by Dr. JL Knight | Dec 3, 2018 | Transformation
Your life is largely defined by the quality of your decisions. There’s a big difference between choosing a career and spouse that’s right for you and choosing poorly.
And, that’s only two decisions among the thousands you make each month. Will you choose to eat an apple or a bowl of ice cream? If you consistently choose one or the other, imagine the difference 20 years from now.
Great decisions come from a great decision-making process.
Try this process to make decisions that are right for you:
1. Know your objective. What are you trying to accomplish with your decision? Suppose you’re planning a family vacation. What’s the objective? Inexpensive? Relaxing? Adventurous? Family bonding?
2. Know your values. Some decisions are more dependent on your values, such as choosing a career, a spouse, or deciding what charity to contribute to. Can you rattle off your values without giving it some thought? If not, you have some work to do. Know your values and many decisions become clear.
3. List your options. Take the time to write a complete list. You always have more options available to you than you realize. Too many people discover that the best choice they had available to them was one they never considered.
4. Consider the benefits of each option. What are the benefits and advantages of each option? List those as well.
5. Consider the disadvantages and potential risks of each option. Now, take a look at the other side of the coin. What are the negatives? What are the risks? Think carefully and list them all.
6. Sleep on it. Assuming you don’t have to make a decision immediately, take a night to sleep on it. Your brain is working away on the issue, even if you don’t realize it. A night of sleep will provide new insight and understanding. You might be surprised how your perspective changes in the morning.
7. Make a decision. It’s time to pull the trigger and make your decision. Avoid taking too long to make up your mind. If you’re stuck, it probably means that the options you’re considering are all acceptable. Taking more time won’t help. It will just waste time.
● Compare the advantages and disadvantages. Consider your values. Now, choose. Avoid procrastinating. You can do it.
● Most people avoid decisions because it’s more comfortable to be in decision mode than working mode.
8. Consider the worst possible outcome and have a plan. Now that you’ve made a decision, prepare for the worst possible outcome. You’ll be ready if it should happen, and you’ll also feel more confident. If you can handle the worst, you can handle anything else.
9. Stick with it. A common cause of failure is changing your mind. Once you make a decision, stick with it. Only if it’s obvious that you’ve made a mistake should you change your mind. Hang in there and persevere.
10. Re-evaluate. Learn from each decision you make. What was good and bad about it? How can you enhance your decision-making process for next time? Each decision is a learning opportunity. Ensure that you’re learning as much as possible.
Decisions are important. The quality of your decisions determines the quality of your life. Obviously, making wise choices will enhance your life.
How do you currently make decisions? Do you have a process or just shoot from the hip? Create and follow a process that will lead to making great decisions. You’ll be happy with the impact on your life.
Transformation!
by Dr. JL Knight | Nov 26, 2018 | Discipline, Staying Disciplined
TOP TIPS
There are more distractions in our lives than any time before. The internet alone gives us thousands of different ways to stray from our goals. Use the tips in this article to help you keep disciplined.
- Project How Life Will Be When Goals Are Met:
You have probably heard the term, keep your eye on the prize. It is a bit overused. Yet, it still drives home the point that if you have a goal that you really want to reach, focusing on the end result can help keep us on track. It gives you a purpose to do what is needed to meet the objective.
- Project How Life Will Be When Goals Are Not Met:
If your life is not going the way you want it, you need to make changes. If you have a goal to make more money or get another job, think about what life will be like if you don’t take steps to make that happen. This can be a great way to keep your discipline.
- Figure Out How to Reduce Stress:
Stress will be a big factor in not staying disciplined. It will be difficult to concentrate on what you want to accomplish when you are stressed out. Consider taking up exercise, meditation, and other ways to relax like massages. These have all been shown to help reduce the onset of stress. When your stress is reduced, you will have a much easier time concentrating on accomplishing your goals.
- Put Accountability into the Mix:
Try to find a way to hold yourself accountable for whatever activity or goal you are trying to stay disciplined with. For instance, perhaps you used to play a musical instrument and wanted to take it up again. One way to make that happen is to start playing in a band. This arrangement will require you to go to band practices and show up for gigs when you get them.
