Goal Setting

We Are the Choices We Make

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Every day, at all times, we’re making decisions; and these decisions affect all aspects of our lives.

Now, have you ever thought about what makes us take those specific decisions? How it is that two people can be faced with the same options and circumstances, and make different decisions?

We all approach our life choices differently because our decision-making system is based on the mental processes which define what motivates us and how we see the world.

When it comes to making progress in life, understanding this decision-making system is an invaluable tool. Once we understand the factors that play a part in our decision-making process, we can make our choices take us closer to our goals.

It’s not about what’s right or wrong, but what is it that we tend to do, and how we respond consistently.
Once we figure this out, we would know how to steer our way towards our desired destiny.

 

 

What of the following characteristics resonates more with you?

1.    Do you tend to move towards to, or Away from?

When a prospect comes your way, do you tend to consider all the benefits that would come with it, or do you tend to worry about what you may lose if you take that choice?

If you are generally motivated by desire, you are more of a “towards-to” person. You need to be motivated by goals and rewards, and make your choices based on the pursuit of pleasure.

If, on the other hand, you are mostly motivated by fear or pain, then you are an “away-from” type of person. You need to get motivated by pain and fear as the consequences of not doing something. It makes more sense to you to identify the risks and downsides involved in a situation.

 

2.  Internal or External?

Who do you turn to when you’re faced with a big decision?

Do you seek an internal point of reference, think about the issue and make a decision by yourself trusting on gut feelings or intuition? If so, then you’re an internal person who would rely on what’s important to you.

Conversely, if you seek out an external point of reference, then you reach out to people in your life looking for their feedback or advice. As an external person, you rely on other people’s testimonials and statistics and seek out validation from them in order to make the most well-informed choice possible.

 

3.  Possibility or Necessity?

What drives you in your life? Are you curious about the potential it has for growth? Does it excite you?

If you tend to see the many possibilities and you’re motivated by the growth you can pursue, then you’re a possibilities person.

If you are a necessity person, you like your life the way it is now, and you feel secure because you know how to handle things that are within your “box”.  You like to be told what new thing or improvement you need to do.

 

4.   Generality or Specificity?

For some people, knowing the big picture is enough to get motivated. They focus on the master plan and the overall goal and think of how each of their actions will affect the goal in the long run.

Others are more comfortable only when they have all the details. They would be doubtful with only a general sense of the situation. They don’t regularly think about the future and are able to hone in on the short term.

 

 

Once you understand the way you make decisions and identify these patterns in yourself, you can more effectively communicate your needs and understand your decision-making process.                        

 

 

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca

Turn Adversity into an Advantage

If the flame of our passion is the size of that of a candle, even a mild breeze could put it out; but if it is as big as a bonfire, the strongest wind just makes it burn even brighter.

 

Just as a quote by Marcus Aurelius put it: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.

No matter how many times our actions were obstructed, nothing can really stand in our way if we can keep our intention and disposition. We can adapt, and overcome, turning the obstacle into the fuel that may propel us.

 

As we move towards the fulfillment of our goals, setbacks and problems will always be there, but they are never permanent; and if we look at them the right way, we will see that they are nothing but an opportunity to practice virtues such as patience, courage, humility, resourcefulness, and creativity.

The basis for such a discipline relies upon the concepts of Perception, Action, and Will

 

Perception

This is the way we see and give meaning to those events happening around us. Our perceptions can be a source of encouragement and confidence, or they could provide us with great pain and weakness.

If we decide to become emotional, subjective or shortsighted, we would only make ourselves miserable by reacting to our fear of a temporary condition, and to the doom we project into the future.

Instead, we must filter out our prejudice, expectation, and fear; remain calm and imperturbable as we see things just as they really are. From that objective perspective, we can focus on the future we want to create.

 

Action

Some years ago I heard some movie villain apologizing to another for being late saying he “was wasting time confusing motion with accomplishment”.

