5 Steps For A Productive And Purposeful 2015
Ronny Prasad
A very happy new year to you! I hope that you really enjoyed the Christmas season with family and friends.
Seeing that now things are getting back to the normal routine (people are going back to work, and children are preparing to go back to school), we must focus on what we can do to make the year ahead a productive and purposeful one.
Now, I won’t give you the ‘stock standard’ advice about the new year – make a resolution, stick to it, and encourage others to stick to their resolutions.
Instead, I will share with you practical tips on creating and maintaining a productive and purposeful year ahead.
So, here are my 5 Steps For A Productive And Purposeful 2015:
1. Decide on what you want – in his audio program called “Decisions”, the legendary Bob Proctor says “Decisions – winners make them fast, while losers make them slow and change them often”. So, decide on what you want to do this year. No one can be intentionally productive and purposeful without making a decision about what they want to do. Decide on what you want, be very specific, and stick to that decision (unless extreme unexpected circumstances come your way). There is no bliss in just cruising or coasting along in life. You have to make decisions and put in the work.
2. Be committed – I once read a question which asked “Are you committed or are you just interested?” Without commitment, nothing will be done. When you are committed to doing something, excuses for not doing things are outweighed by reasons for doing things. I have seen this in my life, and in the lives of people that I have been fortunate enough to mentor and/or coach. So, make a commitment to getting what you want by committing to doing what has to be done in order to get what you want. It really is that simple.
3. Have a support team – There is a quote which I read many years ago which reminds me of the importance of support in our lives. It is goes like this; “Life is not a solo act. It’s a huge collaboration, and we all need to assemble around us the people who care about us and support us in times of strife” (by Tim Gunn). Having a support team in helping us getting to where we want to go has many benefits. People on our support team give us guidance, they give us emotional support, they give us encouragement, and they can be instrumental in helping us create and maintain healthy boundaries. So, which people in your life can you count on to be on your support team?
4. Focus on growth more than on gain – what I mean is that you must focus on personal growth more than you focus on physical/material gain. Ask yourself “How will I grow personally during the process of getting what I want?” Followed by “What positive changes in my character do I wish to see as a result of getting what I want?” Personal development is an ongoing journey. As Tony Robbins says “CANI – constant and never ending improvement”. In my opinion, “educated” is a misused word in the English language. It comes from the Latin word “educo” which means “to draw out, or develop from within”. So, keep educating yourself (I am not just referring to formal education) and keep focussing on personal growth. As Henry Doherty said “It is the studying that you do after your school days that really counts. Otherwise, you know only that which everyone else knows.”
5. Create a bigger impact – without service or benefit to society/community/people, you won’t be making a bigger impact! How will what you wish to achieve help others? If you wish to grow your business, and you achieve that goal, you could start donating a percentage of your profits, or giving work experience to disadvantaged youth. When I released my first book, I made a decision to donate part of the royalties to my favourite charity. If you want something on a personal level, dig deep and ask yourself "How will getting that something enable me to help/serve others?" And no, I am not suggesting that you drop everything and start doing volunteer work on a full time basis. All I am suggesting is that you look for ways in which you can help others in some way or another. When you share yourself (your skills, knowledge, wisdom, talents) with others, not only do they grow, you grow with them. At the end of every coaching session or every speech that I have given, I have walked away feeling that I have gained insights and knowledge from the session or the speech. So, create a bigger impact that reaches far beyond you!
One more thing that I would add is this – let go of attachments and outcomes. Yes, put in the work, hope for the best, and have faith. Don’t be fixated on certain outcomes. Sometimes something different comes our way, and we may not instantly realise that this something different could be more purposeful to us than what we had initially hoped for!
In Dr Mike Godfrey’s book “What’s The Matter – a doctor’s journey into our innate spirituality”, he mentions a prayer by Maurice Tester which is – “Dear God, thy will be done”.
I found that prayer to be very liberating. It liberates us from attachments and outcomes which can lead to massive disappointment. So, be open to outcomes, and not attached to them.
Quote: “Don’t pray for fewer problems; pray for more skills. Don’t ask for smaller challenges; ask for greater wisdom. Don’t look for an easy way out; look for the best possible outcome.” Steve Goodier
I hope that I have given you a simple insight into creating a productive and purposeful 2015.
Inspiring you towards your excellence,
Ron
PS: To order my book, please go towww.WelcomeToYourLifeBook.com. For $19.95, you get the book, thousands of dollars in bonus gifts from some of the best personal development experts in the world (such as Bob Proctor, Marci Shimoff, Dr Joe Rubino), and you get to give back to the community by supporting my charity! I appreciate your support.