Differently, Repeatedly, Honestly, Slowly, Wisely, and Carefully

Change

Doing things differently. Making small adjustments. Experimenting. Optimizing. Taking small bets. Consistently. Over time. This has been an intentional focus of mine over the past few years. As a teacher, as a coach, as an athlete, and as an artist. In my spiritual life, in my family life, in my financial life, and in my professional life. In all these areas, I have been very intentional about change. It's all about doing things differently.

Habits

Doing things repeatedly. Automating tasks. Building new habits. Modifying old habits. Slowly. Persistently. Purposely. Habits are fascinating. They are so difficult to begin, yet seemingly unstoppable once they are formed. We build habits into routines and these routines become our systems and procedures to get things done. The more I study, the more I understand that habits are not inherently good or bad. They are simply a way for our brains to put simple tasks on auto-pilot. It's all about doing things repeatedly.

Awareness

Noticing things honestly. Reflecting on what we do. Thinking about why we do what we do. Considering what we want to do and who we want to become. By taking an honest look at our habits and systems, we become aware of our current state so we can begin making the changes we want to make. We don’t have to judge. We just have to notice. We just have to be aware. Then we can make a plan. It's all about noticing things honestly.

Resistance

Changing things slowly. Understanding obstacles. Pushing back wisely. Our habits and systems are powerful. Over time, they grow, strengthen, and gather momentum. Good or bad, our habits are strong. When we make the decision to change our habits, we are met with the adversary of resistance. If the desired change is big, the resistance is big. If the desired change is small, the resistance is small. Knowing this, we can face our adversary of resistance wisely. Choosing small, incremental changes over huge, drastic changes. It's all about changing things slowly.

Willpower

Changing things wisely. Understanding the battle. Knowing our resources. Modifying habits and building new habits requires working against resistance. Our brains like our habits and systems because they don’t require much thought energy. Big change means big resistance which requires more willpower and thought energy. Smaller change means smaller resistance which requires less willpower and thought energy. Knowing this, we better understand the battle of making change. Knowing this, we can be more intentional in our approach. It's all about changing things wisely.

Encourage Sharing things carefully. Teaching the craft of change. Inspiring others to develop purposeful habits. Training the practice of awareness, the art of overcoming resistance, and the skill of conserving willpower. When we begin to see positive changes in our lives, it’s exciting. We naturally want to share our experiences with others. This is especially true for parents, teachers, and coaches. When we find something that works, we want to share it. But we have to share carefully. Change is a continual process that takes time. It's all about sharing things carefully.

Today, I encourage you to approach the day differently, repeatedly, honestly, slowly, wisely, and carefully.

Enjoy the day!