Josh Moore

30 days to reaching your potential: The complete series

Potential
Photo couresty of M0les.

We all begin with hopes and dreams of becoming someone or achieving something in our lives.

Below is a list of the 30 day series I recently completed on reaching your potential. It is designed to give people a myriad of little tasks that they can start to implement in their lives with a view to building them into life long habits that will help them reach their potential and feel more on track in their lives.

30 days to reaching your potential BONUS day 31: Sharpening the saw

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photo courtesy of freebird (bobinson)

Ongoing learning is important to one's successes.

Congratulations on finishing the 30 days to reaching your potential. The series has been designed to help you improve various areas of your life, ranging from health and social activities to organisation and stepping out of your comfort zones.

However, the 30 day series is just the beginning...

Learning is a life long process. A lot of people leave school with the intention never to do any study again. I was not one of them. Learning has been one of the most satisfying things I have done with my life. I wake up in the morning looking forward to learning something new everyday.

As part of your commitment to ongoing education (having completed the 30 days series indicates you are looking for knowledge and want to reach your potential), I thought I would point you to some other things on the web I have found useful.

They are as follows:
Actions:
  • Spend a bit of time flicking through these and other online resources, and find some things to help you further develop the areas you got the most results from out of this 30 days series.

30 days to reaching your potential day 30: The Pareto Principle

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Photo courtesy of h.koppdelaney

The Pareto Principle has been something that has greatly helped me in my life.

For those of you who have not heard of the Pareto Principle, you can find a wikipedia entry about it here. The basic premise is that 80% of our efforts come from 20% of our results. This means that individuals can adjust various areas of their life to ensure they get the maximum results possible with the minimum time invested.

A good example of this came from a personal friend of mine who is a multi-millionaire in his mid-twenties. He runs several businesses and said the following "If I can get 80% of the results from 20% of my time (ie: 80% percent of business results from one of the five working days a week), I can then apply the principle to five businesses for a total result of 400%.".

This is an interesting concept and worthy of your attention. It has been a great benefit for me in many aspects of my life. Today we will begin using the Pareto Principle by doing an 80/20 analysis on the 30 days series you have been completing on reaching your potential.

Not every entry will have been a benefit to you. I recently had two close friends (one a business consultant, the other a hairdressing apprentice) who are reading the series. One said he preferred the longer posts with several actions while the other like some of the posts with a quick and simple application. The best thing is that it does not matter because 80% of the learning and benefits from this series for you personally will have most likely come from 20% of the content. Everyone is different and has different areas they need to work on in their lives.

Spend some time looking over the last 30 days and the tasks you have undertaken and determine which ones were of the most benefit for you personally. The idea is that rather than spend time continuing to get acquainted with the other 80% of the content here it is best for you to continue to focus on developing the 20% that has been the most beneficial to you.

Later if you want, you can always come back to the Archives on the site and review other days to improve other aspects. I personally however would prefer to focus on developing strengths and areas of my life I am interested in learning more about as opposed to trying to do everything.

Actions:
  1. Reflect on the 30 day series.
  2. Research the Pareto Principle.
  3. Analyse the 30 days series based on the results you have had and the posts that have been the most empowering for you personally.
  4. Commit to continuing to improve those areas that have worked for you in some way rather than trying to do it all.
  5. Lastly, refer a friend or two to this series so that they can benefit from it too.

30 days to reaching your potential day 29: The Golden Rule

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photo courtesy of covilha

The old saying 'you reap what you sow' seems to be very profound.

When it comes to human relationships, we tend to get what we give. Call it karma or whatever you would prefer, the reality is that if we desire to have quality relationships in our lives then we need to live by The Golden Rule.

What is The Golden Rule?

The Golden Rule is a term that has been used for many rules in a variety of different contexts. However, in relation to this 30 day series The Golden Rule is this: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Although simple sounding, this rule is actually quite difficult to uphold. We all have a number of times when we are able to listen, care, give, nurture, have patience and more, but what about during the crunch times when things are stressful at work or home, when we have had a bad day or things have not gone the way we initially hoped? That is when we need to apply The Golden Rule the most.

