Want to Make a Change? Stop ‘Trying’ and Start ‘Doing’
Do you ever catch yourself prefacing your good intentions with "I'll try..."? We all have lists of things we haven't got round to doing anything about yet. It doesn't matter how important these are or how serious you are, if you are not making anything happen they mean nothing. If you are really serious about making things happen for yourself this post tells you one really vital thing you must do.
Tend the Flowers, Not the Weeds
Success breeds success so the more you focus on the things that are working the easier it becomes to move forward with an idea. The gardening metaphor is apt. Finding out what grows well in a certain soil and climate, and planting the same varieties, produces more blooms (or carrots or cauliflowers), than struggling to nurture something that doesn't want to grow. Successful gardeners spend less time weeding because in a flourishing garden there are so many other things to enjoy. Keep planting!
When Perfection Is Not Possible Good Enough Must Be
Perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. If you find yourself striving for perfection and that is slowing you down or preventing you from starting or completing something, here's a tip.
What is the Problem You’re Trying to Solve?
Some problems have a way of dragging on or recurring. This is often because the 'problem' is not the problem at all.
Integrity can be a Lonely Place
Having the courage of your own convictions, living according to your principles, being true to your values... These noble-sounding epithets can be simply expressed but are much harder to live by. There is no reward and not much recognition. On the contrary, you have to go against the flow, be misunderstood, and even at times written off. The wosrt thing is you'll never know if you were 'right'.
How To Solve a Problem Without Focusing On It
Problem solving is stimulating and satisfying. Finding a solution to a problem can be so satisfying that you'd think we'd be better at doing it.
“It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better.” I Don’t Think So.
I recently read a post on a mental health blog which said “Talking therapy is great, but things get worse before they get better, so you have to stick with it." This is a misguided over-generalisation that can do harm. If one of my clients feels worse at the end of the session, then it is not the end of the session.
Be Patient With Virtue
Do you ever think about virtue as a goal for personal development? I didn't. I was given a double-edged message. On the one hand, I was told that I should aspire to it, but then the examples I was given put it out of my reach.
If Unwanted Feelings Hang Around Too Long
Unwanted feelings can blight your life. Though it might not seem like it, they are part of us and we have more control over them than you might think. And that's where the solution lies, in how we think and what we do as a result.