- Look at Your Journey in a Different Light:
Sometimes when we are focusing on staying self-disciplined, we frame it in a way that others have already shown us how to do. For instance, perhaps you are learning a new language. You have always been told that repetition is the way to learn. Look for other ways that may liven up the process. You could try something like playing games in the new language, etc.
- Break Down Tasks into Subtasks:
When we have some kind of goal or problem that seems too big to tackle, this can put up barriers within our mind. These barriers often prevent us from reaching the intended results. When this happens, consider breaking the end result into subtasks. This makes them more manageable and they can help us alter course along the way if needed.
- Don’t Dwell on the Small Stuff:
There are times when people will let unimportant items get in the way of their lives. This can hinder our focus and keeps us from reaching the desired goals. Do this often enough and you can just about forget accomplishing anything major. While you can’t ignore every little item that pops up, you can shift your priorities or get others to do it instead.
- Join Support Groups:
Support groups can really help when trying to stay disciplined. Whatever key area you are focusing on, there are likely to be groups available to join. If they don’t exist, consider creating one yourself. These groups have people that have been through what you are experiencing and can offer advice.
ACTIONABLE STEPS
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
| Seek out forums and groups that are related to the focus of your discipline. It’s important to keep active within the groups that you find. Otherwise, the members won’t get to know you and won’t be as big a help to you. |
Create a written plan that contains steps to accomplish what you are trying to stay disciplined with. Make the tasks on the plan as specific as possible. |
Find someone who you can be accountable for your discipline. You could exchange accountability and whoever accomplishes the desired results first will get some kind of prize. |
FURTHER READING
- The Power of Habit:
- The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life:
- The Willpower Instinct:
- No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline:
- How to Build Self-Discipline:
This report includes powerful tips related to Staying Disciplined.
It also includes 3 actionable steps you can take right away and a list of suggested reading for those people who are looking for even more information.
Dr. Jacqueline L. Knight © 2018
The Business Transformation Coach
by Dr. JL Knight | Nov 19, 2018 | Personal Transformation
Don’t feel 100% great about yourself? Join the club. Most of us could use a little boost regarding our opinions of ourselves. Affirmations can be an effective way to boost your self-esteem.
The key to using affirmations is to state them in the positive and to use them religiously. It can take thousands of repetitions to make a dent in your current level of self-esteem.
Use this process to harness the power of affirmations to enhance your self-esteem:
1. Determine the weak areas of your self-esteem. In what aspects of your life do you feel negatively about yourself? It might be related to work or your relationships. Hone in on the areas of your self-esteem that need the most work.
2. Create affirmations that address your areas of weakness. Suppose your self-esteem regarding your work is less than you’d like. Be kind to yourself and create powerful affirmations even if they seem over the top. For example:
● I am the most capable person on my team at work.
● I contribute regularly and in a meaningful way toward solving the biggest problems at work.
● I am the person most likely to receive a promotion and a raise.
● I am calm, cool, and collected in even the most stressful work situations.
● Try to come up with a minimum of 10-15 affirmations. Make them positive and in the present tense.
3. Create an audio recording of all your affirmations. This will be used later. Ensure that the quality of the recording is decent. You don’t want the sound of a phone ringing or a dog barking in the background. Your recording doesn’t have to
be professional quality but give it your best effort.
● Read each affirmation at a normal speaking pace and speak clearly. Leave a short pause between each affirmation.
4. Write or type each affirmation clearly on a piece of paper. It’s important to be able to carry your affirmations with you everywhere. That could mean putting them on a small piece of paper or having an electronic version on your phone or tablet. Whatever format works for you is fine.
5. Spend some time each day listening to your affirmations. Ideally, at a minimum, you’ll listen to them while you’re lying in bed in the morning and in bed at night. Put on your headphones and listen to your affirmations repeat over and over. If you can fall asleep with your affirmations in your ear, great!
● You could even take a walk at lunchtime and listen.
6. Spend some time writing your affirmations each day. Pull out a pen and some paper and write them by hand. Typing doesn’t count. This a highly effective way of implanting your affirmations into your subconscious. It’s not enjoyable, so you’ll have to be tough and ensure you get it done.
7. Read your affirmations. You’ve be listening and writing. Now, it’s time to read them. Pull out your list of affirmations and read over them a few times each day. Let your subconscious know that you’re serious. Keep at it.