What a great concept. When faced with a setback, we tend to react with any kind action; usually misdirected and unplanned. If action is required, it should be effective, well directed, and executed with persistence and flexibility –in other words, creative application, not brute force.

 

Will

Will is the internal fuel that moves us; it can never be affected by any outside events. It’s our ultimate resource.

When everything seems to be going down, we can turn it into learning or humbling experience, and a chance to provide comfort to others.

We have to be prepared to accept adversity and chaos, and practice acceptance and cheerfulness even in the face of our darkest moments.

Most people think will is the way we strenuously hold onto something when actually it has a lot more to do with surrender yourself to a situation.
True will has to do with quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility under the hardest obstacles.

 

The roads of our lives are filled with obstacles, and we will be constantly tested. We must prove ourselves worthy of the challenge; so let’s stand up and show what we’re really made of.

 

Stay strong!

 

 

 

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca

 

Hack into your Procrastination

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Everyone can fall into the procrastinating trap, delaying important tasks when you feel overwhelmed and stressed out.

Pushing yourself to take action might seem like a good idea at first, but in the end it’s no better than telling a depressed person to just “cheer up”.

Instead of just fighting against it, what you need is a specific process that works with each individual psychology.

Hacking into your procrastination tendency can help you to bypass any internal resistance and get yourself to take action almost naturally.

This process only takes about 10 to 30 seconds to implement, and –if used correctly- is guaranteed to succeed.

 

So, how does this work?
Easy; but first, let’s get into common ground.

We use the term “chunk” to define a small step into the direction of getting your big goal done. It is something so small that, even if you’re really busted, you can easily say “yes” to doing it.

With that in mind, just ask “Can I just … (insert your “chunk” here)?

For instance, let’s say you’ve been pushing off cleaning your house for some time now. You can ask yourself “Can I just take two minutes and clean up my desk?”

Clean up your desk is your chunk in this example.

Apparently, it doesn’t sound like much; I mean, it’s just the desk… but once you start, you will notice an internal shift stepping into action, and you will get more motivated to keep going.

This happens because momentum generates real motivation, which in turn gets you to ask “Can I do a little more now?”.

As we looked into procrastination, we identified 4 powerful drivers: fear, overwhelm, uncertainty, and perfectionism.

Let’s look at them individually now, and find out how to overcome them.

 

 

Overcoming Fear

The best way to overcome your fears is to face them head on, exposing yourself to them, but starting in a safe environment.

For example, if you are afraid of public speaking, you may start by asking a group of close friends to your home and give a speech in front of them.

It’s all about going one step at the time. Don’t break out of your comfort zone; stretch it gradually until you get out.

 

Overcoming Overwhelm

It’s very important to dream big and find inspiration. But when we focus only on the whole picture, we get intimidated and overwhelmed.

This is why it’s so important to break big goals into smaller action steps (or chunks) and prioritize them.

By focusing on just one or two priorities at a time, you’re more likely to get effective on those, and get used to them before moving on to the others.

 

Overcoming Uncertainty

One thing that usually leads to procrastination is not knowing what to do next; not having a clear picture of our road ahead. But we can start taking steps and then use feedback to adjust our advancement until we get to our final destination.

Remember, you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take one step at the time.

 

Overcoming Perfectionism

Nothing can be made perfect, so you need to focus on making it right instead. We all make mistakes, so we have to be ready for them, get them right the next time, and move on.

Make a commitment to yourself, set up some specific amount of time, and work on your task. Great work, lousy work; it doesn’t matter for now.
Ironically, once you remove the pressure to be perfect, your work flows freely, giving space for creative expression. Then you can go back and review it with an improvement mindset.

 

 

This process is a great way to hack into your procrastination tendencies. When you start applying it, you may notice that momentum building and an inner transformation.

The key is to get started today.

Commit to something you’re guaranteed to easily say YES to, pick your first “chunk”, and start moving forward one step at the time towards your biggest breakthroughs.

Stay strong!

 

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca