In my last blog post I mentioned a quote by Mohandas Gandhi that I like: “Healthy discontent is the prelude to progress.”
The attitude reflected in this quote relates to how we can motivate and choose to organize ourselves for peaceful personal growth. Here’s how:
We increase our awareness of what we’re experiencing in our lives by being fully present and paying attention. We take time to review what we have been experiencing in our lives. This time of year is a good one to review what happened last year. This helps us to better understand the content of our lives. We need to be clear on what’s working, what isn’t working and why.
Next we create and use a step-by-step process of implementing and practicing new daily habits as we continue forward. It’s important that we are persistent and have reminders that help us continue to practice the changes we implement.
Recently I was reading David Allen’s e-newsletter. David is the author of the book Getting Things Done (GTD). He suggests going through the list of questions below and considering our answers in these areas:
Physical, Emotional, Mental, Spiritual, Financial, Family, Community Service, and Fun / Creativity / Recreation
I think this series of questions is a great way to review what’s been happening in our lives, and plan what we want to create next. I suggest answering these questions with the idea that comes to you first, without editing or second-guessing your response.
For last year:
- What was your biggest triumph?
- What was the smartest decision you made?
- What one word best sums up and describes your 2011 experience?
- What was the greatest lesson you learned?
- What was the most loving service you performed?
- What is your biggest piece of unfinished business?
- What are you most happy about completing?
- Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life?
- What was the biggest risk you took?
- What was the biggest surprise?
- What important relationship improved the most?
- What compliment would you like to have received?
- What compliment would you like to have given?
- What else do you need to do or say to be complete?
Creating the new year:
- What would you like to be your biggest triumph?
- What advice would you like to give yourself ?
- What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results?
- What would you be most happy about completing?
- What major indulgence are you willing to experience?
- What would you most like to change about yourself?
- What are you looking forward to learning?
- What do you think your biggest risk will be?
- What about your work, are you most committed to changing and improving?
- What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore?
- What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that?
- Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving?
- What one word would you like to have as your theme in 2012?
As a summary, write a paragraph answering these three questions:
WHAT do I want to create in my life? To best answer this question, draw from your strengths, interests, gifts and talents. Use what motivates and inspires you and gives you energy.
WHY do I want to create this in my life? Be clear on your intentions so that you draw the people, experiences and opportunities to yourself that will support what you want to create.
HOW am I going to get there? Be very deliberate in articulating your step-by-step plan of action and carrying it out day-by-day. And when things aren’t working, notice and adjust.