Tag Archives: change

No job, no home, and no plans. 3 life qualities needed to action a life changing decision

Personal Development, , , , ,

Success through the development of qualities

Never regret anything in life, because at one time it was exactly what you wanted.

I’m back!

It’s been a big couple of weeks since I last wrote, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot.

I’ve just settled into a new (albeit temporary) home, living with my parents, in a small country town in Victoria, Australia. As I adjust to a new environment, MUCH colder temperatures, and a new “routine”, I am happy to say that my urge to write for all of you continues to burn hot and fierce.

So, what’ been happening?

To summarise: I quit my job, moved across the country, and met an amazing girl.

Let me elaborate.

July 18 was the final day at my desk job. It’s been a work in progress for over 2 years now, and I’m glad to say that I’m well into a transition – a transition to a happier, and a whole new me. I knew from the second year of my four year university degree, that my choice of occupation (Mechanical Engineering) was ‘not my cup of tea’. I’ve tried many avenues, and have decided that, for the moment, we are not a match meant to be.

Many people ask my “why?”, to which I respond “why not?”. Some people see my situation as a lost opportunity – leaving a stable, well paying career – whereas I see many, many opportunities to be gained. Besides, I have the safety net of a degree, so now it’s time to be adventurous, be daring, and begin my journey according to my own terms.

After 6 years searching with an outdated map, it’s time to go shopping….

I quit my job, packed my bags, shoved life into my tiny VW Polo, and headed south towards new opportunity, inspiring friends, and a foreign land to explore. I’ve been in my element – totally immersed and enjoying the sites, sounds, and simplicity of life on the road. As the powers that be would have it, I met an amazing girl along the way. Another exciting bend in the road awaiting the navigational prowess of this race-car driver! It’s been a blast!

Life inside a VW Polo

My life – it fits inside a VW Polo!

It’s not all been smooth sailing though. It’s been a tough mental battle to make it this far, as there are no shortage of people questioning my motives. The ensuing negative, damaging self-talk is therefore less than productive towards my overall desire to be free and search for my true calling.

In comes this post.

Fast forward to now. My previous journey has ended, and a new one has begun. It didn’t happen naturally. Oh no. It’s not like Santa came and just handed me money, freedom, and a gold plated chocolate egg to make me feel good. I attribute my recent actions to certain qualities that I’ve developed and have been nurturing over the past 2 years. It’s taken a lot of work, and I’m sure it’ll take lots of work for you too (should you decide to action a life-changing decision of your own).

That said, I believe the first step is awareness.

I’ve made some pretty radical changes, and I want to help you do it too. I was able to do it because I recognised the power of the following 3 qualities in myself and my surroundings. I’m confident that if you recognise them, you’ll be well on your way to some awesome life-changing adventure too.

Let’s begin.

3 qualities to action life-changing decisions

Want to implement some life-changing decisions for yourself? I recommend starting with the following 3 qualities. They’ll naturally progress as you grow, so it’s a great place to start planting your seeds.

1. The right support

I’ve talked about it many times before, and I’ll say it again.

You’ve gotta select the right people to support you!

Remember this quote?

You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

~Jim Rohn

In no way is this more important than when it comes to fulfilling your dreams, desires, and goals of change.

If you’ve ever tried it, you’ll know what I mean when I say it’s hard to go at it alone. The world is a big, scary place when confronted as one.

As a wise proverb states, a problem shared is a problem halved.

If you’re stuck and don’t have any inspiration, make this your number one priority. Get out there, do what you love to do, and connect with like-minded people. Your spirit, enthusiasm, and progress towards your goals will accelerate beyond imagination!

2. You just gotta have faith

George Michael said it right. Sometimes, you’ve gotta have faith.

Some people believe in fate, some in coincidence, some in destiny. None are incorrect. All have their place in this world as they ‘work’ for different people.

Above all of these, I’m certain that to do better, you need to go further.

To succeed, you must learn to nurture the quality and the belief of faith in yourself.

