Changing your life (experience, Roman)

[tcprowling]

This here is something I wrote for my Daugther some years ago when she was going through a down stage in her life. I thought it might be worth sharing someone else might get something from it

Changing our Lives

At sometime in the recent past we have all muttered the phrase "I wish my life would all change" Well that's natural. We all want change in our lives. It's how we deal with this desire that counts.
Let me set a scenario ' you are at a formal dinner party and your host has set your place with a knife and fork, then serves you a bowl of soup. Now, you could sit there and try to eat your soup with the knife and fork, or you could take steps to improve your situation, by asking for a spoon".
Well life is like that. There are those who sit and take what life serves up to them, for them they have one or two of life's good things, mixed in with a heap of unnecessary rubbish.
Then there are those who always seem to get all the good things life has to offer. These are the people you ask of" why do they have all the luck?' Let me tell you luck has very little to do with it. These people go out and make things happen for themselves.
To do this they use five, basic tools:
1. Goal setting
2. Planning
3. Motivation
4. Commitment
5. Self Discipline
Self discipline is the tool used to control the amount of rubbish that comes into your life. It is much better to stay home on Tuesday and Wednesday night and complete that report the boss/teacher wants for Friday, then to front the boss on Friday and tell him it's not finished and spend the whole weekend finishing it for the board meeting Monday morning.
To use these tools efficiently and for the best results there are 10 rules;
1. Believe in Yourself. You are the most important person in your life. You, are a winner. You deserve the good things in life and you have the power to reach out and get them
2. Set specific Goals; Goals are dreams with deadlines. Stop dreaming and start planning.
3. Keep Your Word; To yourself and to others. If you say you are going to do something do it. This is the one decision that can change everything for you.
4. Don't be a perfectionist; Perfection kills initiative. Most perfectionists will not try something new for fear people will see that they are not as perfect as they think they are.
5. Be Daring; Just because you have not done something before, does not mean you cannot do it. Just because it didn't work the first time doesn't mean you can't try again.
6. Don't Be One Of the Mob; Just because everybody else is doing it doesn't automatically mean it is right for you. Don't be afraid to say NO! If it doesn't feel right for you then more then likely it is not right for you. To ignore this basic intuition is to invite a whole truckload of unnecessary rubbish into your life.
7. Tell Someone What your Goals are; They will help to keep you focused with their persistent inquires about how you are going.
8. Surround Yourself With Sucessful people; Their success has a habit of rubbing off onto those around them.
9. Ask for and listen to Advise; Other people's experience can tie into your ideas to bring about a successful outcome to your plans.
10. Be Nice To Yourself. We are our own worse critics. Give yourself some positive feedback occasionally and acknowledge your own achievements.

[Capt. Haddock]

Telling others what my goals are is something that really helps me.

It's a way to use "peer pressure" to your advantage.

I might be too lazy to keep things going on my own, but the pressure to keep my word to others is a huge motivator.

[michel]

I am one of those people who has never had a goal in life (and that is quite literall). I am almost totally 'reactive' instead of proactive.

It seems to amaze even family members. I have no competitive spirit whatsoever; the thought of competittin is enough to make me scurry away in a corner.