One thing I often notice with people who try to apply The Golden Rule is that they do to others expecting they will do the same to them. This is not the way it is designed. The notion behind The Golden Rule is to do to others what you would like them to do to you even when they don't do it. Reciprocation is not the name of the game when it comes to showing love to others.

How can I apply The Golden Rule?

The first step in determining how to apply The Golden Rule in your life is to begin by determining how you would like to be treated by others. All of us have a desire to be loved, to be shown mercy when things go wrong, to have people be honest and truthful with us even if it hurts, to be shown trust, to be happy, etc. Write down a list of the ways you would like to be treated.

The next step is to begin treating others the way in which you want to be treated. Want to be given a pay raise at work? Start by giving more and going the extra mile. Want to be shown more love by your partner? Take them out to dinner, listen to their thoughts and passions and then try to find things to help them in these endeavours. These examples are small but the application of The Golden Rule is limitless.

Spend a few minutes today applying The Golden Rule in one aspect of your life. Begin to increase the application as you build momentum and you are at a point where you are truly living a life where you do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Actions:
  1. Acknowledge The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
  2. Write a list of the way you would like others to treat you.
  3. Begin treating others the same way in which you would like to be treated.
  4. Start small and in one aspect of your life, and build momentum as time goes on.
  5. Consider the costs of not treating others the way you would like to be treated. How will they feel? How will they treat you? Will you destroy relationships rather than build them?

30 days to reaching your potential day 28: start small

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photo courtesy of JoshuaDavisPhotography.com

There are lots of little things you can do today to begin building momentum in areas of your life.

I am an avid fan of Neil Strauss and his books, and at the start of this month received an email from him about sub-resolutions. These sub-resolutions were a list of little things you could do to ensure that you get a long-term benefit without taking too much time. Some of these included things such as 'Register your full name as a domain name', ' Get or renew your passport', 'Get business cards' and more. I recommend reading the whole list and taking action on them. You can view them here.

No matter where we are currently at we all have a project we would like to accomplish. This might be building our own website (check out the basic one I made for myself here), starting a new study course (degree, diploma, etc), buying that engagement ring you want to get your true love, starting a business etc. Whatever it is, it can usually be started very simply.

Let's look the above examples. Building your own website takes time but can you can start the journey by finding out how to buy a domain name and purchasing one. Starting a study course begins with finding out what you want to study and making some inquiries. Buying an engagement ring begins with finding a ring and beginning to save for it (and maybe putting it on layby so that no one else grabs it). Starting a new business begins with having an idea and getting an Australian Business Number (ABN). Any accomplishment has lots of little actions that are really simple but need to be accomplished to reach the long term vision.

An example of this from my own life is as follows: I have never been a good swimmer. Although I have had to overcome a lot of fear and apprehension around water I have finally decided to do something about it. The vision is to be able to swim well. It began by making some inquiries and booking some technique improvement lessons at the local pool.

No doubt you have dreams that you want to accomplish. Some of them may have been put down at the start of the series, others may have seemed as though they were not plausible for you this year. If the latter is the case it could be because you are looking at the big picture rather than breaking the journey down into small actionable steps such as making a phone call today that will begin the momentum that will help to achieve the long term goal. Today you can change that.

Actions:
  1. Read the sub-resolutions by Neil Strauss. Have a look at these items and how they fit into the long term picture of goals (health, online presence, travel, etc.).
  2. Acknowledge that each of the days in this 30 days series has been designed to help you take little actions towards bigger character traits (improving your social life, health, savings, organisation, etc.).
  3. Have a look at the big things you would like to achieve in the long term. Is there something you could do to make a start towards them today? I bet there is.
  4. Write down the little actions you can take for the next three days and then start. Any step forward is better than no step at all. Don't put off what is easy to do, as the pain of not making any progress often ends up worse than the pain to begin making progress.

