Externally Determined

How many of your activities do you decide?

How much control do you have over your calendar?

Who else determines what you do?

Why is it the way it is?

Being in full control of what you do is bliss.

Most of us, however, are not.

We tend to be externally determined,

at least for part of our lives.

Self-determination is the path to self-empowerment.

Start with small steps and work up.

Not everyone can have full control,

yet every little bit counts.

What we do and don't do...

How often do you regret things that you have done?

How often do you regret things that you have not done?

How often are you happy about things you did?

And how often are you happy about not doing something?

Sometimes we don’t do things, and it is a pity.

Sometimes we do things, and that is a pity.

Life is one big learning experience.

We and we don’t; and this is the game.

Dwelling too much on this is pointless.

Learn from your past and execute now for the future.

Life is a game

How serious do you take life?

How stressed and anxious are you?

How do you feel while playing a game?

How could you make life feel like a game?

We tend to perform the best when we have fun.

We tend to be relaxed when we have fun.

Who is an expert at fun? - children are!

When we take things too seriously,

we end up stressed and anxious.

Life is a serious matter,

yet is a stressful life worth living?

Be more like a child and enjoy the ride.

Reaching Out

Who will you regret not reaching out to?

Why would you regret it?

How often are you prepared to reach out?

How should you reach out?

We all have conflicts in life.

We all have broken relationships.

Some of these lie heavy on us.

These are the ones we wish to fix.

It takes both parties to come together.

Yet, you can signal your readiness.

Often for years before it finally comes true.

And sometimes it might never be so.

Inheritance and Shame

How do you feel about your inheritance?

What do you feel ashamed about?

How many assets vs liabilities did you inherit?

What, apart from money, did you inherit?

Many people feel shame for what they inherit.

Yet, not all is good that is passed down.

Not only money and assets are passed down.

Don’t waste time with shame; it is useless.

Look at what you can do with what you receive.

Look at who you want to be — and be.

Rules and Community

How important are rules to you?

How important are rules to communities?

How often does breaking rules impact you?

How do you feel when it does?

Functioning communities have rules.

Rules that help the group live together.

Rules often reflect values and create boundaries.

Breaking rules breaks the values of the community.

And encroach on the personal space of others.

Think twice before breaking a rule.

Obligations and Liabilities

What do you think about obligations?

How many liabilities can you stomach?

When do you take them on?

Why do you take them on?

Obligations and liabilities are part of life.

For the most part, we can choose them.

And each of us has a personal threshold.

Some of us need more of them to succeed.

Others have the luxury to do it on their own.

Take on as much as you can carry.

Your gut will tell you where to stop.

Rushed Decisions

How quickly do you decide?

How often do you rush a decision?

Why did you rush any decisions?

What was the outcome of doing so?

Sometimes, we are put in a position to rush.

Usually, when we rush, we make mistakes.

Large stakes call for careful consideration.

Inconsequential decisions can be rushed.

When time is short, think very hard.

When you are pressured, think why.

The show stops here

When do you know it is time?

When do you know your limit is here?

How do you react when it arrives?

What should you have done?

We all have our limits.

Often, we don’t stop till it arrives.

However, we should take breaks before.

But, we do not feel the need.

Not till it is too late.

The show must go on…

Yet the show stops here.

The wrong Train

How often do you get on the wrong train?

How quickly do you realise?

How soon do you get off the train?

How expensive is each extra stop?

Is this really only about trains?

This is from a Japanese proverb.

It rings true for everything in life.

We often realise quicker than we think.

We often act later than we should.

The faster we act the cheaper the return.

Past, Present and Future

Where is your mind right now?

In the past, present or future?

How well can you focus on the now?

How well do you plan for tomorrow?

How well do you reflect on the past?

Living in the future causes anxiety.

Living in the past causes regret.

Yet, living solely in the present,

leaves you without a plan,

leaves you without learning.

Be 90% in the present, 5% in the future and 5% in the past.

Conscious time travel is the way to go.

Externalising Anger

How do you deal with anger?

Do you internalise it?

Or do you externalise it?

Or can you balance it out?

We all get angry at times.

Sometimes with good reason.

Sometimes for no good reason.

Internalising our anger is a bad plan.

Externalising it is better - the first step.

Balancing it out is the ultimate goal.

After all, no good decisions come from anger.

Expectations and Hopes

What are your expectations?

What do you hope for?

How realistic is one or the other?

How well do you distinguish between them?

We all hope for certain outcomes.

We all have expectations.

What you hope for and expect can be the same.

Yet, this is not advisable.

What we hope for, we can work towards.

Yet, we hope for things outside of our control.

Expect what is realistic, not what is fantastic.

Unless you like a life of disappointments.

Cutting Losses

When do you cut your losses?

When is it time to say goodbye?

Who else is seeing opportunity?

How many resources do you have?

We all have something,

that we held on to too long.

We all had hope it would work.

Sometimes it was the right call.

Most of the time, it was not.

Often our resources don’t allow us to hold on.

We need to cut our losses while we can.

People specific emotions

How emotional are you?

How much does the situation affect it?

How much do people affect it?

How much can you control this?

We are not unilaterally emotional.

Our emotions depend on who we interact with.

Our emotions depend on the situation.

They will even depend on the place.

We can be totally unemotional with one person.

And then be super sensitive with the next.

This is normal, do not worry.

Equipment Quality

How good is your equipment?

How much effort do you put into it?

Which equipment is crucial?

How much more productive could you be?

Often, we are too stingy on equipment costs.

Better equipment can be invaluable.

Be it software or tools, don’t be stingy.

Time is a finite resource.

Good Equipment lets you get more out of it.

The Experts

How can you identify an expert?

How do you discern a charlatan?

What questions do you need to ask?

Who else could you ask?

Many portray themselves as experts,

yet they only have superficial knowledge.

Ask the expert many questions.

Pretend not to understand anything.

Ask for it to be explained to a child.

Then you will see their understanding.

Money Beliefs

What are your money beliefs?

How do they affect you?

How well are they serving you?

What changes would support you?

We have individual beliefs about money.

Everyone is held back by some of their beliefs.

Most of us are held back by all of our beliefs.

Write them down and look at them.

Look at your life and your actions.

Look at how they have affected your decisions.

Error Whereabouts

Where do you look for the mistake?

How long do you spend checking?

What do you consider first?

When do you look at yourself?

When something isn’t how it should,

we will commence the error search.

Some of us will start with ourselves.

Some os us tend to start with others.

Sometimes the error lies with us.

Sometimes the error lies with others.

Before concluding, check both.

Half-hearted or cancel?

How often do you do things half-heartedly?

How often do you rather cancel?

How do you decide which to do?

How have half-hearted attempts gone in the past?

We are often caught between doing half the job,

or the need to cancel it altogether.

In some instances, you have no choice.

In most it is up to you.

There is no clear right or wrong.

One time, it is best to do half of it.

At other times, it is better to cancel.