Faith –  confidence or trust in a person, thing, deity, view, or in the doctrines or teachings of a religion. It can also be defined as belief that is not based on proof, and is often used as a synonym for hope, trust, or belief.~Wikipedia

You don’t need to believe in a ‘higher power’ for miracles to happen. There are miracles awaiting your discovery inside of you!

When times get tough and what you do seems silly, unrealistic, or impossible, these are the times to call on your quality of faith to inspire you. Remind yourself that all the ‘miracles’ of the past (think electricity, man landing on the moon, the invention of the modern computer for example) were created by people just like you. The thing is, they had mastered an important ability.

Successful people have a mastered ability to have faith in their actions, their judgement, and in what they stand for.

3. All talk and no action won’t get you far. Get motivated

There is never a result without decisive action!

I’m sure you’ll have seen it before. There’s no shortage of people that sit and complain about the state of ‘X’ or the annoyance of person ‘Y’, and that’s as far as they get…

Complain, foster resentment and anger, and complain even more.

Talk with no action is likely to lead to a cycle of doubt, a loss of faith, and the development of subsequent negative though patterns which, as I’ve discussed before in a previous post, are damaging to your ability to be better.

Sure I get it, action is scary.

What’s scarier though – Acting with the possibility of success, or stalling with a guarantee of failure?

It’s up to you. Take action, the rest will follow.

There you have it. It’s a snippet of how I arrived to writing this post, and what it took for my ship to sail this far. It’s a big, long winded journey, and one I am excited to be sailing under the power of my own sail.

Have you got an idea to change life and don’t know how to start? I suggest you start with these important qualities discussed in this post that will give you strength and guidance on your journey.

  1. Selection of the right support network,
  2. Faith in your abilities, and
  3. Action on your plans. 

I’ve found them most helpful on my journey, and I hope they prove helpful to you too.

 

 

Do more with less – embrace a minimalist view of life and be happier sooner

Minimalism, , ,

If there is one thing I have learnt that has changed the way I think profoundly during my short time, I can say that it’s this.

Having more does not equal happiness.

This applies to money, relationships, objects……… anything.

Instead, I’ve discovered the true value in getting by with less, and making do with what I already have.

Some would see it as being ‘cheap’. I see it as a smarter way of being that gives me satisfaction, happiness, and a feeling of freedom that allows me to do so many more activities which feed my love for life.

Of course, there is no shortage of opposition to this belief. That’s fine.

I now know it’s not my way. My path winds clearer, uncluttered, simple.

What inspired this post is the following illustration of minimalism as a story told between a successful businessman, and a successful man – both of whom believe they have it all.

See which man you prefer to model. I know which one I admire most.

I hope you enjoy it.

Excerpt from my favourite book, The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss.

An American businessman took a vacation to a small coastal

Mexican village on doctor’s orders. Unable to sleep after an
urgent phone call from the office the first morning, he walked out to
the pier to clear his head. A small boat with just one fisherman had
docked, and inside the boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The
American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

“How long did it take you to catch them?” the American asked.

“Only a little while,” the Mexican replied in surprisingly good English.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American
then asked.

“I have enough to support my family and give a few to friends,”
the Mexican said as he unloaded them into a basket.

“But… What do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican looked up and smiled. “I sleep late, fish a little, play
with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Julia, and stroll into the
village each evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my
amigos. I have a full and busy life, senior.”

The American laughed and stood tall. “Sir, I’m a Harvard M.B.A.
and can help you. You should spend more time fishing, and with the
proceeds, buy a bigger boat. In no time, you could buy several boats
with the increased haul. Eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing
boats.”
He continued, “Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you
would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own
cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution.
You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village, of course,
and move to Mexico City, then to Los Angeles, and eventually New
York City, where you could run your expanding enterprise with
proper management.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, senior, how long will all this
take?”

To which the American replied, “15-20 years. 25 tops.”

“But what then, senior?”

