BLOG_2019_05_19_Are you living your own life
ARE YOU LIVING YOUR OWN LIFE?
16 MAY 2019
Fulfillment in life is related to how well you are living in alignment with what’s truly important to you. Do your decisions emerge from the essence of who you really are - not from who you think you should be?
Take this quiz to see how well you are living a life that is of your own making.
True or False?
- In the last 12 months I have spent quality time alone thinking about what’s important to me, why they are important to me and I can clearly articulate both of those things.
- While I have been influenced by my parents, teachers, society, and other outside forces, I have not simply adopted their values and beliefs but have created my own, based on my beliefs and values. My values and beliefs come from deep inside, guide me along my journey and provide support when I am struggling.
- I am not easily swayed by others’ opinions. I know my own mind, value and worth. I understand others’ opinions stem from their values and beliefs, not mine.
- In order to remain open and flexible, I am willing to re-examine my opinions and beliefs to determine whether something is still true for me. I am interested in other points of view and love to learn about others’ beliefs.
- My spouse/partner is a good match for me. We share in a way that pleases me and have an ideal amount of separate space. We don’t have to agree on everything.
- I chose my occupation, or choose to remain in it, because it most closely utilizes my skills, strengths and passions.
- I also choose my friends. I don’t go along with a friendship that doesn’t feel right just because that person pursued me or we’ve been friends a very long time.
- Any spirituality I practice feeds my soul.
- I have aspirations. I spend time taking action toward those most important to me.
- Anyone looking at my life from the outside would see what I value.
- When I am sick, I listen to the appropriate health care provider. If the advice doesn’t feel right, I get a second opinion.
- On the rare occasion when I let someone break a boundary or persuade me to do something I don’t want to do, as soon as I’m aware of it, I take steps to stop and correct the situation.
If you answered false more often than true, you may wish to clarify what is truly important to you and then find ways to bring your life into greater alignment with those values.
MASTERING YOUR MOTIVATION
16 MAY 2019
ARE YOU LIVING YOUR OWN LIFE?
Reaching our personal and professional dreams depends entirely upon our ability to motivate ourselves. We can have all the talent and resources in the world but without self-motivation we won’t get very far.
So what can you do to ensure your motivation stays in peak form?
Try implementing these critical skills into your own life to master your motivation.
Risk management. Does the idea of taking risks inspire you to take action or weaken your resolve? Tackling the right risks has as much to do with self-confidence as it does with the actual risk itself. If you are not comfortable taking risk or are new to it, take small risks at first to build your confidence. You’ll learn when it’s best to take action and when to take a step back.
Accepting constructive feedback. No one likes criticism; it can shake our confidence and leave our motivation waning. But when we train ourselves to listen for the constructive feedback, even if it’s not presented in a constructive way, and recognize it should not be taken personally, we give ourselves an opportunity to grow and get stronger. What helpful messages can you gain from the insights of others?
Dealing with setbacks. Overcoming obstacles to keep our drive alive requires resilience. In the movie The African Queen, both Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn’s characters must navigate a treacherous river to reach their final destination and confront dangerous killers. During their journey they overcome enemy gunfire, dangerous rapids, hunger and illness. They also faced their own, and each other’s shortcomings only to end up giving up on their goal, unaware it was just around the next bend. Are setbacks making you quit before you reach your goal? Dig deep and find your strength - your success may be just around the next bend too. Be courageous - move through or around the obstacles that get in your way.
Setting high, but achievable goals. We tend to set goals that are too ambitious or not ambitious enough. Think like ‘Goldilocks’ and find the goal that’s ‘just right’ – a goal that pushes you just enough to keep yourself engaged, motivated and causes you to learn and grow as a person, but not too big that it feels impossible and discourages you from even trying. Each time you succeed set your new goal a bit higher.
By developing your self-motivation skills you’ll begin to notice increased productivity, and efficiency, as well as experience more happiness in your life.
Incorporating even one of these new skills into your daily routine means you too can keep your self-motivation high and get to work on finding more success and fulfilling your dreams!
Which skill will you incorporate into your daily routine today?
