discipline Archives | Andrew Shaw

career goals, discipline, exercise, Performance goals, time management

How to stay consistent

Let’s dive into something countless individuals confide in me, a struggle that resonates profoundly – the quest for consistency.

I’ve walked this path too, and through countless conversations, I’ve seen a recurring theme.

Many are trapped in a cycle – aspiring for change, yet wrestling with its maintenance.

It’s a familiar script: initial zeal succeeded by distracting deviations.

The notion that a new partner, house, or job holds the key to our sought-after validation and joy often guides these pursuits.

But, here’s the twist: old challenges remerge, blurring that initial hope. Familiar issues resurface, birthing discontent.

This cyclic dance leads to unhappiness in relationships, dissatisfaction in careers, and a general feeling of unrest.

It’s a phenomenon I call the “shiny object syndrome.” The relentless pull of distraction, fuelled by the belief that novelty is the doorway to contentment.

This instinct traces back to our craving for newness, a trait etched in childhood – remember yearning for the latest toys?

This pattern imprisons us, propelling us from one endeavor to another, hoping the next “shiny object” will unlock serenity.

Progress blooms when we recognize distractions as costly diversions from fundamental resolutions.

The core change eludes us until we delve into our own depths. Partners, homes, jobs – they can’t rewrite our script.

The pivot arrives when we challenge our excuses, steering behaviours towards genuine metamorphosis.

This shift amplifies relationships, nurtures mental and physical well-being, and illuminates fulfillment.

I invite you to reflect upon this perspective. Together, let’s chart a course beyond the cycle, towards authenticity and lasting transformation.

career goals, confidence, discipline, High performance, motivation, Performance goals, stress, time management

Overcoming Procrastination and Embracing Change

If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re considering joining the High Value Executive program.

Yet, perhaps doubts are lingering in your mind, casting shadows over your aspirations. Doubts are natural companions on any journey of transformation, but they need not hold you back.

In fact, one of the most common reservations many of my clients faced before embarking on this transformative journey was the belief that they needed more time to implement changes and improve their circumstances.

The refrain, “I’ll start when I have more time,” echoed in the minds of many. It’s a sentiment I’m intimately familiar with, having wrestled with it myself.

Have you heard of the ‘when/then’ fallacy?

It’s a cognitive trap we often find ourselves ensnared in. It sounds something like this:

“When I have more time, then I’ll start making healthier choices.”

“When I’m financially stable, then I’ll start saving money.”

“When my life gets less chaotic, then I’ll focus on reducing stress.”

“When my relationship is perfect, then I’ll invest in improving it.

“It’s akin to saying, “I’ll pay for the gym membership once I’m already in shape.” The absurdity is clear, isn’t it?

However, it’s precisely this type of thinking that keeps us stationary, mired in procrastination and hesitation. We wait for the perfect moment, the ideal circumstances, the magic hour when everything aligns.

But here’s the truth: that moment rarely arrives. The truth is, waiting for the perfect conditions is like chasing a mirage — it’s an illusion that leads nowhere.

The root of this procrastination is fear and uncertainty, two insidious forces that often lurk beneath the surface of our intentions. Our brains are wired to avoid uncertainty; they crave the comfort of routine, even if that routine is making us miserable.

This is the invisible chain that holds us back, preventing us from embracing change and embarking on transformative journeys.

Allow me to introduce you to John, a client who was caught in this very web of uncertainty. When he first reached out to me, he voiced a common concern: “Can I really achieve this transformation with my busy life? I have a business to run and a family to care for.”

The High Value Executive program is designed with the minimum effective dose principle in mind. This means that even amidst a bustling schedule, you can cultivate life-altering habits.

By cutting out irrelevant activities and focusing on what truly matters, you save time and energy. John recognized the value of this approach and decided to take a leap of faith.

As he began implementing the methods and strategies, he experienced a remarkable shift within just 30 days. His confidence grew, and he found a new sense of calm amidst life’s storms.

Three months later, the transformation was undeniable. His self-esteem soared, his relationships with his family deepened, he handled stress with newfound ease, and the weight of anxiety was lifted from his shoulders.

