When you hesitate to act, even for a second, you create a barrier to action. The barrier is known as a precedent. Every action we take (or don’t take) either establishes a precedent or strengthens an old one. The strongest precedents become rules, and these self-created precedents and rules typically dominate our choices.
[box style=”check”]Precedent (n): any act, decision, or case that serves as a guide or justification for subsequent situations.[/box]
The Dream-Murdering Precedent of Reactiveness
Dreams are fragile things – they can be shattered by an unlucky injury. They can be ruined by low confidence. They can be lost in an untuned mind.
In 95% of your days, you’re following the precedents and rules that you’ve set up over many years. They are hard to break because they’re what you know. The lethal precedent that silently kills your dreams, and the one I recommend being consciously wary of, is reactiveness.
What is reactiveness? It’s reacting to situations and events with appropriate actions. Harmless in itself, lethal if it dominates.
Reacting is important in life, but it is not most important. That honor goes to creating. If all you do is react to the world around you, I’m sorry, but you’re just like any other animal. Humans are different because we can create new possibilities. I can find a way to cut down 20 trees today for no reason if I want to. There is no stimuli for me to do that, but I can do it because I have choice.
You don’t have to do things the way you always have. In the past, you waited for your chance. You crouched in the brush, waiting for the opportunity to walk by. After so many years, you have to wonder if maybe you need to MOVE!
There are people who believe in circumstances as if they have no say in them. They think, “I’m here now, so this is where I’m supposed to be.” What a terrible rule to live by! How about, “I’m here now, and I can go in any direction.”
Get Ready To… Mindshift!
The way to transform your mind is a conscious understanding of your precedents and rules. In reality, there are NO rules. You can be or do anything. ANYTHING. There are laws and such, but I bet that your dreams are mostly legal. The rules that cripple us are our own. Here are a few ridiculous, but common rules:
- I can’t go to the gym until I’m in better shape.
- I won’t be able to travel until I have more money.
- I hate my job, but I’m lucky to have one now.
- My idea is too crazy/stupid to work.
What do they have in common?
- Fear of failure/embarrassment
- Completely ignoring solutions
- Accepting undesirable situations
So what if we flip those switches to the other position? Can we pull off the triple mindshift? 😛
1. Do Not Fear Failure.
I’ve written about it before and I’ll do it again. Fearing failure is a mental disease. Failure comes before success in 99% of cases. You NEED to fail to learn. And yes, failure is going to be a part of your life even if you try to avoid it. Michael Jordan missed so many game winning shots, but he’s remembered for the ones he made. You’re remembered for what you’ve done, not what hasn’t worked out. Who cares about Bill Gates’ first company? Is he ridiculed for it? No, he points to Microsoft and says, “well, this one did pretty well, didn’t it?”
I hope it’s clear to you as it is to me. Failure is good. But that’s not to say to focus on it and exclaim, “I’m off to fail!” Ignore failure unless you’re learning from it, as you aim for success, whatever “success” means to you. If the prospect of falling short doesn’t bother you anymore, you’ve conquered your fear of failure!
2. Pay Attention To Solutions!
Gyms are meant for people who want to get in shape. The more out of shape you are, the more you qualify. Some would say it’s ok to work out from home in this case, but no it isn’t. Be comfortable with who you are and where you are. If you’re afraid of going to the gym, go there until you’re not. The solution is to force it until it works. This is facing your fears and breaking your rule – an easy success when they’re irrational.
People travel for free all the time. None of my vacations have ever exceeded $2,000. There are a TON of solutions for the “travel is too expensive problem.” You can sell your stuff on ebay for more money, and start travel hacking to bring the price way way down.
Are you sure you’re lucky to have a job you hate? Have you really exhausted the other options – going all out for the jobs you would enjoy working? It will take some hard work, but a driven individual most often gets what he/she wants. Chris Gardener famously went from sleeping in a subway bathroom with his son to a multi-millionaire in a job he loves. This is a true story of a real person. You’re reading this on a computer, so you’re already better off than Chris was.
Your idea is crazy? What about “Snuggies?” Give it a try or modify it.
3. Don’t Accept Misery – If you’re miserable for long enough, you’ll start to believe that you deserve it or that it’s “normal.” It isn’t normal and nobody deserves to be miserable. Undesirable situations should be cut off ruthlessly. If a person is ruining your life, you need to get away from them. If a job is destroying your vigor, you need to quit immediately or take strong action to find a new job. This should be one of the “rules” you live by – always react strongly against negative situations and never let them linger. Be intentional about your well-being and you’ll have it.
The Time Is Now
The present moment has never been lived before. It is an empty vessel of opportunity ready to be filled with inspiring action. Only you can choose to do something worthwhile with today. You can’t wait for anyone or anything, or you’ll risk doing nothing. You don’t need permission.
You can’t follow your old rules, or you’ll never make any progress. Do the unexpected. Break them. If your life improves because you broke a rule, you won’t go back. After you break one rule, you’ll be ready for the next one.
I’ve been breaking my own rules for a few years now, and I’ve found that most of them aren’t any good. I expect you’ll experience the same.
