There are certain things we can do to become more efficient. The main thing is to look at what we are doing, break it down into base processes and principles, then evaluate what is working FOR you and what is working AGAINST you.
For example, if you wish to build quality muscle, but you are lifting really heavy weights at a rapid rate, you are busting out rep after rep, but you do not have a good foundation in lifting slow and purposeful with weights that, perhaps, weigh less.
What is lacking in what you are attempting? Where is the foundation? Is it solid? Stable? Reliable? Go to the foundation and work from there, build it, maintain it, keep going back to it and work from the ground up in everything.
Every aspect of a process has a purpose, each purpose should match up with its' principle, or how it is supposed to work in the grand scheme of the whole thing.
If you start by lifting too heavy and too fast, this will work against you by damaging the muscles, it can cause deformities and set you back quite a bit; without a good foundation you will quickly hit a brick wall in everything you attempt or what you produce will be of extremely low quality.
So the following should serve as a guide to building strong foundations and lead to more efficient processes:
1) Start with the basics, end with the basics.
Example: Soccer - is running a certain way causing you to lose energy faster or is there a more efficient way to run? How is the current mode of running causing you to lose that energy at a more rapid rate and, if other players are not experiencing this what are they doing differently?
2) Build more efficient basics with a mind towards function.
Example: If you are running in such a way that muscles are overworking or the wrong muscles are working then re-evaluate how you are running by paying attention to foot placement as it hits the ground, the muscles that are working, how you are breathing, ect.
Adjust these and feel for a way of running that is more natural for you and you will find it requires less effort because everything is in place and the run can function properly in the context of what you are doing.
3) See how strong foundation flows out into every other aspect of your activity.
No example is necessary here as correcting even one minor thing can change your performance in the game itself, you just have to maintain a deep awareness of the basics in order to become a better player, better worker, or a better person.
Friday, September 15, 2017
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Make Effort, Not Excuses.
There is always room for improvement, always, no matter who you are or where you come from, but most are convinced there is a scarcity of motivation, that it is very hard to maintain motivation and this is what stops most people from making any sort of strides.
Part of the problem is in the fact that we have been conditioned to seek outside of ourselves for whatever it is we are seeking when the answers, indeed, the very motivation and the change come from within.
We have to break this conditioning and start taking ourselves back otherwise no real change is possible.
There is a concept known as Kaizen that is used by many businesses in what is known as the 'Lean Process' which is about reducing waste in order to make processes flow more efficiently.
Kaizen refers to one minute, if we seek to improve ourselves we can begin by instituting a new daily habit with full motivation for one minute a day, slowly building up the time we are doing it and adding to it, cutting from it, becoming more involved with it as we make it part of ourselves.
I am a Martial Arts Instructor, the Assistant Regional Director for a large Martial Arts Organization that traces its' roots back to Okinawa.
Martial Arts are a great example of how this process can be applied as my Teacher's Teacher is always fond of saying, 'Do a little, but do it often.'
Most people will attend classes maybe twice a week, get sweaty going through the motions, maybe even have a bit of fun and learn something, but when they leave Class, when they leave the School, how many of those people will actually practice in their off time?
Justification for not following through on something we are paying money for and putting effort into is always, 'there is never enough time.'
This is the case in all sorts of activities, all sorts of work setting projects that never get completed, even family life.
The truth is there is always enough time, always, we just have to learn how to make time and stop making excuses for not following through.
We start doing this by taking a minute out of our day to work on improving something, then adding another minute, and another, and another until we have built up a strong daily routine that can last anywhere from a half an hour to an hour.
Once we are at this point we do not find motivation waning, we are so involved in the moment of doing what we are doing that motivation just happens, it does not even enter into our frame of mind as being either abundant or lacking.
At this point we also find that this type of attitude, this type of mindset carries over into every other aspect or our lives.
We suddenly find more time to spend with our loved ones, with our children, we stop making excuses for shortcomings at work because they cease to exist as we find time to complete these without even breaking a sweat... We have officially taken back the moment and put it to work FOR us, we are no longer ruled by excuses or circumstances.
Part of the problem is in the fact that we have been conditioned to seek outside of ourselves for whatever it is we are seeking when the answers, indeed, the very motivation and the change come from within.
We have to break this conditioning and start taking ourselves back otherwise no real change is possible.
There is a concept known as Kaizen that is used by many businesses in what is known as the 'Lean Process' which is about reducing waste in order to make processes flow more efficiently.
Kaizen refers to one minute, if we seek to improve ourselves we can begin by instituting a new daily habit with full motivation for one minute a day, slowly building up the time we are doing it and adding to it, cutting from it, becoming more involved with it as we make it part of ourselves.
I am a Martial Arts Instructor, the Assistant Regional Director for a large Martial Arts Organization that traces its' roots back to Okinawa.
Martial Arts are a great example of how this process can be applied as my Teacher's Teacher is always fond of saying, 'Do a little, but do it often.'
Most people will attend classes maybe twice a week, get sweaty going through the motions, maybe even have a bit of fun and learn something, but when they leave Class, when they leave the School, how many of those people will actually practice in their off time?
Justification for not following through on something we are paying money for and putting effort into is always, 'there is never enough time.'
This is the case in all sorts of activities, all sorts of work setting projects that never get completed, even family life.
The truth is there is always enough time, always, we just have to learn how to make time and stop making excuses for not following through.
