So Just Do It! Don’t forget to Feed Your Soul along the way. And when you need some space or things get a little hairy, remember to Breathe.
Super Habit Number 5. Just Do It
Big or small – just START! Eat that Red Frog – Just Do It! How many times have you sat there and watched someone else get ready to do something and procrastinate and thought to yourself, or muttered, or said out loud – Come on – Just DO It!
Tip 1 – The only thing stopping you is fear. Fear of the size of the task. Fear of failure. Fear of ridicule. So go to a mirror, look yourself in the eyes and say to yourself – “How much longer do you want to wait to take action? For goodness/f*#^s sakes – Just Do It!” Then go and do it. Yes – it’s that easy. And if it doesn’t work the first time, try again. Remember, “no-one remembers who came second” so if it doesn’t work, does it matter? And should it stop you trying again? Nope!
Tip 2 – Call a coffee date with three of your best supporters/friends/fans. Tell them what you have been putting off and make a commitment to them to start. Then ask them to hold you accountable.
Tip 3 – Take a piece of paper, make two columns headed – What if I do and What if I don’t. Then think of another task/job/project/anything you did that worked and measure that against your current list! You will find that fears turn into smirks after the act because everything is easy in hindsight – the mountain returns to the molehill. So make hindsight your friend.
Super Habit Number 6. Feed Your Soul
Notice how we have always clumped things in threes! 1st, 2nd, 3rd in a race, The 3 Rs, bones in the human ear, primary colours, 3 little pigs? We need to look after ourselves threefold as well – body, mind and soul.
Tip 1 – Meditation is one of the shared habits of successful people (success being gauged by your own measure). If you don’t know how to meditate, go to Dr Google or Madame YouTube and find someone whose voice you like. I love the serenity and matter-of-factness of @dandapani
Tip 2 – Breath (yes, this is also Habit Seven) – consciously focus several times during the day on your breathing. Close your eyes and follow your breath into your body. Just be aware of the breath. Sub tip 2 – go to yoga! There’s different styles – find one you like!
Tip 3 – Start listening to your intuition/gut instinct/feelings – whatever you want to call it. Trust. Don’t doubt. Surrender. Sub tip 3 – read The Surrender Experiment.
Super Habit Number 7. Breathe
Ahhhh… So simple. Happens automatically. Keeps us ticking. One of the results of modern day living is stress. And stress has a tendency to cause shallow breathing. Which in turn means less oxygen to our cells. Which can cause disease from our dis-ease. Fear is excitement without the breath. It follows then that when we are in a state of fear, the simple act of breathing will bring relief and calm. Simply by becoming more aware of our breathing, we improve so many aspects of our life.
Tip 1 – Before you get out of bed, focus on your breath. Place your hand on your abdomen, breathe into your hand. This will fill your lungs with air. Repeat 5 times. This is how singers breathe! Sub tip 1. Get up slowly.
Tip 2 – Next time you are anxious or nervous at work or in a workshop or when you are presenting, repeat the breathing exercise in tip one. But standing up. Close your eyes, place your hand on your abdomen, breathe in slowly then exhale slowly and completely.
Tip 3 – Sing. Join a choir, crank up the music in the car or your lounge room and sing! There is so much joy in music and so much breath in singing.
Just Do It! Don’t forget to Feed Your Soul along the way. And when you need some space or things get a little hairy, remember to Breathe.
Just Do It! Don’t forget to Feed Your Soul along the way. And when you need some space or things get a little hairy, remember to Breathe.