30 days to reaching your potential day 27: On life and death

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photo courtesy of Per Ola Wiberg (Powi)

We all have a purpose to play with our lives.

Yesterday saw a death that was very close to a person in my primary circle of influence. Unfortunately when someone dies there is just nothing that can really be said to ease the pain.

Life is precious and each of us is unique. We all have our own distinct personality and can never be replaced. I firmly believe that we all have a unique purpose to play in life and as long as we are still breathing our purpose for existing is not yet completed.

Death is something we must all face yet no one wants to really experience it. At times we can forget just how short our lives really are and can often get distracted, embarrassed or afraid when it comes to completing our purpose. Unfortunately these are usually only distractions in our lives.

Steve Jobs, Founder and CEO of Apple Computers stated the following which is powerful to remember:

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life, because almost everything- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

We may not know our true calling in life but I can guarantee this: it is for the benefit of someone else. Our lives were not meant to be lived with others. Often when we die, the greatest impact we have had can be seen in both the way we have lived our lives and the impact our lives have had in helping others to live theirs.

Today is as good a day as any to spend a few minutes reflecting on the value of your life and lives of those around you. Remember that you have a purpose and that any obstacles that could prevent that purpose from being fulfilled are insignificant when compared to death. Lastly, contemplate how best to live your life in a way that can be an example for those whom you spend it with.

Actions:
  1. Reflect on the value of life.
  2. Acknowledge that you have a purpose to play (even if you are unsure what it is).
  3. Remember that your life is the greatest example you have for others, and consider how best to use it for their benefit.

30 days to reaching your potential day 26: Avoid negative talk

Sshhh
photo courtesy of Flóra 

We all speak negatively to ourselves and others from time to time. The problem is that during the process we end up doing a lot of damage that can take a really long time to reverse.

Negative speech can have more of an affect on people than we notice, and negative self-talk can have a big affect on our self perception. There is a saying I heard a few years ago that said for every negative thing we are told about ourselves we need fifteen positive ones to reverse the damage.

A few years ago when I was facing depression I remembering saying things to myself such as 'What's the point? You'll never get there' and 'I'm depressed' which made me feel worse. The more I repeated these statements, the worse I felt and the unhealthier I became. It took a long time to curb this habit and to restore my self-esteem... but it has been worthwhile changing the behaviour.

Words are truly powerful things. By beginning to focus on changing our speech we can begin to change our results in life.

Today we are going to try a simple exercise that is a modification of something Tim Ferriss suggested on his blog as part of a 30 day no-complaint experiment. Find a rubber band, bracelet or something else to put around one of your wrists. Every time you find yourself swearing, gossiping about someone, telling yourself you are unworthy or thinking something can't be done, swap the bracelet from one side to the other.

By swapping the rubber band, bracelet, etc. from one hand to the other you are making yourself aware of what you are saying. From there, you can begin to take action and begin to replace negative talk with positive speech. for today however, the main thing is to begin to develop an awareness of any negative talk you use. Chances are (if you are like me) you will use more than you initially expected.

Actions:
  1. Acknowledge that words are powerful things.
  2. Realise the effect your words can have on yourself or others.
  3. Use a bracelet, rubber band, etc. as mentioned above to become aware of your negative speech.
  4. Begin to replace negative speech with positive speech over time.
  5. Alternatively, make a commitment to improve one area of speech. Give up swearing, gossiping, etc.
  6. Tell a friend about your commitment and get them to keep you accountable.

30 days to reaching your potential day 25: Find empowering quotes

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photo courtesy of DimDon still holdin on the pause button

Quotes are empowering!

I recently had a conversation with my girlfriend and she was telling me that she has compiled a Word document full of quotes that she has found useful and empowering to her. When she told me I was sitting their thinking to myself 'What a great idea!'. Previously I have had a lot of quotes I remembered and quoted to myself and others on various circumstances, but I had never compiled them into a document that I could use to motivate myself during those times when things slump before.