What’s remarkable is that the process felt natural and authentic to him, a journey that not only uplifted his own life but had positive ripples throughout his family. The transformation led to tangible personal and professional gains, and perhaps most importantly, he felt like the father and husband he’d always wanted to be.

Was it an effortless journey for John? No, he put in the work, faced challenges, and pushed through moments of discomfort.

Yet, the rewards he reaped were invaluable.

And here’s the truth that I want to share with you: if you’re willing to put in the effort, if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and embrace change, I’m here to guide you every step of the way.

The High Value Executive program isn’t a shortcut; it’s a commitment to growth and transformation. It’s about acknowledging the ‘when/then’ fallacy and embracing the power of the present. It’s about recognizing that waiting for the ‘right time’ is a trap, and the time to act is now.

So, if you’re ready to embark on a journey that leads to enhanced leadership, stronger relationships, improved well-being, and personal fulfilment, then I’m here to support you.

Together, we’ll break free from the chains of uncertainty, and you’ll discover the true potential that lies within you. It won’t always be easy, but with dedication and guidance, you can achieve results that will amaze you. Are you willing to take the leap?

Click here to apply

discipline, exercise, habits

Are you avoiding discomfort?

What I’m talking about here is, physical discomfort.

Everyday I’ll endure some form of physical discomfort.

Because I’m a sadist? Nope, quite the contrary.

I’m using the body to calm the mind.

Aside from the myriad of physiological benefits there are massive psychological benefits to the right kind of physiological discomfort.

Exercise, for example, induces structural and functional changes in the brain. Determining enormous benefit on cognitive functioning.

And cold exposure increases the production of feel good brain chemicals. But unlike nicotine & alcohol, there’s no come down (when those chemicals fall below baseline).

Although you should know, it’s rare that I want to put myself through this discomfort.

But knowing that I’ll feel better for doing them and more importantly, worse for not, is enough to see me get them done.

So, I schedule them in to make them habitual.

And if you’re thinking that I’m spending some ridiculous amount of time doing these.

Think again.

I’m an advocate of the minimum effective dose. The least amount of work that will get me the results I’m after.

Each week I’m doing 4 x 45 minute weight sessions, 7 x 20 minute cardio sessions, 7 x 1 minute cold exposure sessions, 1 x 43 minute swim (the time it takes me to swim a mile).

What daily discomfort do you make part of your day?

career goals, confidence, discipline, exercise, habits, Performance goals, sleep, stress

4 reasons you’re not doing what you need to

Hello *|FNAME|*,

Have you ever thought to yourself?

‘why when it comes to the 11th hour can I not make the right decision and do what I need to do?’

you know this would benefit your self improvement and wellbeing

but instead you do something else that distracts you and steers you further from your goal.

The reason why comes down to several things:

1. Your reliance on motivation

Permanent motivation is a fantasy. No one is always motivated!

If you’re conjuring up an image of someone in your head. They’re not, it’s a misconception.

You might even perceive me as someone who is motivated. I’m not!

My motivation is fleeting at best. I’ve made my peace with not being motivated for protracted periods, and yes I seize it when it’s there.

But motivation only makes the task a little easier, it’s not the determining factor of whether I do what I need to.

My point is this..

…the majority of the time I don’t feel like doing what I need to. But I crack on regardless.

Because I’ve built my discipline and increased my self control.

Plus, I’ve cultivated a routine and environment that doesn’t test my urges, a ‘Ulysses contract’ if you would. So I’m not getting distracted.

That’s not to say I don’t experience temptation and the lure of distraction. I do.

But I’m able to fend it off by acknowledging the distraction.

Then I hear the voice of Gold Five from Star Wars telling me to ‘Stay on target’ and I swat the temptation away like an annoying mosquito.

So I stay focused on the task, present with what I’m doing. Giving it my full attention.

2. Hardwiring

We human beings have some outdated programming.

Our operating systems are running the command: avoid pain, seek pleasure.

Whilst this programming was beneficial for us in the Palaeolithic era (to keep you alive). In the modern era it’s become detrimental to your wellbeing.

We live in an environment where food, fornication, stimulants, amusements are abundant.

This constant drive for pleasure, this archaic programming, is now self destructive.

