Life is lived in the small moments. Put them all together, then they lead towards the big events that we create and experience in our lives.
We also improve bit by bit, moment by moment, through willingness, deliberate practice, and work that we put in.
When I started to learn guitar, I would go for marathon practice sessions that would go for hours, but would leave me sore, and not really keeping a lot of the lessons.
Only when I started practicing for less time, but with more purpose, and consistency, day by day, only then, did I really improve.
What are 3 mini-habits you can use, to be better then yesterday?
What did you learn today?
I learned from a teacher of mine in college. Best damn class I ever took.
Sir Shorty, if you’re reading this, I meant every word of what I said.
It was a class abut leadership in the 21st century. I would never forget that the first thing that was asked of us in that class, at 7:30 in the morning, was the question:
“What did you learn today?”
My previous mindset was that I would ask myself that question at the end of the day, when the battles have been fought, and I’m preparing for the next day.
That, indeed is true, but what of the lessons you could have gained, had you immediately asked the question : “What did I learn?”
“What am I learning, after that experience?”
We humans are meaning-making creatures. We look at things, experience things, have relationships, and we give meaning to the experiences, and actions, that we do, have, and experience.
Not always helpful, not always helping us to become better.
We could have limiting beliefs, which actually stop us from reaching our dreams.
I might have seen the breadcrumbs out of that situation, but without a deliberate action, coming from a realization, I would just stay the course, and continue to be miserable.
Turn every moment into a learning opportunity, and never let your experiences go by without getting the point, or harvesting the lesson.
It’s a simple question, and its power is in your openness to answer the question, and to accept what the lesson is.
That the first thing I learned from our first class all those years ago, at 7:30 in the morning.
Ask questions. Ask better questions. The quality of the answer is determined, only by the quality of the question.
“What have you learned, today?”
Remind yourself of your goal
The number one reason why people don’t reach their dreams, is that they forget.
No, they don’t forget their dreams. They forget to work towards them. They forget how important those dreams are to them.
They forget to devote commitment, time, energy, towards making those dreams into reality.
Because the whirlwind that is life sweeps them up, distracts them, and does everything in its power to fill your waking life with distraction and unimportant stuff.
Find ways to remind yourself of your goal, everyday.
Write it out, put it on your phone, make a poster, somewhere you can see everyday, and that you always lay your eyes on.
Find small, quick ways to remind yourself. Doesn’t have to be on a big, or grand scale. Even just a few seconds, will do.
Keep the goal, the end in mind, always.
A big reason why companies fail, and lose sight of who they are, is because they begin to serve the people, the outside world, and slowly forget the mission, the purpose of the company.
As is true, the same, for our personal lives as well.
Remind yourself of the goal, always.
Read a page a day
Improvement is not about the quick spurts, but rather, the consistent growth, layer upon layer, that is built up over previous learning and ability.
To make that happen, it’s not about speed all the time. It’s also about consistency. Day in, and day out, putting in the work.
I count myself as an avid reader, although I slowly realized that there was a time that I wasn’t as consistent.
I found myself reading only when I had free time, or whenever I felt like it.
I wasn’t consistent, and I was letting circumstances and my laziness get in the way of me improving myself.
So, reckoning the fact that big results come from consistent small actions, I decided to read a page a day.
It was slow going at first, but I soon got used to the habit of reading my page a day before I went to sleep.
Then, as the comfort grew, I raised it up to 5 pages a day, then 10.
That might seem small, but considering that most books nowadays are around 300 pages long, that’s a book every month.
That’s more than what a lot of people read, already. Imagine what you could do with 20 pages a day.
By doing so, you increase your average reading speed, and get more done.
By increasing your average speed, you get more done over a long-term horizon.
You might think reading 5 pages a day is insignificant, but that’s 1,825 pages in a year.
Same for closing deals, writing proposals, writing your book, exercising your body.
Do something small, everyday, to move you forward.
Trust in the process, and keep on going.
What other small habits do you have that keep you improving? Please share in the comments below!
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