I often listen to audio books, mainly on my walk to and from work. I’ve enjoyed listening to and find much value in Warren Bennis’ On Becoming a Leader and Kelly McGonigal’s The Willpower Instinct. I recently listened to Tony Robbin’s Awaken the Giant Within (a few times until it began to stick). I recall Seth Godin saying that every book can be written in 5 pages, this is my summary of Awaken the Giant Within.
Set baseline standard for how you’ll live and the standards you expect from those around you and stick to them
Decision vs preference: cut yourself off from other possibilities. Clarity brings power.
1. Decide what to focus on
2. What do things mean to you?
3. What should I do about it?
Four step process to success
1. Clearly decide what you want
2. Take massive action to achieving it
3. Notice what works and doesn’t work
4. Change what doesn’t work continually
Make decisions often. You’ll get better at making them
Understand that it is your decisions which shape your life
Make decisions quickly
You must change what you associate pain and pleasure to, to change behaviour. Blast good music when making that decision you should be to start to associate pleasure to it. We can decide what we link pleasure to. Making learning pleasurable is a key enabler. Focus on the pain of inaction.
Belief: legs to the table top of ideas. The references, or legs, provide certainty. Associate massive pain, or continually question, to current limiting belief and massive pleasure to empowering beliefs – give it legs.
E.g. If you want to stop smoking, visit a hospital ward with lung cancer victims. What will it cost me if I continue taking this action. What would I have to believe to succeed in this situation, what do the people who are successful believe?
NAC – neuroassociative conditioning. Pain to old behaviours and pleasure to new behaviours. Two prerequisite beliefs:
1. I can change right now, it’s getting ready to change that takes time, the change happens in an instant
2. I’m the source of change
Six steps to change
1. Decide what do you really want and what’s preventing you from achieving it (dis empowering beliefs)
2. Get leverage on yourself: associate massive pain to my changing right now and massive pleasure to changing right now. Create a sense of urgency so intense that we follow through right now. What will this cost me if I don’t change? Make the pain so real that you can’t put it off. If I do change, what other things could I accomplish?
3. Interrupt the limiting pattern: do something you don’t expect, do something differently.
4. Create an empowering alternative: model people who’ve made lasting changes
5. Condition the new pattern until it’s consistent: rehearse it, until it feels good, with emotional intensity. Consistently reward yourself for carrying out the good action, short term goals- reward yourself immediately. You’re making an emotional connection not an intellectual one.
6. Test new pattern throughout all parts of your life. Your new behaviour should preserve the benefits of your old actions with additional benefits. Ecology check: is pain fully associated with old behaviour? Is it unacceptable? Is the new behaviour and feeling pleasurable? Is this new behaviour consistent with my values? Make sure the change is long term: what if the triggers are active for the old behaviour, are you certain you won’t revert back to the previous behaviour?
We all have goals. At the basic level it’s avoiding pain and pursing pleasure. Pursue a goal grand enough to push through your current situation. All goals must be immediately followed with a plan and massive action.
1. Personal development goals
2. Business goals
3. Adventure goals
4. Contribution goals
Assume you can create anything you want. Explore the possibility of life without limits.
Give a timeline for each goal. Write down the number of years to archive the goal. Pick the most important 1 year goal and write a paragraph why this is so important. You’ll have 4 1 year goals. At least twice a day rehearse achieving your 1 year goals. Your absolute confidence will bring in the right coaches and mentors.