Companies have tapped into this pleasure drive and are selling you products to appease it.

(which is insidious because they profit as you perish).

There’s now so much pleasure immediately available we’re over consuming. And it’s making us weaker and unhappier.

But you can help yourself. You can recognise the outdated pleasure command and start re coding your mind.

Enter this:

}
partake in activities (that bring) {
short term pain(and long term gain);
}
}

3. Irrelevant goals

Ask yourself; is it actually your goal or are you going along with the masses?

Are you confusing society’s goals with your own? ‘Keeping up with the Jones’. Upgrading your lifestyle but never stopping to ask yourself:

‘if I didn’t care about what others thought, would I still have this as a goal? Or have I been caught up in the facade that I need x because they have it?

When we’re not doing the things that improve our human experience (the things that enhance our wellbeing) we’ll distract ourselves.

We’ll start looking to others. Making comparisons with people who we shouldn’t be. Forming goals and desires based on what they’ve got.

Reminder: if the grass seems greener it’s usually because you haven’t been watering your side!

but these desires are usually superficial.

And here’s the kicker; with superficial goals come superficial rewards.

Happy on the outside (what’s shown to others), but unfulfilled on the inside.

So dig deep and do what you want to do. If it’s different to the herd’s ideal then you’re on the right track!

4. Absence of a routine

Do you find your days are pretty much you performing random tasks based on how you feel?

Or tasks other people have given you because you have no plans of your own?

This is the definition of operating on a whim.

Without a plan, a routine, you’ll experience inconsistence.

Here’s where a routine would be beneficial.

Before you open your calendar and start inputting tasks to fill your time.

I’ve found the best way to go about this is to reverse engineer your goal.

Start off with your purpose, which is your North Star, your direction to follow. This is important because when you have purpose, what you’re doing will mean more to you.

Then you’ll need to set a goal. It’s one thing to know your purpose, but how will you go about fulfilling it?

Set a goal that’s tangible. Make it big, make it specific and give it a deadline.

Now you know your purpose and you know how to realize it (with your goal). You need to know how to get there.

This is why having a plan is important. It allows you to break your goal down. All the way to daily actions.

After that you build habits. Habits are systems and processes for your life. They ease the smooth running of your day. Most of the time you’ll do them automatically.

Achieving your goal is inevitable when you transfer actions from your plan into habits.

Voila.

Speak soon

Andrew

confidence, discipline

To the Himalayas and back

Hello,

It has been a while, 3 weeks to be exact.

The reason for my brief hiatus. Well, for the first time in years I took a complete break from work.

To take some time to myself (which is rare these days).

So I put myself in an environment where I was well and truly ‘off the grid’.

I did this as I realised that on previous holidays I’d find myself working.

My family would be by the pool or on the beach and I’d sneak off back to the hotel room to check emails or messages.

Not conducive to relaxation and by doing so misses the point of the holiday.

But on this break working was out of the question. No room for a laptop and the Wi-Fi in the Himalayas is sketchy to non existent!

So this was a proper holiday.

Although on reflection calling it a holiday would be far fetched.

Because when you’re away for several weeks in a place where there’s:

*No hot water (sometimes no water)

*Sporadic electricity availability

*Little sleep allowance

*-20 degree nights

*No toilets (well, a bucket inside a small tent/a hole in the ground).

*And the average day of hiking circa 15km across varied terrain. That ranged from uphill to very steep (‘Nepali flat’ as our guides called it).

You can’t call it a holiday.

I’d call it a break.

Another challenge to put me out of my comfort zone.

And this was by far the most punishing of all my challenges to date.

What I did find was, because this challenge took place in an inhospitable environment,

where everyday I’d wake up with a mind bending headache.

Knowing I was over 500miles away from my family.

Fully aware that everyday was going to be a slog and that I had to rely on myself to get through it.

You become more resilient, and your resolve is strengthened.

Problems and stresses that were all encompassing at home now seemed trivial.

Normal holiday concerns like;

Which restaurant will we dine at tomorrow.

Do I spend a day by the pool or at the beach?

Were replaced by:

Do I have enough water?

Why is my heart racing?

