It's good to think big.
The challenge is that achieving "big" can be difficult when we think of the sheer amount of work to get to "BIG", which might be:
Writing a 30,000-word novel and selling it to 500,000 people
Getting a business off the ground that achieves revenue of $100,000 in its first year.
Building an app that gets 50,000 visitors in 6 months, and so on...
That said, there might be other things that you want to do, but find difficult to start, achieve or sustain with the constant activity that fills most of our lives. It might just be things as little as:
Losing some weight.
Save regularly towards eliminating debt or buying an asset, eg, a house.
Spending quality time with family or with a loved one.
Having time to meditate, reflect or spend time with just yourself to recharge.
Learn a new skill, an instrument or even a new language.
What happens is that we often start the journey, but then get overwhelmed with life and that journey to achieve "big" or many of our goals simply dies out. Many times, we feel bad that this has happened, and get a sense that we're not really in control of our lives. Then we read an article, see someone inspiring or watch a video that motivates us - and we get all charged up to achieve "big" or our goals. We start the journey, get busy, get sidetracked, feel bad - and the cycle goes on and on.
Now, for a "Zen-like" fact; the secret to achieving big is small.
(Pan flute music playing in the background for added effect)
In clear terms, it is by doing little things, breaking big goals or plans into small chunks that can fit into our REGULAR activities, that great things can be achieved. And simply, too. These little chunks that are constant are referred to by many as Rhythms.
I "stumbled" on the power of "Rhythms" by accident and started to live my life this way. This was basically how I was able to be a dad, practice martial arts and several instruments, write books, do a 9 - 5, perform rock music at events, do business on the side, mentor people and do several other activities at the same time. Then, in talking to an accomplished friend of mine, he had put a name to this PATTERN of living and spoke about "Rhythms".
So how do you set up Rhythms that work:
Clarify the Goals. They should be measurable and not more than three (3). I wrote an article on setting goals.
Clarify the REASON for the Goal, which may make you scrap or de-prioritize some goals. You may find that learning Spanish is not as important as learning guitars.
Fit small activities into every WEEK. What you do every WEEK eventually adds up to who you become. For my family, Tuesday is reading night while Thursday evening is games night -and it helps us bond and get some family time in addition to our other mini "events".
Set up VISUAL REMINDERS and/or multiple notifications. Phone notifications may work but post-it notes, stickers and boards have worked great for me.
Measure milestones and reward yourself. When you transition from zero to 10 pushups, or kicks, when you write your first 5,000 words or your first song, when you hit 25% debit elimination, reward yourself. It doesn't have to be expensive and might be as simple as a glass of wine, a restaurant or anything little that you like - and keep going.
If you miss a week or cadence, just continue with the next one!
What is more important isn't big chunks of activity but CONSISTENT activity towards a clear goal. This way you get the best out of your time, deprioritize what is unimportant...
And get more out of Life!
Article by J.C. Nova. Enjoyed this post? Like and SHARE!
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