Creating The Right “Daily Actions”

We all have that BIG Goal, that compelling vision of our future in the back of our minds that we want to get to someday.  We’ve imagined what we’ll do when we get there haven’t we? Yet it doesn’t seem to be getting any closer because LIFE just seems to keep getting in the way!

Our current realities are determined by our daily actions.  Our daily actions are largely governed by our current realities but influenced by our aspirational visions of our future.   

OK, so what I mean by that is that your “Current Reality” is the sum total result of all of the “Daily Actions” that you’ve taken up to this point.  The “Daily Actions” that you now take on a daily basis are largely governed by your “Current Reality”.

Let me give you an example of this.  Let’s say for example that you feel like you have a dead end job.  The reason that you have that dead end job right now is because of all the “Daily Actions” that you’ve taken in the past.  Now that you have the dead end job, the “Daily Actions” that you are now taking every day are going to be largely governed by the “Current Reality” of having that dead end job. 

Your “Daily Actions” are probably going to go something like this;

• Get out of bed
• Have a shower
• Get ready to go to work
• Make lunch for work
• Drive to work
• Come home
• Make dinner
• Watch TV
• Go to bed early enough that you get enough sleep to get up tomorrow and do it all over again!

Think about YOUR “Current Reality”.   Take out a piece of paper right now and list the first 5 things that you do every morning.  What are your first 5 “Daily Actions”?  Now go through that list and ask yourself how many of these are a direct result of my “Current Reality”?

For example; getting ready for work, get the kids ready for school and so on.  The fact that you may have a job, or you may have children has become your “Current Reality” and so therefore will determine your “Daily Action”.  So it’s a vicious cycle, your “Daily Actions” determine your “Current Reality” which dictates your “Daily Actions” which creates all of your future “Current Realities”.

So How Do We Escape?

Well like I said, our “Daily Actions” are LARGELY governed by our “Current Reality” but can also be INFLUENCED by our Aspirational Visions for our future.  For example, if you want a better job, you may look at course that you can do which would maybe improve your skill set or give you a new qualification.  Now that “Daily Action” when done consistently can lead to a new “Current Reality” for you in future!

YAAAAAAAY !!!!!!   Good news right?

Well it can be, however for most people it just doesn’t work out that way. 

WHY?

Well the simple answer is that we are more likely to CLOSE ourselves off from an opportunity that would take us AWAY from our vision of the future, than we are to OPEN ourselves up to an opportunity that would take us TOWARDS our vision for the future.

So let’s say we have the dead end job that we want to get out of.  We know that we could do a course that would give us a new skill or qualification, we know we SHOULD do that, we fully INTEND to do that at some stage but every time an opportunity comes up to actually DO something and move forward, our “Daily Actions” get in the way.  So we say, “Oh well I SHOULD do that but you know the next few months are going to be crazy for me because…. (fill in the blank)”.

We never OPEN ourselves up to these opportunities.  On the other hand however, we’re also more likely to CLOSE ourselves off from opportunities that may arise that take us AWAY from our vision of the future.  So for example, the opportunity for a promotion comes up at work and it means more money which would be great, but it also means more responsibility, the possibility that I may have to work back late at night, and well that’s not really compatible with my vision for my future because this job/industry (whatever) isn’t really what I want and after all, I’ve been thinking about doing ‘that course’!  So taking this promotion would CLOSE off that possibility because I wouldn’t be able to do the course if I’m working nights.

So we kind of get the WORST of both worlds.  Our “Daily Actions” keep us busy and stop us from doing the thing that would move us forward, AND that vision in the back of our minds stops us from doing anything we perceive would take us AWAY from our vision.

Now there’s nothing wrong with making a firm decision to block off anything that takes us away from our life’s vision, in fact that’s a very good thing, however unless we are also willing to OPEN ourselves up to the things that are going to move us TOWARDS our vision then it’s just counterproductive.

So ask yourself RIGHT NOW what can you do TODAY that will move you forward towards your Goal.  Is there a course you want to do perhaps?  Could you go to the gym?  Do you want to spend more time with your children and have a deeper connection with them?  What is it for you?

What actions can you take TODAY that are going to move you towards that goal?  So let’s use the example of someone stuck in a dead end job and wanting to get out.  Is there a course you can take that would improve your skill set?  There usually is, however chances are it doesn’t just happen to be starting today.  Maybe there is a course you could do, but the next intake is not for 3 months.  So what can you do TODAY that will move you forward in that direction?

Well, if you want to do that course in 3 months, find out about it TODAY.  What days does it run?  What will your time commitment be?  What will your financial commitment be?

What ever it’s going to cost, start TODAY to set aside that money, it will already be a habit by the time the course starts.  Does it run for 2 hours, 2 nights per week?  Well as of TODAY you are unavailable to do anything else at those times.  Block it out in your calendar!  NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

If you’re doing a course and the dishes need to be done, you can’t do them at that time because you’ll be in class.  Kids need help with homework at that time, you can’t help them at that time because you’ll be in class.  So put yourself “in class” at that time each week starting TODAY!   What can you do in that “class” time each week for the next 3 months?  You can do plenty!  Are there books you can read that would help prepare you for the course?  Are there TED Talks you can watch that would help you?

You’ve made the decision, as of TODAY this is something that gets done.   What is your new “Daily Action” that you’re going to be taking as of TODAY which is going to DEFINITELY and unavoidably change your future “Current Realities” in a positive way?

Tell me in the comments... 

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