Am I having an asthma attack? (most nights)

When is my next meal coming?

There were no luxuries, no room service, no comforts.

You’re taken right down to the bottom of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs.

A real test of discipline and resilience. That took me to my physical and mental limits.

The physical limits were battling against altitude. Which pushes you down as you try and climb higher.

And the mental challenges were things like:

Unzipping myself from a frost covered sleeping bag in the middle of the night. Putting on a head torch then clothing and boots. Leaving the tent to walk 100meters over rocky terrain to the toilet. All the while knowing that, although rare, Snow leopards operated in the area!

And also making my peace with a freezing cold shower knowing that it might be the last for some days.

This was the status quo for 2 weeks whilst we trekked higher and higher. A slow and steady ascent to give us the best possible chance to adjust to the altitude.

The effects of which nothing could prepare you for!

I’m telling you now – I was as prepared as I could have been with my health and fitness. Although the altitude still bent me in half!

And although I was able to overcome the altitude sickness. The same couldn’t be said for everyone in the group.

It was devastating for those who’d succumb to it and had to be evacuated by rescue helicopter.

Knowing that was the end of their expedition and their goal of reaching the Summit.

Yet this pales in significance to what I’m about to tell you.

On the Sunday after returning to camp after our summit of Lobuche. We sat down in our dining tent for our celebratory dinner.

Everyone was in good spirits. We were elated. After all we had all Summited the Mountain.

Drinks were flowing, music was playing it was a great atmosphere.

But half way through the festivities one of the members of the 2nd expedition team came into the tent.

He apologised for his interruption and said that he didn’t want to ruin the celebrations.

But he thought it best we knew..

…one of their group had passed away a few hours ago!

He told us that shortly after leaving camp on their push for the summit the guy had complained of chest pain.

The guide with the group told him to return to camp and rest in his tent.

That was the last time anyone would see him alive.

Several hours later, on returning from the summit. The person sharing his tent made the harrowing discovery. He alerted everyone and efforts were made to revive him

Although it was too late.

He had passed several hours before.

The mood in the dining tent went from jubilation to sorrow.

The news hit us all hard.

It brought home the stark reality; that we were all very fortunate.

And we’d been spared by this cruel and unforgiving environment.

In light of the news we delayed our plans to leave high camp that afternoon and stayed for one more night at high camp.

We were told that the Sherpa’s would carry the deceased to the helipad in the morning. And after that we would make our descent to Pheriche.

I remember walking out of high camp feeling very emotional. Taking one last look at the mountain. Feeling very fortunate to be leaving high camp and on my way home.

With objective 1 achieved (Summit Lobuche East) objective 2 (Make it home) was now in play.

One of the members of the group quoted to me on the trek:

‘until you make it down to the bottom, you belong to the mountain.‘

That reverberated in my head all the while we were climbing down from high camp.

I became more cautious with my footing. More vigilant about the surroundings.

All my focus was on getting home.

The tragedy had definitely made me more attentive and respectful to the environment.

A few days later we arrived in Lukla and The Tenzing-Hillary Airport. This was the last part of the expedition.

Flying out of the World’s most dangerous airport.

This airport has its runway laid out on a cliffside between mountains. When I say runway we’re talking only 1,729 feet of it. Dropping straight into an abyss at the end.

Although this is nothing you can worry about. The responsibility is out of your hands and in those of the pilot’s and the plane.

All you can do is enjoy the ride.

I found the safety talk from the air hostess particularly amusing.

She stood hunched over in the tiny fuselage and informed the 10 of us where the emergency exits were.

All the while I was thinking to myself that any impact at all would see this toy plane disintegrate. And emergency exits wouldn’t be an issue.

Thankfully the plane held together and we landed safely at Rammechap airport. Ready for the next ordeal. A minibus transfer through the hills that made you feel like you were on one of those virtual reality rides.

Sheer drops, questionable overtaking manoeuvres, animals in the road. And potholes that could be mistaken for meteor strikes. All added to the excitement of this white knuckle ride.

Thankfully the blessing I received in Dingbouche from a Lama a few days before our climb was holding. And we made it to Kathmandu.

