I’ve been wanting to write about “pushing your limits versus respecting them” for a while. I’ve always lingered on the “pushing” side more and I thought for a long time that it was the only avenue for personal growth. Still today, even though I’ve wanted to get rid of my anxiety for so long, if I’d be forced to choose between anxiety or boredom, I’d pick the former. I just like the feelings of “being in the action” and of “pushing myself” which come with new challenges. A few days ago though, I came across a graphic that introduces a third alternative!
We can clearly see how the Flow Channel is a limited space compared to the grey area, hence the difficulty I found in finding lasting satisfaction while trying to evolve. This is also in line with my recent articles on Self-Help Perseverance and How to Change the Subconscious Mind which encourage small and repetitive actions to induce permanent change. What gives the most effective results while remaining in the pleasant state of Flow are the SMALL, CONTINUOUS STEPS. The challenge is then to counter the propensity we have to want fast and apparent results. Motivating yourself over a long period of time to do a small task for which you don’t see obvious results can be a challenge. The level of faith you need to have in your endeavour is also greater as results will take longer to show up and will occur more gradually. Moreover, most (if not all!) personal growth and self-help programs are based on advertising THE miracle quick and effective solution. It might sell better, but anything only works to the extent of the efforts you put in. I’m a firm believer of free solutions readily available such as public domain books (if they’re still around after the copyright protection period expired, they must contain valuable lessons!) or videos on YouTube. Read “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill if you haven’t already!
I must confess though that I’ve already been seduced by books and programs with titles such as “Change Your Life in 7 Days” and “A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness“. They were very helpful, that’s not the question, but both strongly suggested to continue on and to repeat the cycle over and over to get results! So I fall back on my beloved Bob Proctor who has forever claimed that he never studied anything intensively: just a few minutes every day for over 50 years! I guess that’s one more reason why he’s my favourite mentor. Interestingly enough, I just realized that this is also nature’s way of changing: small, incremental and slow changes. I’ve always been amazed at how water can carve out rock! So I guess that’s also one more argument in favour of my New Year’s Mental Bank resolution. I’m 4 days into it now (see picture) and I’ve got just a little over 4 years to reach my objective of living solely on passive income!
And it’s good not to have to choose between boredom or anxiety anymore!
Cheers!
Martin
Shine Brighter Now 