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the
time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company
stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”

“Millions, senior? Then what?”

“Then you would retire and move to a small coastal fishing village,
where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids,
take a siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings
where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos …”

Does this story sound familiar to you?

It seems that this is what we are trained to do in our modern society – to ‘think big’ and ‘aim for the stars’.

Most of the time however, what we really want in life is simple pleasures – food, relationships, comfort – which are easily within reach.

Are you going in the right direction?

Do you feel pressured to own a village, when what makes you happy is sleeping in your little hut?

That’s great. Why?

You’re aware of the discomfort of the situation, and once discomfort intensifies, action is born.

You are the master of your domain, the leader of your troop, the bearer of the map.

Go ahead, embrace a minimal lifestyle. Find your happiness now, not in 25 years’ time.

I see it as a journey to experience more with less. To live within my means, not my wants. To question the value of my activities, experiences, and belongings and determine if they are of positive or negative influence.

It’s a journey. One I have chosen as a quest, an adventure, as a new way of being.

I plan to live life happy now. How?

Live Simple.

 

Thanks for reading my work.

Like it? Please share with your friends on social media. The more people I can inspire, the happier I’ll be.

Until next time…..

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

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Have faith, believe in yourself, and follow your heart – 3 ways to deal with change

Personal Development, , , , , ,

You’ve got an idea.

A dream, a passion, a goal; a desire to be something else.

Progress is being made, but there are some days where you find yourself chasing other, juicier carrots.

It’s you, the donkey, that must decide whether the carrot in your face or the carrot awaiting you during the course of your journey, is worthy of the crunch. Despite your hunger, you already know the answer……..

Is this you?

Are you getting distracted by the abundance of opportunity?

I am.

Or should I say, I was.

I’d like to share a musing today on change – the ups, the downs, the internal struggles, and the gratification once your mind becomes comfortable with the concept.

It can be difficult. You can ask anyone out there and you’ll no doubt get the same response.

Change is hard.

Those who come out on top will also tell you that change can be one of the most difficult obstacles that you face in life. That’s not all though.

Change is hard, and the rewards make it all worthwhile.

This post will introduce you to the concept of change. How it manifests, how you could (and could not) react, and how the simple act of faith and self belief can give energy to push forward against it’s seeming adversity. You can use the three simple coping methods to work towards your exciting changes knowing that if you feel disheartened, lost or misguided, you aren’t alone.

Have faith, believe in yourself, and follow your heart.

The process of change

Recognise – What’s that in the wind?

Change, that’s what.

Change is inevitable.

Change is always coming.

Whether you look forward to a change or dread it, change triggers powerful effects in your body and your emotions. For most people (myself included), we get comfortable in how things are and the ways we do things. Routine is predictable, reliable comfortable. Change goes against this.

Quite often, change = stress.

Fortunately, with the right thinking, you can increase your sense of control and steer your life into positive territory when you know how to deal with change.

Knee-jerk reaction – Undesirable ways you could combat change 

Change is on it’s way, and you know it.

Time to freak out!

Why is it happening? What can you do to stop it? What does it all mean? How are you going to work this into your life? What will so-and-so think?

The self talk can be overwhelming.

What’s the first thing to do once you realise change is coming?

Take action.

How?

  • The coping method – The act of simply giving in to change, letting it control you, and living as best you can, albeit powerless. As long as you are coping, just getting by, your have limited choices. Change is at the wheel. You are not in control. As such you could feel trapped, cocooned and isolated, and you could miss out on other opportunities as you spend energy just keeping up with the change.
  • Fight the change – Armed with ample amounts of anger and frustration, you could face change front-on in a full counter-attack! If you’ve ever tried this ‘path of maximum resistance’ you’ll know that this tactic can easily sap your strength. Since the fight is normally undertaken alone, you can also find yourself battling feelings of loneliness alongside the daunting pressure of the fight. Not nice.

Hold on, is this really the best thing to do?