Kathmandu aka the place the Health & Safety daren’t step foot. Was the final destination of the expedition. Our arrival there marked the end of our travels.

Finally I could relax in this chaotic and stunning location. Knowing that tomorrow I’d be on a plane home having achieved my objectives.

career goals, confidence, discipline, habits, Performance goals, stress, weight loss

The day you became a successful man

In a society hellbent on being successful nobody ever stops to think about what success is.

Most guys don’t know what success means to them.

All they know is; they want to be successful, so they pursue the things they think that success entails.

Shaped on societies definition, what social media, TV and media tell them it is.

Blinkered by the superficial and oblivious to the fundamental.

They pursuit superficial goals and wind up leading empty lives.

Bereft of integrity. Devoid of authenticity.

Driving a fancy car to a job they hate.

Returning home to a loveless home.

Backloading their life plans for ‘someday’ that never comes.

Exhausted from the poor habits they’ve picked up.

And broken by the stress they’ve chosen not to deal with.

From the outside it looks like Nirvana

But on the inside it’s a sesspit of misery.

That’s why it’s not success…

…if you’ve neglected yourself in the process!

If the means has only been to justify the end.

Then you’ve missed the point!

Real success comes from embracing the process.

Tests of resolve, the forging of confidence, improving oneself physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Having a sense of fulfillment from your livlihood, your purpose.

A loving relationship, raising a family and being a strong rolemodel.

Everything else is just noise.

career goals, confidence, discipline, habits, High performance

How to get over fear

The common misconception is that you shouldn’t be afraid when it comes to taking action.

Especially with something that takes you outside of your comfort zone.

When you mention to someone that you want to do something. But you’re scared about doing it. They’ll give you some well intentioned, but terrible advice, like;

‘Don’t be afraid’ or ‘There’s nothing to be scared of’.

Because most people work on the assumption that you can turn fear off. And high achieving people have no fear because they’ve turned it off.

This is why fear is one of our most misunderstood emotions.

Which is a shame, because it holds so many people back from achieving their goals.

So I would like to help you understand fear.

You need to understand that the Palaeolithic software that our minds are running, is skewed towards fear.

Back in the day (hunter gatherer) fear was a more valuable emotion.

The cavemen that were fearful of the large shadow is the long grass. Lasted a lot longer than those caveman who weren’t that fussed.

The fearful would avoid the situation their ‘spidy senses’ alerted them to.

Whereas those that were fearless became the lunch of some prehistoric beast. And their genes would be unapologetically weeded out out of existence.

Which meant our ancestors survived, procreated and passed on their fear driven operating system.

Which means that fear will never go away.

It waits in the bushes for you!

And as soon as you try something outside of your comfort zone fear pops up. The red light that sees you jump on the brakes. And you stop yourself.

It feels like an automatic reaction. Like something you have no control over.

And after enough times of experiencing this, you form the belief of ‘I can’t do it because I’m afraid’.

Or ‘if I’m afraid, something’s not right and I shouldn’t do it’.

Here’s where I’m going to ask you to address what you currently understand about fear.

So you can get over it and start taking action!

When you’re about to do something outside of your comfort zone. It’s completely normal that fear pounces!

In fact it would be weird if you didn’t experience fear in that scenario. The absence of it means you likely have some abnormality.

(Or your ancestors where one of those Laissez–faire cavemen who luckily made it through).

I used to give into the fear a lot.

Over the years I missed out on countless opportunities from capitulating to this archaic software.

I’d find myself stuck. Wanting to take action, but too afraid.

Until someone helped me think about it differently.

Which changed everything!

And with this mindset I began doing things that fear had previously stopped me from doing.

Then as I became more confident with my updated software I started testing myself. Doing things to evoke the fear and see how easy I could push past it.

I took on the fear of being in front of a crowd of people wearing only my underwear (that all too familiar nightmare). Through doing a bodybuilding competition. Which saw me in shorts on stage in front of hundreds of people.

I got over my fear of swimming in the sea or any open water (probably from watching Jaws too young). Through open water swimming.

My fear of a getting in a fight through Boxing and Judo.

My fear of speaking in front of people through public speaking arrangements.

I was terrified before all of those events, but then I took that first step.

