What Makes CHANGE Difficult

What Makes CHANGE Difficult

What Makes CHANGE Difficult?  It's all due to human nature.  We all love to remain in the comfort zone[s].  BUT the reality is, CHANGE can be seen all around us, and many times it's NOT even our choice at all.  Whether that CHANGE can be taking public transportation rather than taking an Uber/Grab, we all have personal behaviors where we wish we could adjust, stop or start.  From our tender age, we were introduced to CHANGE, some more often than others, and somewhere along, we end up developing our own perceptions💎💎💎

The mere mention of CHANGE may start to cause others to feel uneasy [at the very least].  And we often find ourselves resisting CHANGE, perhaps because of the PERCEIVED risk or fear associated with it.  I am NOT a Buddhist but do allow me to quote Buddha: 'CHANGE IS NEVER PAINFUL.  ONLY RESISTANCE TO CHANGE IS PAINFUL'.  Facing the mirror awhile ago, I asked myself, HOW MANY TIMES IN THE PAST I REFUSED or RESISTED CHANGE? After some soul searching, my answer is NONE, NADA, NICHTS, RIEN, ZILCH📌📌📌

Without unnecessarily divulging proprietary information, in my company's global organization, there are myriad of strategic initiatives plotted for execution within the years and topping the list is no less than all communications related to CHANGE as an initiative.  It is a global move with very high visibility because there is this consensus across the global organization that CHANGE is crucial enough to reverberate its impact, whether a CHANGE rollout becomes a success or failure⏳⏳⏳

Let's swing back into our personal lives and we could attest CHANGE has happened over and over again way beyond what we want.  A daughter WHO, for the first time, has to leave home and attend school in the capital city.  A daughter getting married.  Difficult changes would include putting up the family property FOR SALE [due to financial reasons].  A more difficult one might be a working parent [who's the family breadwinner] quitting work due to illness✅✅✅

To progress through a CHANGE stage, it is essential that we instill MOTIVATION toward the CHANGE.  One, by educating oneself on the behavioral change.  If I am an alcoholic and I want to CHANGE, I must listen/accept all the lessons and information about the disadvantages of being an alcoholic.  Securing your personal BUY-IN is 'primus inter pares', the very first among equals for us to disprove that CHANGE is DIFFICULT❓❓❓

When Can New Habits Come

When Can New Habits Come

When Can New Habits Come?  Can we buy it from Amazon?  Or from the online stores?  I stumbled across a study from Duke University researches who confirmed that HABITS account for approximately 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day.  For us to know and learn how to build new HABITS is essential for us to make progress in our life✅✅✅

BTW, I don't want to come clean [because no one on this planet] is as dainty and as immaculate because as humans, we have our faults.  BUT here's a BIG BUT.  Accepting that we do have this and that bad HABIT is a good first step for us to realize that we need to BREAK that bad HABIT as a first step.  To set expectations, however, breaking bad HABITS will entail you to summon your fortitude to decide WHEN to break it instead of being like a dog with all bark and nothing else❗❗❗

Yes, I grabbed this poster because it could be the most popular first question from any novice.  HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CREATE A NEW HABIT? Here's our 2-cents.  First, as Former U.S. President Bill Clinton once said, KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Start with an incredibly small habit, something that is SO easy you just CAN'T say NO.  But hold on, what's the common retort we hear from people who want to have a new HABIT?  OH I NEED MORE MOTIVATION......  HOW I WISH I HAD MORE WILLPOWER LIKE YOU DO.  These are self-defeating statements💎💎💎

Oh Oh, I'm afraid this is the WRONG FIRST STEP.  Research shows willpower is like a muscle.  It gets fatigued as you use it throughout the day.  Another way to think of this is that your motivation EBBS and FLOWS.  It rises and falls.  Experts call this 'MOTIVATION WAVE'.  So, you got to solve this problem by picking a new HABIT that is easy enough⏳⏳⏳

Yesirrrrrs there is a SIGNAGE, this way to "NEW YOU" but to reset expectations, that is NOT a one-stop destination, that is NOT a 'catch all-have all; endpoint, that is NOT a point-to-point travel with an estimated travel time a.k.a. ETA for road warriors/travellers.  That 'NEW YOU' signage will simply lead you to the correct direction .  So, WHEN CAN NEW HABITS COME?  Start it NOW, pronto and constantly stick to it, then you'll be fine📌📌📌

EMPTY Exhaustion Versus FULFILLING FATIGUE

EMPTY Exhaustion Versus FULFILLING FATIGUE

If we all have a commonality in life, we all feel drained or zapped at various points in our daily life.  The question is, where is the RED SEA that sets apart the vast difference between an EMPTY Exhaustion Versus FULFILLING FATIGUE?  Those are two poles very much comparable to the gap between the skies and the ground.  Too bad some of us are unable to distinguish the huge difference between EMPTY Exhaustion Versus FULFILLING FATIGUE

