How To Execute With Excellence In 2016.
Ronny Prasad
It is that time of the year when people are coming up with resolutions for the new year and setting goals in many areas of their lives.
Rest assured, I will spare you the task of reading another article on resolutions for the new year.
What I will focus on instead is how to connect acceptance and appreciation with your goals.
Some experts in the fields of personal development and professional development may have told us to stay so focussed on the goal that we become almost tunnel visioned. I have been guilty of doing that in the past.
The point that I wish to make is this – goal setting for the new year or for your life will not be very purposeful if you don’t make acceptance and appreciation part of your everyday life.
I will totally understand if the present moment is a very challenging time in your life. Last month, I was speaking to a young man who is not a big fan of setting goals in life. He used to set goals and he had massive professional achievements. Then, he got struck by a debilitating illness. Now, getting through daily human tasks such as walking, bathing, and eating is a challenge for him.
He emphatically said to me “There is no point in setting goals when you are not making the most of the present moment. Life is full of surprises. What lies ahead, no one can predict. So, I am now of the belief that I must totally be at peace with myself. Then only I can work towards the future, and hope for things to get better”.
After speaking to this young man, I came to the conclusion that (in my opinion), acceptance and appreciation should take precedence over goal setting.
Here is my three step process to embracing acceptance, expressing appreciation, and executing productively to achieve your goals:
1. Do you love what you see? – When I asked this young man how he saw himself or what his self image was, he replied “I see someone who is at total peace with himself, his life, and his current situation”. Now, my question to you is this – do you love what you see when you look deep inside yourself? Let’s forget about the ‘superficial you’ ie. the person you see when you look in the mirror. I am talking about the person that you are on a deeper level – your beliefs, your attitude, your values etc. Society is plagued with body image issues these days. Nearly everyone in western society would like to make some changes to their physical appearance. In an article, the Social Issues Research Centre mentioned that at least 80% of people over the age of 18 are not happy with what they see when they look in the mirror. Learn to appreciate and more importantly, respect what you see when you look deep inside. If you wish to make changes to yourself, start on the inside first. Make a list of everything that you are on the inside. Then, tick the items on the list that you are happy with. Followed by, a plan on how to improve on the things that you could be happier with.
2. Do you appreciate what you have? – When I was doing Life Coaching, I had so many clients who wanted things in life, without acknowledging and appreciating what they already had. In 2007, I read a quote which I mentioned in my book – “In life, we should be happy with what we already have, and happier with what we will receive.” This quote was from an Anonymous author. Another quote that I once read was “Count your blessings, and you will lose count”. Once again by an Anonymous author. My suggestion to you is to start appreciating everything that you have. A simple way to do this is to start saying two words that have the power to make you more appreciative – “Thank you”. Start saying “Thank you” more in your everyday life. In my book I wrote about how I used to say “Thank you” to my car every time I arrived at work in the morning. The more appreciative you become, the more chances you have in making productive changes in your life, and in the lives of others around you. Being appreciative can be very contagious at times! So, whom have you said “Thank you” to today? What have you said “Thank you” for today?
3. Execute with excellence and appreciation – Be appreciative of the opportunity that you have to work towards achieving something. As I was writing this article, I received a phone call from a friend who is self employed. She called me to share some exciting news – she had just signed a contract with a business mentor! She said that she was very grateful to finally be able to afford the fees that this particular business mentor was charging. My suggestion to her was to tell the business mentor “I will execute with excellence and appreciation”. Now, that is my message to you too. When you are taking action to achieve something, act with excellence and appreciation. Bring your best (excellence) to the table and appreciate the opportunity to take action towards achieving what you want. Coming from a place of excellence and being appreciative at the same time is designed to make you more productive.
Quote: “The reality is – you’re either pushing forward and improving. Or, you’re going backwards, and getting worse. That is life. That’s how it works.” Adam Armstrong
I hope I have given you a simple insight into using this three step process in embracing acceptance, expressing gratitude, and executing with excellence this year.
Inspiring you towards your excellence,
Ron Prasad (Author, Speaker, Personal Development Coach)
PS: To order my book, please go to www.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.