On to the stage,

into the lake,

into the ring

and soon onto the mountains (to take on my fear of heights).

Because as I’ve come to learn. As soon as you to take action…

…fear disappears!

And thanks to this new mindset I recognise that fear doesn’t mean I have to stop.

Because it’s not a red light…

…it’s an amber light!

And you have a choice to make when it appears.

You can stop which means the light goes red.

Or you can give yourself a green light and start doing the things you want to do!

The Disciplined Man 90 Day Coaching Program

confidence, discipline, motivation

Why motivation is hurting your progress

When people ask me ‘how do you stay motivated?’ It tell them ‘I don’t!’

When they ask me ‘how do you build motivation?’ I tell them ‘you don’t!’

I might sound like I’m unenthused or pessimistic but I can assure you I’m not.

I say this to help people understand that motivation is actually hindering them.

I’ll explain.

When your workouts are a war.

Your mindfulness exercises a fight.

Your imposed bedtimes a battle.

And your healthy food choices a struggle.

It doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you.

If you’re under some impression that you should be motivated to do these things and this inner conflict is something unique to you…

…you’re wrong!

You’re are no different to anyone else. Everyone has the ‘Monkey’ in their head.

The Monkey’s job is to convince you to not do what you should be doing. And he’ll propose doing something easier, more exciting instead.

When this Monkey is absent, taking a bit of R&R. Recharging his batteries, before returning to once again stop you pursuing your goals…

…is when you’ll experience bouts of productivity and action. (You’re free from the Monkey’s powerful persuasion to Netflix and Chill.)

But when he’s back, that’s when the battle arises.

And right now it’s not a competition…

…he’s winning every time!

The Monkey is too strong and persuasive. He knows every trick in the book to stop you taking action towards your goal.

And exactly which buttons to press to re route you away from your dream.

He’s louder, stronger and his option is way more compelling.

And this is my problem with Motivation

It isn’t a compelling drive…

…it’s an absence of The Monkey.

And it’s how you’re currently operating.

Long periods of inactivity, interspliced with spurts of effort. (When the Monkey is taking annual leave (he doesn’t take much, he’s very dedicated to his job!)).

This is why motivation is not something to rely on!

People that are consistent with taking action know this.

Instead they rely on a routine. And over time they’ve strengthened their discipline to adhere to their routine.

To a point where they can overpower the Monkey every time. And force it into it’s cage (it’s not cruel, it’s a fictional metaphor).

Enabling them to take the action necessary to progress.

They don’t need to wait until their Monkey is away to take action.

And it’s this consistent action that sees them achieve their goal.

So if you need help with achieving confidence and focus to achieve your goals. Through the development of a good habits and routine.

Check out my Program The Disciplined Man

body goal, career goals, confidence, discipline, habits, motivation

5 steps to achieving your goals

When it comes to achieving your goals consistency is the secret sauce. But it’s an acquired taste.

Here are 5 ways to consistently take action and get what you want.

If you are always setting goals but never achieving them you need to read this!

You’ve been led to believe that you should be motivated. And whoever is the most motivated wins.

It’s bullshit!

The truth is, those that succeed consistently take action regardless of how they feel about doing it.

Motivation may get you started but it’s consistency that will see you finish!

1. Small steps

The theory is simple:

Follow this plan for x amount of weeks and get results.

The reality is hard:

You’re struggling to keep it going for more than a few days.

Start off with the minimum effective dose.

Do the least amount of work that will result in progression.

Once you’re consistent with that amount then you can add more.

2. Acceptance

What you want is on the other side of the things you don’t want to do.

We live in a the digital age where stimulation is only a click away; Nirvana for the monkey brain.

This need for things to be exciting is counter productive.

Get comfortable with doing the uncomfortable/ boring things.

Make peace with the fact that there will be things you dislike doing on a daily basis.

If you imagine that happening 1,000 times in a row all of a sudden it becomes immaterial.

Because it’s expected. You know it’s going to happen every single day. You’re mentally prepared.

3. Your success/failure is found in your routine (or absence of one).

Until you’re consistent you won’t be able to tell is its working or not.

Without a routine you’ll be stuck on a plateau, constantly taking one step forward then one step back.

