4 Easy Steps For a Life HACK!

We all have heard of one.? Either on social media or in an infomercial.? It could have been a successful individual pitching a systematic process or coaching opportunity to guarantee you success.? Spoiler Alert: There are not any guarantees.? If I was to say the term, HACK, what would come to mind?? For some, it would be a tool, or a HACK saw.? For some, it might be a programing language developed by Meta.? Others may think of cybersecurity or an attempt to HACK into a computer system.? Some individuals have coined the term “HACK” to represent a trick or way to make something easier.? It could also make things more efficient.? Ultimately, it is a simple and creative way to accomplish something positive.?? What HACK are you looking for?? Let’s look at four ways to HACK your goal or dreams:

H-Habits?????????????????????????????

Habits are key.? We all have habits. Some are good and some take us away from our goals and dreams.? The important thing is to identify which ones we need to focus on.? If I was to ask you write yours down, what are some of your habits.? What would you write?? Would your cell phone or social media be on your top 5 list of habits?? Do you think that helps you on your journey to achieve your goals?? In the book Atomic Habits, the author James Clear maps out a journey to improving your habits to help you.? I could fill up pages of quotes from when I read it last, however my favorite one is, “You can’t change your life overnight, but you can change your direction.”? Think of that for a second.? It doesn't sound much like a life HACK, or does it?? Rome was not built in a day, however the daily progress of consistent work created an amazing city.? What are you working on that you need to refocus or change your direction?? What is your Rome?? You don’t have to change your life overnight, however you need to know what direction you are going and see if aligns with where you need to be going.

A-Apply????????????????????????????????

Apply yourself!? Thoughts don’t get you over the finish line.? You have to actually put in the work and apply yourself.? Many ideas died in a sketch book, or a notebook because they were never taken from the conceptual or drafted idea to an actual plan or action put in place.? You have to apply your skills and abilities to your idea to achieve it.? Some of your skills (don’t shoot the messenger) need some work and might not be as quality as you think.? That is ok, we must know what areas to work on to get better.? Johan Wolfgang von Goethe is quoted as saying, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply.? Willing is not enough; we must do.”? That is post-it worthy for your monitor.? (Don’t ask me how many post-it notes I have on my monitor.)? We must apply.? We must do.? What do you need to start doing or applying your knowledge to?? Is it in your personal life or work life?? What has been the main reason you have not started?? Maybe that is the first thing to address.? Work to remove that obstacle, then get going.? You may have a few goals and dreams that you need to get started on, and that is ok. Take some time to see how many of them intertwine with each other or support each other.? Set aside some time to create your plan, then apply yourself and do it!

C-Coachable????????????????????

Coachable attitude.? Are you coachable?? I don’t mean like in middle school with the PE Coach telling you the rules of dodgeball, I mean are you willing to receive feedback that you might not like?? Before you jump to the next paragraph, hear me out.? You have to be willing to received feedback that you may not like to be able to improve the areas of your life that are keeping you from achieving your goals.? Many people have great talent, and they have coaches to help refine their skills to get to the next level.? Professional sports are a prime example.? Name on major superstar on a team you choose that does not have a coach.? Every team has a head coach and a team of assistant coaches.? Do you have a coach?? Do you have someone that you can trust to have your best interests in mind and to give you feedback you can rely on to help you get to the next level, or even to start on your journey?? I am not saying to go out and pay to find a “life coach” or a “business coach,” I am saying to find a mentor or trusted individual for you to be able to pitch ideas to and know they will give you their honest feedback.? Remember, sometimes honesty hurts, but remember it on your journey to get better.? Pain hurts too, and you know the old saying, “No pain, no gain.”? Get gaining!

K-Keep?????????????????????????????????

Keep learning and trying!? Are you learning?? Are you trying?? Are you honestly answering those questions?? To make sure we are on the same page, and with a quick call to Uncle Google, the definition of “Keep” is to cause to continue in a specified condition, condition, course, etc.? It is a verb.? That means it is an action.? Let me ask again.? Wait, before I ask again, let me ask this.? What goals or dream are you currently learning about?? What is the most recent a-ha moment that you have had?? How much time are you allocating to learning more about this dream or goal?? Depending on the size of the dream or goal, and your working knowledge about the scope of what you are trying to do, are you allocating enough time to learn and grow?? What are you doing that is helping you learn?? What resources are you using?? Are they enough?? Where else can you allocate time for your learning?? Spend some time looking over your calendar to see where you can block some time every week (or day) to help you grow and learn.? Don’t just think about blocking time off, make sure you do it.? If you are blocking time off on your calendar, don’t forget to hit the recurrence button and set the days and times that you can block out. You will thank me later.

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How can these four things help you on your journey?? What are some key takeaways that you thought of while reading this?? Do you understand the ultimate HACK?? It is work.? It will not happen overnight and there is not any one task or service that can make it so.? There is only one individual who can make it happen.? Guess who that is? It is YOU!? You have to focus on your habits. You have to remove the habits that are taking you away from your goals.? You have to apply yourself.? Thoughts don’t get you over the finish line.? You have to have a coachable attitude.? You have to keep learning and keep trying.? Remember, you can’t change your life overnight, but you can change the direction. Only you can change the direction.? Those are the facts, and those are the HACKs.?

P.S. if you have not read the book Atomic Habits, you need to.?

H – Habits are key.

A – Apply yourself!

C – Coachable attitude.

K – Keep Learning and trying!

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Stay safe and stay well!