Simplicity

How often do you find yourself asking why me? How often do you have the feeling that your barely able to stay afloat in life? How often do you focus on the negatives/failures instead of the positives/wins? Most importantly if life feels like its falling apart what are you doing about fixing it or do you just wake up each day with your fingers crossed that everything will change?

If you answered no or never me to any of these questions I am going to call you out right now as I can guarantee 100% of us at some point in our life have succumbed to the weaker side of the journey.

Problems fall into only three categories: direct control, indirect control and no control. Direct control are problems that involve our own behavior and ones that we have 100% control over how we react, indirect control are problems we have less control over as they relate to other people's behavior however we can help that person influence how they respond and then there are the problems that we have no control over.

I was talking with someone who I find very inspirational but was at a loss as deep down this person had no confidence in there abilities. They focused more on how the outside world was responding instead of having an inside-out approach. They couldn't see through all the reactive negative emotions in their life that they actually inspired everyone around them to be better. This is where indirect control came into play as it hurt me to see how this person was responding to the way their life was revolving. I dug deep and offered all my support and ability to just listen in hopes that they would see the benefit of what they had to offer. This person was focusing to much on the intricacies of items that at the end of the day where out of their control and the ones that where in their control required more effort than was needed.

At this point I offered up 6 tips for simplifying their life and focusing on the wins instead of the losses.

Simple tips for daily simplicity

1. Make Your Bed - In a world that seem to fall more into chaos everyday making ones bed offers an immediate sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning. Why not start the day each and everyday with a WIN. This will also offer you a sense comfort and achievement when your day is done and you can end the day viewing a constant WIN.

2. Listen - Not sure when listening became such a hard thing to do but simple communication skills have disappeared over time because I believe people don't truly listen. Human nature is to listen for about 5-10 seconds in a conversation and then your already starting to formulate a response in your head. I know I have done it in the past as most of you have. I challenge you to hold off on thinking of what you want to say next but dig deep to listen to what the other person is saying. You will be amazed at how successful the conversation will be and what you can achieve.  

3. Smile - A smile puts your mindset into an open mindset where a frown or face of distress typically deals with a fixed mindset. A simple smile has the ability to brighten someone's day who may desperately need it. A smile produces successful behaviors and a sense of personal accomplishment. Smile as much for a whole day and then evaluate how much you accomplished plus the feedback that you received from the internal and external environment. A smile is the simplest form of leading a proactive lifestyle.

4. Read - The one thing I have noticed with almost every successful person you see on the front of a business magazine, leading a conference, CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a leader in your community is that they have an incredibly large thirst for knowledge via reading. This time of year you will see all the leaders of industry putting out their reading lists for the summer. I know first hand as I have probably read more books this year than I have since college that reading is such a simple task yet yields such rewarding results in character development.

5. Exercise - There are many forms of exercise these days and with each passing day another form pops up. I will not get into any specific form for argument sake but the simple form of moving throughout the day yields so many benefits that I could write a very long blog article just on that topic. The one thing I have noticed racing Ironman triathlons for about 15 years now is my commitment to health is contagious. My children see the value I put on it so they understand the benefit and they feel the rewards. Consistent exercise has taught me a will to always push myself to be better, it has given me the confidence of nothing is impossible and as I creep closer to 40 I feel so much younger than I am which helps me attack all facets of my life with the energy needed.

6. Language - I am not talking about speaking a foreign language but more the type of language that influence our attitudes or behaviors. The proactive vs. reactive language which holds you accountable or constantly places blame on others. Does your language inspire others to be better or do you talk about people behind their back? Do you say you have to do something or do you say I choose to do something? Do you say I can't which puts you in a reactive/failing mindset or do you say I choose or I will which opens your consciousness to options geared towards a successful environment.

Make It Count!!!