Happy New Year!

I hope you are refreshed and ready to live your best life!

Let’s GO!

( …if not now, then when? )

I wholeheartedly support any and every endeavor to pursue positive change.

So many people poo poo on new years’ resolutions as if it’s better to what… do nothing? Stay the same? I don’t get it.

So whether you call it resolutions or goals, it’s all just a matter of language. Whether you choose to reset them once per year, once per quarter, month or week, I think it’s a good practice.

A New Type of Yearly Practice

Today I want to share a new type of practice for shaping your year. In the last few years, many people talk about choosing a “word” for the year. A positive value or character trait to embody.

You know… like ‘courage’ or ‘consistency” or ‘clarity’ (no, I’m not saying your word needs to start with a ‘c’) LOL.

You get the idea.

But the other day as I was thinking of the power of words… it hit me that the power of negative or debilitating words is almost more powerful than brand-new positive words.

Think about it…

Old negative words are old family members. Whether we agree with them or not, they have a history. They are familiar and easy to accept. However, they may hinder you from the progress or growth you want.

Wouldn’t it be more powerful to eliminate an unhealthy/limiting word, than add a new word?

I challenge you to come up with your own “anti” word.

Choose a word (or phrase) that you say to yourself often. One that inhibits you from feeling or acting or being the person you want to be. Can you see the difference between the person you were being last year from the person you want to be??

Can you list any distinctions or differences?

Instead of listing all the qualities, you WANT… think is core / key unproductive quality that you want to STOP thinking/being.

Some words you may want to consider are: “I can’t”, “I don’t know” “stuck”, “what if” or “think might not work” … idk.

( You really need to take some time with yourself. We all know our own habits and history best… )

When I posted this on Facebook, a few people responded with these words: “should” another said, “overwhelm.”

(technically, that last one was me)

The Power Sentence that Runs Your Life

A few weeks ago, my wife and I attended Life Coach Live, with Brooke Castillo. One of her initial lessons was finding the power sentences that run your life. She said that each of us has a recurring phrase or thought that drives our actions.

If that sentence wasn’t put there on purpose, it’s likely an automatic limiting belief driving us. But unless we stop, journal and process, we may never notice it.

Friend, I don’t know what words or phrases are driving your life, but I encourage you to identify any words that lead you to avoid risk or return to your comfortable past, and remove them. Any words that keep you repeating the past, instead of stepping into your bigger future.

Find your “anti” word for the year.

Pay attention when it comes to mind and proactively choose to say and do the opposite.

Since my word is “overwhelm” – I not only stop myself from saying or thinking it… I have also come up with an opposing thought, which goes something like:

“I am a leader who can manage multiple projects. If I choose to take this on, it will be handled with excellence.”

See how that works?

I will take a position of power and clarity to accept or not accept any opportunity. And if I’ve taken it on, that which I used to call “overwhelm” is not identified as the feeling of ‘responsibility.

Overwhelm is no longer in my vocabulary.

What about you?

For support on your thoughts and goals, subscribe here.

Create a Great Day!

Your need for balance is an abomination. 

A false virtue sucking the life out of real progress and growth.

Motivated by fear and scarcity with the underlying story (lie) that “IF I don’t keep juggling all these balls they will soon crash and my life will be destroyed.”

Have you heard the story about the juggling of balls?

That many of us juggle many balls and responsibilities… some being glass, and some (especially our work) being rubber? 

“You can drop the rubber, but don’t drop the glass.”

But how about this…

What if you just sit half the balls down.

Even the glass ones for a season.

And you focused on 2 balls for say 3 months.

No. Don’t just focus. 

How about relentlessly giving inordinate attention to the areas that need to grow. Areas in which IF successful will make everything else easier or unnecessary. 

If you’re a fan/reader of the Onething, you know where I got that last line.

I recently heard a line from Alex Hormozi comparing growth vs maintenance. 

He said how growth doesn’t come from doubling the effort as maintaining. But it could be 10-20x more effort to move the needle. 

Unfortunately, if we are always trying to “balance” 3, 4, 5, 6 priorities in life, we NEVER put forth the effort to make a real change. 

And without real change, there’s no reciprocal or spill over benefit in other areas of life. 

“We are kept from our goal, not by our obstacles, but by clear paths to lesser goals” – Dr. Ben Hardy quoting someone else. 🙂 

Trying to stay balanced is will constantly keep distractions and lower goals in front of you.

If there was an emergency, you wouldn’t worry about balance, right?

You would do whatever necessary for a period of time. 

So how can we have the same mentality in seasons of focus and sacrifice the sake of growth, and not survival?

That’s my encouragement to you. 

Be careful of your view or value of balance… it might be limiting belief. 

Create a Great Day!

P.S. 

The title of this article comes from the Bible, Proverb 11:1. For some reason that verse has always stood out to me. “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord.”

It speaks of dishonesty. Trickery. Lying for personal gain. So this article is no way, the same idea. However, I do appreciate the strong use of the word: “abomination.” 

I personally get angry when I discover I’m living or following a limited belief. 

Sometimes it takes a level of indignation to make a change. 

Selah.

P.P.S.

If you want tools, support, mindset strategy, and accountability for focusing on your most important goal… sign up for the Future Self Design.

…

Hey there!

Arvell here with an important message.

Especially on Thanksgiving.

I know holidays are times of relaxation and guilt free gluttony.

Football. Friends. Family. ✓

But if we’re honest, there’s also a temptation to think about all the things we wish were different.

Expectations of others.
… hopes about ourselves?

It’s natural, if you have standards, dreams, or ideals to compare how things are right now to how you wanted them to be.

No amount of gratitude or positive thinking will change that different. The gap is real if you’re being honest.

But Friend, let me draw you a picture.

That ^ picture summarizes the gist of a new book: The Gap and The Gain in a book by Dan Sullivan.

As I was saying earlier, it’s honest, common, and normal to MEASURE your today, with your ideal or your goal. But that perspective will ALWAYS be a GAP.

And putting your happiness/thankfulness in the GAP will ALWAYS be disappointing. Discouraging.

It may be true, but definitely not helpful.

Just as true is measuring your today with where you started.

There can always be a GAIN when you look that direction.

Seeing your GAINS creates gratitude. And thankfulness. Honestly. Naturally.

Are you in the GAP or the GAIN Friend?

Your answer is directly connected to your happiness.

Comparing your family situation with other people? Or how you wish it was? There’s no upside to that.

But where in your life are things truly better? Health? Home? A new friendship? Have you ever had a struggle around the holidays and now you don’t?

I’m sure there are places where you’ve gained…THAT’S where a happy/healthy/grateful mind come from.

Quoting the book:

“Being in the GAIN means you measure yourself backward, against where you were before. You measure your own progress. You don’t compare yourself to something external. You don’t measure yourself against your ideals.”

• When you’re in the GAP, you’re avoiding “here” while trying to get “there”—but never actually arriving “there.”
  
• When you’re in the GAIN, you’re completely free and happy right now. This enables you to commit 100 percent and pursue what you want without unhealthy attachments.

You get it?

No matter what’s happening or not happening you can honestly be thankful.

So why not? 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving friend.

Love you.

Create a Great Day!
Arvell Craig

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