Quotes are powerful things. They inspire us, remind us that others have faced similar situations, that what may seem impossible can be achieved.

I know there are a lot of quotes I reflect on when I am facing various circumstances or find myself thinking certain things. Here is just a handful of quotes I like and refer to regularly:
  • "Our lives should not be diametrically opposed to, but rather better than that of the mob" Seneca
  • "It doesn't matter how many people don't get it. What matters is how many people do. If you have a strong informed opinion, don't keep it to yourself. try and help people and make the world a better place. If you strive to do anything remotely interesting, just expect a small percentage of the population to take it personally. F*** 'em. There are no statues erected to critics" Tim Ferriss
  • "Success comes from doing things differently" Steve McKnight
  • "If you reach for the stars, you might not quite get one, but you won't end up with a handful of mud, either" Leo Burnett
  • "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
Today is the day to start building yourself a list of empowering quotes. You don't have to have hundreds, just start with one or two. Add more as you find them or feel inclined. When you are feeling you need some help to get out of a motivational slump, look back on these quotes to help empower yourself.

Actions:
  1. Start compiling a page of quotes that mean something to you.
  2. Reflect and review these quotes on a regular basis.
  3. When things seem down, remember that others before you have faced similar circumstances... and overcome them. Use their quotes to empower you forward to reach your potential.

30 days to reaching your potential day 24: hang free today

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photo courtesy of striatic

We all carry a lot of physical baggage with us each day. This baggage does not seem much, but it is a lot more than we need. As we get older, we tend to accumulate more and more of it too.

We have so much baggage that we carry around that we forget what it is like to head out for the day without having to cart it all around. Here are some examples of things we carry around on a regular basis:

Males:
  • Laptop
  • I-Phone or I-Pod
  • Keys
  • Watch and other jewelery
  • Mobile Phone
  • Wallet
  • Sunglasses
  • Compendium or notebook
  • etc.
Females:
  • Foundation, Lipstick and other makeup
  • Notebook
  • Keys
  • Phone
  • Sunglasses
  • Bracelets and other jewelery
  • etc.
I remember when I was a little kid I didn't have to cart anything around. Just the clothes on my back (maybe a helmet if I was riding my bike) and that was it!

Today we are going to try an experiment. We are going to avoid carrying as much and go out with as little as possible. Of course, these days we need a lot of things but if you can live part of the day without it leave it at home. Experiment with what it feels like not having to cart around a bag and hurt your back for a change.

As you do this experiment, figure out what you can remove from your regular daily baggage. If you don't use it all the time, chances are you don''t need it. Remove excess cards from your wallet, the laptop if there is a computer at work and you have a smart phone, lipstick you never use, etc. Reducing this extra stuff slowly can help save your back and make you feel more confident that you are not the stuff you own, but rather you are a valued individual.

Actions:
  1. Look at the stuff you carry with you daily. Eliminate anything that is not essential for today.
  2. Experiment with your baggage and remove items that are not essential.
  3. Realise you are not what you own, but rather a valued individual for who you are.

30 days to reaching your potential day 23: Show some gratitude

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photo courtesy of aussiegall

Setting goals and having ambitions is ideal for reaching your potential. However, if you are like me then you often look forward and forget to look back on the odd occasion and consider just how far you have come. Being grateful for your previous results and current position in life can be a tremendous thing.

Showing gratitude can be a very powerful thing. It helps us to feel content where we are and to reduce our desires for more which can at times become overpowering and consume a lot of our time and energy. Spending a little time each day being thankful can have dramatic results.

Take a few minutes today to show some gratitude. Pray and give thanks or write down your gratitude in your journal. If you have someone that you are grateful for then thank them. This simple but powerful technique can really help you to accept yourself and be glad for what you have accomplished.

Actions:
  1. Take some time and show some gratitude (either to God, to yourself or to a loved one) for where you currently are.