IF we need to find role models, we can pick from those competitive sportsmen.  They follow a regimented training schedule even if they have to clock-in 4am or 11pm.  But outside of competitive sports, this is where we pity some of us.  Have you witnessed idle and effectively doing nothing many hours yet you would hear one yawning, confusing you whether you are seeing a legitimate EXHAUSTION or just a hollowed FATIGUE❓❓❓

To keep things as basic and as simple as possible, the very gauge is NOT simply whether you're physically/mentally manifesting a 'LOW BATTERY' but we got to validate our manifestation.  Was it caused because you just came home after working twelve pressurizing hours?  OR you just drove a 10-hr stretch?  OR did you spend the past hours on social media?  Switching from Meta/FB to IG to Twitter, name it.  OR you were in a to-and-fro video call with your pal, talking anything EXCEPT sense?

IF only we spent our time diligently.  IF only we enforced our time management efficiently.  IF only we stuck to our targeted tasks for the day.  IF only we DE-PRIORITIZED social media until your tasks have tapered off.   IF only you politely disengaged yourself from a 'nonsense conversation' even if that was with your BFF.  IF only you realized that any unutilized time is LOST time.  IF only you constantly reminded yourself to be accountable for every ticking minute of your 'awake' hours

With humility, I'll admit I NEVER went through this kind of predicament, wherein in the end, I would regret so much time has passed yet I was unable to DO what I needed to DO.  And as the old adage goes, regret comes only at the tail-end.  BUT given the choice, would you prefer yourself going through an EMPTY EXHAUSTION instead of a FULFILLING FATIGUE?  C'mon dude✅✅✅

Did You HEAR What You Wanted To HEAR?

Did You HEAR What You Wanted To HEAR?

No No No sirrrrs, our thread today is NOT about hearing problems that may need a hearing aid.  Instead, this is intended for everyone with NO hearing problems, per se.  Instead, we'd like to dig in and figure out why people with normal hearing capabilities are facing a different dilemma, and that's their tendency to HEAR WHAT THEY WANTED TO HEAR, period.  Do you follow me?  Can you relate to this.  If NOT you yourself, did you bear witness to some people whose hearing discipline is more SELECTIVE, a.k.a. FILTERED wherein they end up hearing ONLY WHAT THEY WANTED TO HEAR and nothing more❓❓❓

Heard of this fact:  Schools teach courses on HOW TO PRESENT.  BUT have you heard of courses on HOW TO LISTEN?  Very likely you haven't heard.  Oh Oh, well, LISTENING is the kind of skill that benefits from NOT just teaching but really WALKING THE TALK.  To take a step back, a participant in any conversation has two goals, namely to UNDERSTAND the message and to convey an INTEREST to it⏳⏳⏳

Now, before we swing to other people, how are you, how do you LISTEN?  Let me share HOW do I discern if the person I'm talking to is NOT sincerely LISTENING.  If he does NOT react OR comment at all to what I said, that is my reliable barometer that the person I'm talking to is NOT sincerely into that conversation.  OR to give that person the benefit of the doubt, maybe there's something that's mentally bothering him RIGHT NOW📌📌📌

So what's our FIX?  Let us understand that ACTIVE LISTENING has three aspects namely, COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL and BEHAVIORAL.  The COGNITIVE piece expects us to pay attention to all the information.  The EMOTIONAL piece expects us to stay calm during the convu, including containing emotional reactions [e.g. are you getting annoyed OR bored]❗❗❗

Now, let's come up with a CHEAT SHEET.  

1. REPEAT the person's last words back
2. DON'T put it in your own words unless you need
3. OFFER non-verbal cues that you're listening
4. ASK more questions as it manifest listening
5. AVOID distractions during the conversation
6. APOLOGIZE if you can't understand something
7. RESPOND only once the person stopped talking
8. MANAGE your emotions as much as possible
9. Once the person is done, take a brief pause, then compose your thoughts  [as that takes a conscious effort] and since people think four times faster than the one talking, that's the time your brainpower starts to gain momentum

We hope that after your two-way interaction, you managed to HEAR NOT JUST THINGS YOU WANTED TO HEAR✅✅✅

Do The Things You LOVE

Do The Things You LOVE

No sirrrrrrs, we DON'T need to be kittens to DO THE THINGS YOU LOVE [to do]. It's just a hard fact in life that we got a myriad choices and options to do [especially during non-work days].  But the bigger question to everyone is, do you subscribe to this mantra Do The Things You LOVE?  If NOT, you must be threading scary waters.  Now, what sets apart billionaires from us?  Of course, they are crazy rich so our natural assumption would lead us to believe that $$$$$$ makes them happy?  NO sirrrrrrrrrrrs❗❗❗

