Rise Everyday With A Purpose
“Before you eat the elephant, make sure you know what parts
you want to eat.”
-Todd Stocker
If you have 10 task in hands ranging from small to bigger,
you are sometimes confused which task should be undertaken first and which task
at the last. Psychologically we always feel like to take easy task first. In
the examinations also our teacher said to answer easy questions first leaving
the difficult one for later time. The idea behind the picking up small or
easier question first is avoid stressful situation initially so that we can
perform better in later part of the examination. But in real time situation
that may not work properly especially task involving some long term projects.
Handle
The Bigger Task First
During our primary school projects, we were explained by our
teacher with an example of filling container with certain substances, like
stone, sand, wooden logs, water etc. We all filled the glass container with sand and tried to adjust the stones in it. But we failed
after putting few stones in container. The teacher then explained the nice principle to catch up
heavy task first. According to the direction we place bigger stones first in
the container than smaller stones, wooden pieces then thick sand and thinner sand
and then water. We accommodate 140% more
substances in the container than what we had placed them earlier. In same way we
can accomplish bigger task first and then gradually deal with smaller tasks for
more efficient output.
Turn
The Pain Into Purpose
A piece of task you are undergoing is sometimes boring you
due to number of reason although the task is necessary and sometimes there is
no alternative without accomplishing the task. Human mind is always adapting
two things. Either it loves the happiness or hates the pain. But some of the
pains are necessary to be happy at later stage. For example you do not like to
go for jogging or doing some specific exercise like stretching or strengthening
body. But we know that with regular pain in the form of exercise helps us to be
healthy and we do not easily fall sick at later stage.
In the same way, there are some important tasks or projects
we do not feel like to undergo and therefore procrastinate. List out all of
them and give index as per their qualities and quantities. Give priorities to
bigger tasks first and then relist in decreasing order. Handle the bigger task
one by one. Suppose these are the tasks which are to be accomplished in a day,
most of the bigger tasks will be finished. You are not much bothered if some of
the small tasks are left over at the end of the day.
Salami Slicing
I like the concept of Salami Slicing. It is a series of
small little actions called clandestine. This is the combination of little
tasks which are accumulated later as bigger single task which might have not
been possible to perform. It is just like penny shaving considered to be the
fraudulent practice of stealing money repeatedly in extremely small quantities,
usually by taking advantage of rounding to the nearest cent (or other monetary
unit) in financial transactions. It would be done by always rounding down, and
putting the fractions of a cent into another account. I used to scrutinise my
saving bank accounts frequently and whenever interest was deposited in the
account with a predetermined period the amount was becoming odd and therefore I
used to deposit or transfer some money to make it in round figure to nearest
hundred. This small adding become increasingly a bigger amount over a period of
time.
When I am writing these words, in one way it is salami writing for my publication, sometimes
also referred to this salami slicing. It is a strategy of dividing the results
of a single research project into several publications, especially when aimed
at getting bigger recognition of the work. My small paragraphs are forming the
part of sub headings and ultimately they are my outlines of book.
Definite Purpose Of The Day
You just think when you are coming out of the home and going
to market. When nothing is in your head and just going to nearest mall, it will
be just like football game without goal post. When you want to bring milk and
some fruits, you come out of home with a purpose. You purchase a particular
item and return to home. In the same way when you get up in the morning and do
not rise with specific purpose, your day is wasted. It is better if you write a
list of purposes for the next day before you retire to bed. Just like the
salami slicing when everyday purposes are finished your bigger tasks for the
week or month is achieved with surprises. Together these accumulations of
achieved task become your mission in life.
For the concrete results, all you need to write major
definite purpose called chief objective. If you commit to some task and endure
for quite sometime, one way you are constantly feeding your subconscious mind.
Your thoughts and purposes playing the role of stimuli and responses. carrying
out small tasks repeatedly feed your mind to trick your mind for right thinking
process to achieve your chief aim. Repetition of specific statement has a power
of influencing your subconscious mind. Your burning desire will in turn will
force you to take daily action that moves you towards attaining your goal.
The Great man Bruce Lee had given his chief aim as
following,
My Definite Chief Aim
I Bruce Lee will be
the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. In return I
will give the most exciting performance and render the best of quality in the
capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will achieve world fame and from then
onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession $10,000,000. I will
live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.
