What’s your vision? Seeing 20/20 for your life?

Ken Teegardin via Compfight

In the end, the overriding factor in whether or not you realize your dreams is going to be you. Not the world. YOU. – Russel Simmons

I haven’t written about my quest for 52 books in 52 weeks in quit a while now. Just busy writing other things. Most of which were based off of readers emails. So thanks for the inspiration… you know who you are 🙂 Anyhow, I am back on the grind this week. I’ve been keeping up with my reading and the latest and greatest was Russell Simmons book “Do You.”  I could not have read it at a more perfect time. Funny how things work out like that huh?

The book came at a perfect time. It addressed a lot of the theories I am currently covering in a course I am in. One of the things we have been covering is Virtues (or values). It’s come up that values are not something we can hold in our hand, physically touch, or sometimes see. But we can always pursue, experience, and live them. And for most of us to reach complete happiness we have to live them on a daily basis. When we don’t it’s easier for us to get upset, depressed, angry, and hard on ourselves. This can sometimes lead to bad choices like the foods we eat or the decision to not exercise.

So let’s get clear. What, who, and where do you want to be? Thanks Russell

What’s your vision?

What exactly is it that you want to accomplish? You might be saying to yourself that you have a million and one things you want to accomplish. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But imagine if Michelangelo tried to work on this statue of David and the Sistine Chapel at the same time. Or in the spirit of the Olympics if Gabby Douglas decided she wanted to be an olympic gymnast and olympic platform diver. Spreading herself over both spectrums might have been too much.

What is most important for you this instant? Is developing the exercise habit and getting healthy by practicing proper nutrition your number one priority? Think about taking on one challenge at a time. Mastering it and then moving on to your next vision.

I’m guilty as charged. To often there are way to many things I want to try to I end up never doing one of them because I’ve put too much on my plate and don’t know where to start. I’ve found with only one thing there it is easy to not only to get started but to finish as well.

Take time out today and write that one thing down.

“I want to accomplish ____________________________ for myself.”

“It is important to me because _________________________________.”

“I can get started today by _______________________________.”

Get your thoughts out there

One of the most beneficial things I have started doing for myself is writing everything down. For one, I do it through this blog (limitless list.) I also do it a little more privately in my diary….

Let’s go with something more masculine… My Journal.

Here’s a question to think about. Is it more painful to keep all your hopes, dreams, desires locked up inside of you. You never can succeed because you never get started or more painful to get them out there into the world, pursue them, and possibly fail but know you gave it your all and experienced the journey?

Think about starting a journal, blog, or just an open conversation with someone. Get out all those things you want to do, see, and be.

Be grateful for what you have been able to do thus for and the opportunity to do even more.

You might find the ideas you get out there to be numerous and overwhelming. That’s ok, just get them out there somehow. Afterwards take a day or two to recover. Go back to it and find one that is the most important to you right now. SEE ABOVE. Get started.

We’re all artists with a blank canvas

I mean this with all respect to the musicians, painters, and other artists out there. But the truth is we are all artists. Each day we wake up with a blank canvas. Sure some of the pages might be torn or have a smudge on them but essentially it is blank.

The opportunity for us to CREATE is there. Your mind, body, and spirit are your tools. Consider them your instrument, your voice, your paint brush, your crayons. Get started creating whatever it is your heart desires.

That first thought, emotion, and even meal sets you up for the entire day. Don’t believe me?

How many of you have woken up to stub your toe or trip over some clothes? Then you go downstairs to prepare a meal and hit your head on the freezer. Stuck in traffic going to work, you arrive late, there is a stack of “to-do’s” waiting for you. You have to work late, miss your workout, no mood for the movies now. Just a spiral from the moment you woke up.

Start your day with a win. First thing you do when you wake up in the morning after opening your eyes is to say thanks. Thanks for this wonderful life I have been given. The people who are in it and the opportunity I have to make a difference today.

Same goes for your first meal of the day. If you make it a donut chances are that is going to lead to some not so good choices the rest of the day.

Start the day off right with a good protein source like scrambled eggs or salmon, mix in some veggies, and include a healthy fat like avocado and not only will your appetite thank you but so will your blood sugar. You’re more likely to be satisfied longer and make good choices the rest of the day.

Take it one step further and get a quick workout in before that meal. A simple bodyweight session or quick run should do the trick. Can’t run? Try some jumping jacks or jump rope instead.

I win

Take notice of the wins in your life. A good way to do this is by creating a “I win” calendar. There are a ton of fancy ways to do this but I simply take my journal and at the end of the day I write the date and either “I win” or “I can do better.”

Regardless of my response I write the reason why I won today or why I can do better.

If you try this and stay with it for a while you’ll notice a couple of things. Either you win more often than not and if you happen to notice more “I can do betters” you’re probably not taking any of the advice you have written down about how you can.

This works terrific with the exercise and nutrition habit. You’ll really start to see a pattern forming as to why you missed a workout or healthy meal.

So the gist

You might be to busy bee, the social butterfly, or the I’ll be there for you type. You might be even be all three or something completely different. The point is that it’s totally cool! That is who you are so embrace it. Just don’t forget to DO YOU every so often by paying attention to what is going on with you and your own life.

Be there for yourself so that you can be there for others.

Do you fall into any of the types?

Live limitless,

J