8. Consider a little electronic help. There are free programs you can get for your computer that will flash your affirmations on your computer screen for short periods of time. You can program them to flash for periods of time so short that you can’t possibly see them consciously, but your subconscious mind will see them.
● Imagine seeing your affirmations all day long at work!
Affirmations can be a useful tool for increasing your level of self-esteem. With more self-esteem, life will be more enjoyable, and you’ll be more capable. Create a few affirmations and use them several times each day. Write them, listen to them, and read them. Your self-esteem will grow.
The Business Transformation Coach, LLC.
by Dr. JL Knight | Nov 14, 2018 | Personal Transformation, Transformation
I accept that change is a consistent part of life. There is always change happening in my life and in the lives of others. While many people resist change, I welcome it. I am happy when my life is expanding.
Growing as a person is important to me. Change provides the opportunity for me to grow. My life can become bigger when I make the most of the change happening in my life.
I am an adaptable person. I am flexible in my perspective and approach to life. When something unexpected happens, I just go with the flow and make the most of the situation.
I am excited by change.
The biggest advances in my life are the result of change. Some changes are forced upon me by the world, while other changes are chosen by me. It matters little.
Each change in my life becomes an advantage. I can clearly see how to get the most out of each change I experience. The path is clear.
If I feel overwhelmed by changes in my life, I remind myself how successful I have been at dealing with changes in my past. I feel rejuvenated and excited to see how the latest change unfolds.
Today, I embrace change. I am glad for the opportunity to make positive changes in my life. I welcome change and adapt to it easily.
Self-Reflection Questions:
1. What changes am I facing in my life right now? How do I feel about them?
2. What good could come from the changes currently happening in my life?
3. Would it benefit my life if I were more accepting of change? Why or why not?
The Business Transformation Coach, LLC.
by Dr. JL Knight | Oct 24, 2018 | Components of Transformation, Personal Transformation, Transformation
Maybe you’re sick of your life, your waistline, or the person you’ve become. You’re more flexible than you think! You can become just about anything or anyone you like. Whether you want to get fit, build wealth, or revamp your social life, you can do it!
It’s far from easy, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.
These strategies can help you become the person you’ve always wanted to be:
- Identify your core values. You won’t be happy if you create a big change that puts you in conflict with your values. Most people have never really taken the time to identify their values. Take a day to consider the values that are most important to you. Write them down.
- Create a vision of the future. Think about the end result of the transformation you want to make. If you want to lose weight and become fit, think about how you would look and feel. Maybe you’re more interested in becoming wealthy. What would that look like? What kind of house would you own? How would you spend your day?
- Is your transformation reasonable for you? For example, you might not be able to make a trillion dollars, but you could still build great wealth.
- Determine why. Why do you want to make this change? Create a long list of reasons why you want to transform. Get excited.
- Identify the qualities and skills you’ll need to develop. If you want to transform your body, you might need to learn more about exercise physiology, nutrition, and develop some discipline. Consider what it will take to accomplish your transformation.
- Identify the resources you’ll require. Do you need a personal trainer, gym membership, and a blender? Maybe you need money and a mentor for your transformation. Figure out the resources you’ll need.
- Make a plan. Start at the end and keep working backward until you reach a step that you can do today. Avoid worrying about the details of step 11. You can worry about that when you’re finishing up step 10. You don’t need to see 10 miles down the road to back out of your driveway.
- Audit your plan. Imagine following your plan and note how you feel at each step. You’re bound to feel some emotional resistance at one or more points. If you didn’t, you would have made the transformation long ago.
- It’s important to address each of the issues that creates emotional discomfort. You’re likely to quit if you don’t.
- Either come up with a plan to work around those issues or just relax and let the negative feelings go.
- You’ll know you’re in a good place when you find yourself chomping at the bit to get started. Procrastination is a sign that something is awry.
- Don’t quit! This is the most challenging part for most people. You fail if you quit. You can’t fail if you don’t. Keep on going no matter how bleak things seem. You can always do better tomorrow than you did today. A little bit of progress each day or week is all you need.
You can transform yourself starting today. Build a vision and create a plan. Stay the course until you’re satisfied with the changes you’ve made.
The Business Transformation Coach, LLC.