Bruce Lee
Date: 1969
According to the Ofpad, the school of genius[1],
there are following seven steps to make your major definite purpose,
Step 1 – Determine Your Specific Desire
Determine exactly what you desire being as specific as
possible. You can never have a burning desire for something vague. Wanting to
be rich is vague, but wanting to make a million dollars is being specific.
Wanting to lose weight is vague, wanting a 30 inch waist line is being
specific.
Step 2 – Establish The End Date
Establish a date by which you want to acquire or achieve
this thing that you desire. It is important to be realistic. The time period
should be long enough for your goal or desire to be achievable but short enough
for you to find it worth pursuing.
Step 3 – Determine The Price
Determine what you are willing to give in return for this
thing that you desire. You have to pay a price for the object of your desire
and you have to pay it in full before you get it. You never get something for
nothing and the definite chief aim prepares you to pay the price as and when it
is necessary. If you want to be a millionaire, you need to create the necessary
value in return for the money. If you want to get in shape you have to put in
the necessary work and follow a proper diet plan. Regardless of what your
desire, there is a price you have to pay for it.
Step 4 – Make An Imperfect Plan
Make a definite plan that will help you realize this desire
and put this plan into action immediately, whether you are ready or not. Your
plan need not be concrete. You just need to start somewhere, so come up with
whatever plan you can think of. Note that you just need a place to start and
direction to work towards. You don’t need a well laid out elaborate plan. Your plan will evolve in your subconscious
and you will think of various different plans at a later date as you start
having a burning desire.
Step 5 – Write A Concise Statement
Write the results of the above four steps in a concise
statement. It must include what you desire, what you are going to give in
return for your object of desire, along with the time limit and the plan with
which you intend to acquire this object of your desire. Remember to write down
the date when you wrote it down along with your name or signature. This concise
statement is your major definite purpose or definite chief aim.
Step 6 – Reading Your Major Definite Purpose
Read this concise statement twice daily, once after waking
up and once before going to sleep. When you read this statement, see and
believe that the object of your desire is waiting to be transferred to you as
and when you deliver the service/work you have committed to render in return
for it in step 3. Reading it aloud is intended to condition your subconscious
mind to develop a burning desire by making you constantly think about it.
Step 7 – Changing Your Identity
Repeat the daily reading of your major definite purpose
until you start taking consistent daily action that moves you towards your end
goal. Every day, if you are doing something that moves you towards your goal,
your definite chief aim has become part of your identity. You can continue to read
your major definite purpose daily if you wish to do that, but I generally
revisit my definite chief aim less frequently when I reach this stage. A lot of
us get stuck in the planning phase without taking action. It is vital that you
put your plan into action and you make progress towards your goal everyday
through execution of your plan.
To sum up, I remember the saying of Napoleon Hill who said, "Whatever
the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve." Years of
experience of writers from Napoleon Hill to Andrew Carnegie provided the depth
of their studies of individuals for pinnacle of success in their field.
As far as the direction and destination is concerned, I am
reminded my early days of military life when we used to travel in choppers. The
navigating instruments when not calibrated, we used to be away from our
destination and had difficult time to reach the destined place in time and also
we had moments of force landing at some of the jungles away from city.
The aircraft had the specific equipment and technology to
travel to virtually any destination. Helicopter had a hull to displace the air
and clouds to keep it flying till we reach to destination. The aircraft had an engine with turbine to provide
power to produce momentum and lead to directions with rudder that, when used
properly, could direct the aircraft in any specific direction. But the navigational
equipment to tell the pilot where the aircraft is and to help guide it along
the planned path. What it did not have was the planned path built in. This is
provided by the navigator and following the analogy then the pilot of your
aircraft. The crew navigating planned the endpoint for the voyage and assisted
the pilot with directing the aircraft along the path toward the final
destination. If the pilot was performing well, then he would begin the voyage
with a destination port in mind and then begin directing the us along the way
to follow the best path and avoid such things as turmoil and storms that could
spell defeat. When the inevitable storm crops up from time to time then the
pilot guided the us to take necessary steps to weather and the storm but always
with the final destination in mind.
The compass showing un-calibrated needle leads kilometres
away from the destination. Same things happens to purpose in life when we do
not have minute direction.
Awesome
ReplyDelete