I have learnt through experience that the answer is clearly no.

Fighting against change only creates further stress in life. After all, adding fuel to the fire never put it out, so it’s best not to spend excess energy on something that may be largely out of your control.

When it comes to considering acting against change, I find it’s best to do a self assessment of the situation and ask:Is the effort worth the reward?

Your answer will give guidance as to the path worth taking.

Diminishing hope – The ferocity of self doubt

Sometimes the true and desirable path doesn’t become known quickly.

It’s one thing to cope, and another to fight, but what about when you are struck with ‘paralysis through analysis’?

The longer you dwell on change, the more you doubt your ability to deal with it.

Your resistance to negativity falls, your courage takes a beating, and your hope faith falters.

Self doubt sets in.

This, in my experience, is most damaging to your progress. It is very easy to convince yourself that you are simply not good enough, not strong enough, not capable, to make change work for you.

And self doubt get’s worse over time.

To stop your self doubt manifesting itself into a force to be reckoned with, consider the following:

  • Treat change as a process – Dealing with change is not like an electric switch that is either on or off. There are many steps and components involved. It will take time.
  • Reframe the way you think about change – Choose to give positive meaning to change. Even if you’ve never tried it, you CAN thrive on change.
Breathe – Take time. Create space. Recharge your mental capacity and give yourself a break. Prepare to move with the changes, because they are going to happen. Don’t deny yourself the liberation that awaits.

3 ways I deal with change, and how you can too

Change needn’t be daunting. It needn’t be scary, and it doesn’t have to be hard.

When dealt with positively, change is what leads you onwards on your journey.

Change + positivity = opportunity.

Now that I’ve set you up with a relaxed, positive mindset, how can you now go about dealing with change?

1. Set smart goals

Goals are so important in determining a direction for your change. Don’t get caught up in the ‘big question’ goals though (like “what do I want to do with my life”), as these are poorly defined and are not useful in your quest.

Set smart goals.

Use incremental steps so you can consciously and effortlessly guide the change. Use the concept of ‘chunking’ – break things into manageable steps. If your goal is to run 10km, start by completing smaller 3km efforts. Do 3 of these, and you have suddenly reached the 10km goal!

Write out your goals and your plans to meet them. Remember, these are ideas that are totally changeable. Goals are as fluid as you are, so don’t stress about commitment if it bothers you.

Just start, and let momentum build.

2. Adopt and attitude of positivity, anticipation, and gratitude

Welcome change as an opportunity, not something to fuel negativity.

Negative thoughts block your creativity and problem-solving abilities. Positive thoughts build bridges to possibilities and opportunities.

Find the benefit in the change.

There is always a benefit and opportunity to be found, if you look in the right places.

Practice mindfulness, adopt awareness, be grateful.

These are useful tools that will help you develop a deeper understanding of what you really want to achieve

3. Communicate with supportive people

Talking with people helps, a lot.

Sometimes it’s simply too much to do alone. Finding a support network to assist you with your task can help you deal with the stress of change.

Be selective with your audience. 

In your time of transition and hardship, It’s easy to be persuaded by anothers’ point of view. Make sure that the company you turn to has your interests at heart, and who understands the true meaning of the change you face.

Having someone give false support based on a lacking knowledge of your situation will only add confusion.

You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with.

Choose your company wisely.

Make sure they’re the type that encourage positive growth for you.

Change. It’s a sometimes difficult necessity to personal growth.

The good news is, change is only as difficult as you make it.

I hope my three ways to deal with change, smart goals, attitude, and support, provide you with some useful guidance to combat any current and future change in your life.

As I go through my upcoming changes, I will certainly reflect on this post. I hope you do too. Good luck with your endeavours, I know you will do well.

Remember, nothing is as bad, hard, painful, scary as it seems.

Have faith, believe in yourself, and follow your heart.

I appreciate you taking time to read my work. If you like it, please share it with your friends on social media using the buttons below.

The more people I can help, the happier I’ll be.

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

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