We start doing this by taking a minute out of our day to work on improving something, then adding another minute, and another, and another until we have built up a strong daily routine that can last anywhere from a half an hour to an hour.
Once we are at this point we do not find motivation waning, we are so involved in the moment of doing what we are doing that motivation just happens, it does not even enter into our frame of mind as being either abundant or lacking.
At this point we also find that this type of attitude, this type of mindset carries over into every other aspect or our lives.
We suddenly find more time to spend with our loved ones, with our children, we stop making excuses for shortcomings at work because they cease to exist as we find time to complete these without even breaking a sweat... We have officially taken back the moment and put it to work FOR us, we are no longer ruled by excuses or circumstances.
Centering.
Do we wake up each day and find purpose? Meaning? Do we seek to add value to the world around us through what we do? Whether that be a nine to five job, a hobby, some sort of passion we have that drives us? Do we even know what our passions are??
One of the most meaningful things I have learned over the years is that we become what we think and what we think creates the reality in which we live.
This is a very true statement when we actually pay attention, but many might dismiss it outright and justify such a dismissal by saying we have absolutely no control over our circumstances and that certain things cannot be helped.
Many wake up and go to their nine to fives with no real sense of purpose other than making a living to pay the bills, they constantly trade time for money and end up with very little return at the end of the day, living paycheck to paycheck, what is more, they allow this to determine their attitude and seldom even attempt to bring as much value to the world around them as they are capable.
Most go about their lives like zombies, they do rote jobs day in and day out, come home, burry their noses in smart phones or zone out to whatever is streaming over the internet or on TV.
Time is escaping them and they have no clue as to the real power they have if they would just step away from all that for a moment and take a long hard look.
How do we do this? How do we break out of the cycle and bring more meaning to the things we are doing? We have to find our passions.
What motivates you?
What interests you?
How can that be applied to every aspect of your life?
Rather than just earning a living and going through life half awake would it not be better to actually live and experience life to its' fullest?
In order to do this we have to change our mindsets, first and foremost, we have to change the way we look at things AND the way we do or approach things.
We have to stop looking at circumstances as something negative, but as opportunities, we have to stop thinking about the problems as problems and start focusing on the solutions or, better yet, start letting the solutions flow from a cultivated lust for life itself, for freedom, for passion.
Look in the mirror, get to know that person, really know them. Put down the smart phone for a few days at a time, start taking back the time you are given here and take charge of it, use it, be mindful of its' value to you and do not sell yourself short.
Confucius once said, 'I have never met anyone that lacks the strength.' This is a great starting point because he is referring to you, to me, to everyone. EVERYONE has potential! All we have to do is get motivated, get passionate, and make changes within ourselves and we will start to see changes in the realities we each experience on a day to day basis.
From mind comes intent, get that intent in your head, see it, make it solid, make it real, then project it out through your will to action, do it.
Lose the word 'try' and just do it because 'try' is a cop-out that people use when they only intend to give something part of their effort and attention.
YOU have the power to change your life, no one else can do it for you and if you only 'try' then you will always fall short.
Get up. Start now. Do not just 'believe' you can... KNOW that you can, in fact, get it in your mind that you have already done it.
Real change happens from within.
One of the most meaningful things I have learned over the years is that we become what we think and what we think creates the reality in which we live.
This is a very true statement when we actually pay attention, but many might dismiss it outright and justify such a dismissal by saying we have absolutely no control over our circumstances and that certain things cannot be helped.
Many wake up and go to their nine to fives with no real sense of purpose other than making a living to pay the bills, they constantly trade time for money and end up with very little return at the end of the day, living paycheck to paycheck, what is more, they allow this to determine their attitude and seldom even attempt to bring as much value to the world around them as they are capable.
Most go about their lives like zombies, they do rote jobs day in and day out, come home, burry their noses in smart phones or zone out to whatever is streaming over the internet or on TV.
Time is escaping them and they have no clue as to the real power they have if they would just step away from all that for a moment and take a long hard look.
How do we do this? How do we break out of the cycle and bring more meaning to the things we are doing? We have to find our passions.
What motivates you?
What interests you?
How can that be applied to every aspect of your life?
Rather than just earning a living and going through life half awake would it not be better to actually live and experience life to its' fullest?
In order to do this we have to change our mindsets, first and foremost, we have to change the way we look at things AND the way we do or approach things.
We have to stop looking at circumstances as something negative, but as opportunities, we have to stop thinking about the problems as problems and start focusing on the solutions or, better yet, start letting the solutions flow from a cultivated lust for life itself, for freedom, for passion.
Look in the mirror, get to know that person, really know them. Put down the smart phone for a few days at a time, start taking back the time you are given here and take charge of it, use it, be mindful of its' value to you and do not sell yourself short.
Confucius once said, 'I have never met anyone that lacks the strength.' This is a great starting point because he is referring to you, to me, to everyone. EVERYONE has potential! All we have to do is get motivated, get passionate, and make changes within ourselves and we will start to see changes in the realities we each experience on a day to day basis.
From mind comes intent, get that intent in your head, see it, make it solid, make it real, then project it out through your will to action, do it.
Lose the word 'try' and just do it because 'try' is a cop-out that people use when they only intend to give something part of their effort and attention.
YOU have the power to change your life, no one else can do it for you and if you only 'try' then you will always fall short.
Get up. Start now. Do not just 'believe' you can... KNOW that you can, in fact, get it in your mind that you have already done it.
Real change happens from within.
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