3 Things
After a full day on the PC, enjoying my new found connectivity in 'Zoom' it really dawned on me today how people are feeling right now. What became real for me is how current income challenges can very quickly escalate into worrying thoughts of self worth. Worried. Obvs. I took myself out for a run to structure some thoughts and I wanted to jump on the PC quickly to share something that's really helped me since the summer of 2019 when I had a kick in the goolies (a suspected TIA).
Now bear with me a sec, as I took an almighty tumble last night whilst running so I'm currently nursing my left leg in ice and dusting down my pride with a yellow duster and a can of Pledge but it's amazing how distractions can disturb even the most basic of functions, in this case me putting one foot in front of the other!
But today I am going to give you a pill that will make you happy. Seriously. This bad boy has been proven to improve happiness and well-being in thousands of subjects over decades of research.
This exercise is a knock out performer from the world of positive psychology and has been scientifically proven to create lasting positive change in your well-being. By performing this simple task once or twice a week, you will be happier and more resilient to negative emotions.
The reason this type of exercise is so important as part of the habit change process is to improve your overall well-being. The healthier and brighter world the more motivation you will have to keep going through this awful time (let's just be honest and call it that) but the thoughts of going back to old habits and all those negatives will simply not be an option.
OK, it’s not actually a pill – but it is just as easy to swallow. All you have to do is write down three good things that went well for you this week.
That’s it.
Make a note of your 3 good things for today. And do it every day.
The second tip (don't laugh as the fall triggered the thought) but ‘If you chase two rabbits… you will not catch either one.’ Russian Proverb. And I'm very poor at not giving this the merit it deserves.
Having now experimented with many goal setting techniques the most simple ones are always the best (your own technique, the one that works for you). Rather than trying to do everything at once the research keeps telling me to focus on just one thing until it's complete and then move on.
You know I love going against the conventional wisdom and once again I find it lacking. Multitasking is prized as a skill but the research suggests you just end up doing more things averagely or poorly. Plus the time lag of switching between tasks can cost you months!!
The idea is to find your goals then figure out what’s the most important thing you can do to achieve this goal - today (stop beating yourself up that you can't look further at the mo).
This approach grounds you in the present moment and does not allow you to sit back and admire your goals in the distance or indeed fall on your arse as I did.
Stay safe.
David