The greatest routine will feature these habits:

Consistent waking time
Early morning sunlight
Early cardio
Nutritious meals
Being in nature
Walking
Weight lifting
Journaling
A bedtime routine
Consistent bedtime

4. Become a Time Lord

Once I replaced:

TV with Online learning.

Radio with Audible.

Netflix with exercise.

The news with writing.

My productivity went to a whole new level.

From making these swaps I improved my wellbeing created more time and made use of dead time.

5. Make it emotive

Make sure you know why you are working towards your goal.

What bigger purpose is your goal a part of?

If it’s important enough then you’ll have an endless reserve of energy that you can tap into when needed.

Reframe your actions as ‘musts’ not ‘shoulds’ i.e. ‘I must do x so I can achieve my goal, which is serving my purpose.’

6. Bonus; Accountability

It’s all too easy to let yourself off the hook!

Be accountable to someone!

The American Society of Training and Development found that if you commit to someone.

And you have regular accountability appointments with that person.

You will increase your chance of success by up to 95%.

career goals, confidence, discipline, exercise, habits, Performance goals, sleep, weight loss

How to improve the quality of your life

To achieve this you need to improve your habits. I’ll explain why.

Years ago I was caught in the ‘lottery win’ mindset.

I convinced myself that overnight success was the result of some windfall. A brush with good fortune.

This was the reason people had aquired their life situation.

What didn’t help was that the media, movies and tabloids would all cement this notion.

But as time passed and I started researching, reading, experimenting. And speaking to the most revered in my industry (people who had achieved great levels of success). I began to form a different hypothesis.

One that was at the other end of the spectrum to ‘overnight success’.

That it takes a lot of time for overnight success to occur. It is actually the culmination of months or years of work.

It’s the small efforts repeated daily that led to a better quality of life.

I’m talking about the small actions that we don’t even think about, because they are habitual. The decisions we make in autopilot mode.

But these are the decisions that shape our future.

So how do we address them? And improve the quality of our lives?

Well, there are some steps, 4 actually. Steps that you can climb up to make change inevitable.

1. The first step is the unconscious incompetence stage.

This is when we’re making bad decisions and we aren’t even aware we’re doing it.

We just know that things aren’t working out.

Here’s were something as being cognisant can help. Bringing tracking into the equation. For our sleep, our diet, our exercise and our stress.

‘that sounds like a lot of time‘. I hear you say.

‘Oh contrare mon frère’.

It’s no extra time! – you’re already doing this stuff so you just record at the time.

After this you’ll then enter into the next stage which is

3. The conscious incompetence.

You start to look at the actual decision and data. It makes it clear.

This is where you are aware that you’re not making optimal decions

You can see that you’re not adhering to the plan you have, if you even have a plan.

You can see where poor choices are actually hindering you.

This is the ‘wow I didn’t realise I was having that many calories’

or ‘I thought I was getting more sleep than that’.

‘Maybe I could cancel my gym membership because I’ve only been once this month’

and the classic – ‘this app can’t be working right’.

It is, and they are! Your ego is just having a hard time coming to terms with your choices.

Remember our thoughts are not the truth but rather stories that we get caught up in!

This is the cold hard truth slapping you across the face, the reality punch to the gut!

An uncomfortable period where you realise things are not as they seem. Or rather as you ‘believed’

Quickly moving on to the next stage 🙂

3. The conscious competence stage

This is where your decisions are improving. Due to some changes you’ve implemented (through self or professional guidance).

You’re making better decisions. But they’re not automatic yet. It still requires effort and discipline to make these decisions.

This is a nice stage as you can actually see change occurring with your actions. You feel good from making better decisions.

4. Then you arrive at the unconscious competence stage.

After enough time in the previous stage. These new benficial life changing decisions become automatic.

You’ve likely amended or introduced a routine which makes actions habitual. And in this ascension you’ve form a new identity.

You see yourself as the person who eats healthy, goes to the gym, gets 8 hours sleep. And is relaxed from practicing mindfulness exercises.

You’re energetic and ethused. You have more clarity and you’re making better decisions as this 2.0 version of you.

Which stage are you in?