The way of the Samurai

Today was a busy day! 
Busy, busy, busy! 


I had so many things to do, places to go, people to talk to. Albeit the fatigue at the end of the day, I felt great about myself. Ahhh, the feeling of getting things done! Moving and shaking! 


Keeping busy and running around makes me feel important because it is a way to prove to myself that I have people to attend to, situations to take care of. 


Allowing myself to lay down on my oversized sofa, a realization I couldn't shake off my shoulders just sat there, making the busy day's satisfaction turn to dust. What whipped me like the blade of a sword was the understanding that that which kept me busy the whole day is not necessarily what is going to get me where I really want to be. 


Remaining busy allows us to feel loved and valuable. Answering emails, telephone calls, helping friends and business partners out, all the admirable activities an honorable person has got to do to get through a productive day.  


Unsuccessfully, I tried to muffle the questions that were getting louder in my head: how focused was I today on what I really want? How focused was I on my latest goal? Did I dedicate myself in a continual, uninterrupted manner towards my goal, my target? 


So you might say that your goal is a long term goal, it won't happen even if you do dedicate yourself to it for three hours straight.  To that I say, break your goal down! Choose a smaller, short term goal that will allow you to remain focused and will lead you unequivocally to the long term one.  Breaking down your goals is a good way to make them sharper, so you can powerfully focus on what's at hand at the moment, always working towards arriving at the bigger picture. 


The Time Matrix below is a great tool to help you keep on track with your priorities. 

 1.                                                                     2.

Important and Urgent ie. Some phone calls Emergencies Crises	Important and Not Urgent ie. Planning Preparation Solidifying relationships
3. Not Important and Urgent ie. Emails Distractions Some meetings Some phone calls 1. What needs to be done straight away. No way of getting around it.  3. Items that need to be minimized or eliminated altogether, they suck up our time.	4. Not Important and Not Urgent ie. Trivia Chat Time wasters Unnecessary tasks 2. Steven Covey, author of the book "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" argues that this is what we should focus on if we really want to achieve our goals. 4. To do only when you have time to kill!

How do you think this modern day Samurai achieved his goal? 

If I were a rich man...

Today I was reminded of the unforgettably spectacular "Fiddler on the Roof" play, that tells the story of a Jewish family man who is going through his life dealing with changes. His daughters are growing and it's time to find them a husband, newcomers to the village are not welcome and amidst it all, Tevye, the main character, is dirt poor.

At one point, Tevye has a little conversation with God and here's how it goes:

This delightful video depicts Reb Tevye sharing his wish to be a wealthy man. We all have wishes. Some are as big as becoming wealthy while others are not as big, like wanting a new pair of sunglasses or a computer.

So how can we make our wishes come true? Reb Tevye chose to have a talk with the Big Man up there. If he will be heard or not is a different story, but I will share some tips on how to turn your wishes into reality.

The first step to attaining your wish is to stop seeing it as merely a wish and make it into your goal. What is the difference, one might ask, between a wish and a goal? Well, the difference is in the structure. A wish is like a dream, something that is nice to imagine but not much energy is put into actually attaining it. Do you still wish upon a star? Well, if you do, I'm going to have to be the one who will awaken you to the bitter fact that the star will do nothing to help your wish come true! Sorry if I burst your bubble! Life is cruel, I know!

Start acting by writing your goal down. Writing our goals down is the first step to making them achievable. It also gives us the opportunity to go back to them when we start drifting away! State your goal in the positive, as the brain does not make a distinction between positive and negative. For example, if you want to stop smoking, your written statement will not be "I will stop smoking". The brain will focus on "smoking" and that will make it all the more difficult to quit. A good way to write it down would be "I am smoke free" or "I am healthy". Notice too, I have written "I am..." instead of "I want to...". Expressing your goal in the present engages your brain in believing it is in that state.

Make your goal as specific as possible. Include details of how you want the goal to look like, smell, feel, etc. What exact outcome are you looking for or what is it exactly that you want to accomplish?

Also, make sure your goal is measurable. How will you know when you have achieved that goal if you are not able to quantify it, or to determine some sort of evidence that shows you have reached it?

Furthermore, take time to think if your goal is attainable. Is attaining that goal within your possibilities and does it only depend on you? I like to tell the story of how I once wanted to have "Madonna arms". I was living in the land of frustration, because obviously having "Madonna arms" was not within my possibilities as I did not have the time to work out so much nor did I have the right person next to me to guide me through it (a personal trainer for example). That kept me frozen, as I felt frustrated from the very beginning.

VIA Daily Mail

Make sure your goal is time bound. In other words, set a specific date for reaching that goal! That gives you a clear idea of when to start and a way to check your progress. Also, without a deadline, you think about the goal as something you will accomplish, someday, eventually, and that is not challenging enough for our task seeking brains.

Finally, HAVE FUN WITH IT! A goal doesn't have to be something heavy looming on the back of your head! Find ways to play with it. Just like Reb Tevye, sing about it out loud! Make up a tune and sing it in the car or in the shower! Make a drawing of yourself having achieved that goal! What will you look like? What will your environment look like? Add in lots of colors, make it radiant!

I am certain that Reb Tevye would achieve his goal of becoming a rich man if he had some extra tips on goal setting. He was definitely on the right track! He could already envision himself and what he would do if he were a rich man!

What about you? What will you do or look like after you have achieved your next goal?