may be only a few things that will work well for them.

 A perfect example of how to take in the key points that are meaningful to you, from the great resources out there, is for you to grab a highlighter as your reading, and a notepad as you are watching, and take notes of that which stands out to you. Highlight the areas of the book that you find value in, and even fold the page corner or get some form of bookmarking system down so it is easy for you to go back to those pages and review what you highlighted later.

Another way to make sure you are getting great resources is looking at reviews. Now that being said, I don’t mean just peak at the star rating system and decide from there. Do take the time to read some of the reviews where people express how they felt about the book, or video, whatever the resource is and where they go into detail about it. This helps give you a peek into whether these resources will be of value to you and could save you on a financial investment if it turns out it isn’t exactly what you are looking for.

When I am looking at potential resources that could be good for me to take in, I live by the mindset of if you can’t get my attention in the first 30 – 60 seconds, then you are not worth my time. I have become very picky about how my time is spent since my experience of being in a coma for two weeks. Time is the one asset we cannot ever earn back. I am not against us taking time to enjoy life like watching a movie, reading a fictional book, playing a game, or going out with friends. There is a time, place, and purpose behind all of that. I also believe that we need to invest much of our time focusing on investing where we need to, to get the return on investment for success in which we are seeking. That investment may be in some form of health whether it is physical, mental or spiritual. It could be in our career. Maybe it is in our personal relationships with others. It is important we don’t forget to find time to rest, recoup, and reenergize ourselves through whatever means is best for YOU as an INDIVIDUAL!

What will WORK for YOU?

This is what it comes down to. What method of hacking is going to work well for you? The simple answer is this, you will not know what works for you until you try new things. What holds us back from trying new things? We get comfortable, we hold back, we are afraid to see the potential results that go flying through our minds at a million miles an hour as we try to decipher all the potential outcomes.

How do you overcome all of this? It is simple, just do. Did you come across a way you haven’t tried that could possibly help you get up earlier, and get more done for your own personal well-being before starting your day at work? Do it! Try it! The worst case scenario is it doesn’t work, and you have to move on to something else. Don’t believe that the something new you are going to try is just going to work over night! The majority of the time, it is not. It is best that when you are trying new things, that you invest a minimum of 30 days into this. The numbers fluctuate depending on which area of research you look at, but they say a new habit can take anywhere from 18-250+ days to sit and get the full results from. The average time that it happens is more like 30-60 days. If you are going to try a new habit that will help you form a productive track, here are a few things you can do to help.

1. Decide on a goal that you would like to achieve.
2. Choose a simple action that will get you towards your goal, even if it starts small and you build on it over time.
3. Plan when and where you will do your chosen action, be consistent, choosing a time and a place that you encounter every day of the week.
4. Every time you encounter this time and place, perform the action.
5. It will get easier as you perform this action more and more, on a consistent basis.
6. Analyze the habit you’ve developed and determine if this has given you a foundational boost in that which you were looking for the desired outcome to be. Then decide if you need to add, lessen, change, or walk away altogether from this habit.

Don’t forget that change does not happen overnight. A common saying I hear is this, “You can destroy yourself overnight, but rebuilding yourself will take significantly longer.” A perfect example of this is in your physical health. You can start off as being a skinny individual, but then end up becoming fat, and overweight after just several weeks of poor eating, and lack of physical activity. Losing that weight and rebuilding your health’s overall foundation is going to take significantly longer, with consistent activity to achieve.

Now take the time to ask yourself these questions, where are you not happy when it comes to things in your life? Where would you like to see these things transform to? What is it going to take to get there? DO IT!