Hmmmm, that may be [partly] true but $$$$$$ alone DOES NOT lead to SUSTAINABLE happiness if the other areas in your life are careening towards or actually becoming OUT of CONTROL.  So, this early, what's our FIX?  Studies tell us DO THE THINGS YOU LOVE, period.  Billionaire Warren Buffet was quoted 'DO SOMETHING YOU ENJOY ALL YOUR LIFE.  I URGE YOU TO WORK IN JOBS THAT YOU LOVE.  YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND IF YOU KEEP TAKING JOBS YOU DON'T LIKE BECAUSE YOU THINK IT WILL LOOK GOOD ON YOUR RESUME'❗❗❗

Indeed, there are RISKS involved in chasing after that 'dream job'.  You DON'T just wake up one day and quit your job and the financial security of a steady paycheck to start a business.  BUT when you do discover the work or career that will spring you out of bed every morning, it will be totally worth it.  Many times in my life I have seen SQUARE PEGS in ROUND HOLES, whew.  Now, saying 'DO WHAT YOU LOVE' is easier said than done.  Look for your PURPOSE.  But you CAN'T have that PURPOSE without that PASSION, which comes from your DESIRE to make a difference✅✅✅

Allow me to 'zoom and sneak' into my private life.  WHY do I really LOVE going to market [even 'wet markets']?  WHY do I really LOVE going shopping [NOT just malling]? WHY do I keep blogging-blogging regardless if it comes right after I 'logout' from work OR deep into the night or even on a supposedly LAZY Sunday morning [like today]?  Dude, it's a no-brainer.  I LOVE, as in, LOVE doing all these.  Ask my wife for an attestation📌📌📌  

In a month's time, we [my wife and myself] are reaching our 16th year, a milestone countless naysayers were willing to bet [14-16 years ago] that ours will not last.  In my career, I stayed for 12 years in my first job and in my current job, I'm now 12 years and counting.  In conclusion, what helped me reach these milestones this long, both in my personal and professional life?  WHEN YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO, it does not come out as an obligation to do but instead, it adds up as a contributor to make and keep you happy in life⏳⏳⏳

Weapons of 'MASS DISTRACTION' [This is NOT a Typo]

Weapons of 'MASS DISTRACTION' [This is NOT a Typo]

Weapons of 'MASS DISTRACTION.  No sirs, this is NOT a typo [unlike almost two decades ago when the western superpowers were all ganging up on Saddam Hussein's WEAPONS of MASS DESTRUCTION].  But please DON'T get me wrong, I am NOT against or aghast with all what social media offers us today because I do use this blogging tool and yes, I do use Meta too but this thread is NOT about social media

And BTW, what really distracts us is NOT just social media.  It COULD be music audio being played.  It COULD be that busybody in your neighborhood snooping around.  It COULD be the infant crying in the bedroom.  It COULD be an emergency ambulance blowing its horn nonstop along the road.  In short, we have a cacophonous combination of MASS DISTRACTION.  The question is, how do we handle all these❓❓❓

Indeed, we face two tough challenges in the light of all these distractions.  #1 is learning the tricks to handle it and #2 developing that self-discipline to handle it.  Studies show that in the United States, on average, the typical American gets distracted every eleven minutes and that it takes approximately twenty five minutes for you to settle down again to your task but regaining that LOST FOCUS for more complicated tasks is tougher than ever❗❗❗

Oh this pic looks like fiction but seriously, my naked eyes has witnessed this scenario a zillion times.  Pedestrians walking but so glued on that gadget.  Drivers behind the steering wheel BUT reading/texting an SMS [that's short messaging service].  These are real-life 'horror stories' and that vicious cycle has not been broken up even as we speak now.  So, WHY does it take time for us to RE-FOCUS back to our task?  This happens because our brain has to take considerable effort switching between objectives the person wants to pursue✅✅✅

What's our FIXes?  #1 STICK to your vision and goals in mind, period.#2 PRIORITIZE & PLAN your day right after you wake up.  #3 REDUCE the chaos in your daily life.  Much as you want to do 20 tasks, seriously, that's next to impossible.  #4 START + COMPLETE the prioritized tasks as per schedule, pronto.  #5 Drill-down and FOCUS on the smallest part of your task.  Many get lost because they are so enamored with the BIG PICTURE, period.  Lastly, control your CONTROLLABLE distractions, be it as simple as closing the door, turning off the Spotify music.  Be wary of today's WEAPONS of MASS DISTRACTION📌📌📌

PATIENCE May NOT Mean WAITING

 PATIENCE May NOT Mean WAITING

English may NOT be a language more complex than Russian BUT sadly, many of us continue to stand pat in WAITING and WAITING on the pretext that WAITING is a manifestation of PATIENCE.  Oh Oh this is a gross mix up.  Unfortunately, many questions we have in life require PATIENCE And that involves a big chunk of game-changing and life-changing decisions so PATIENCE May NOT Mean WAITING💎💎💎

Oh, when we were kids, we wade through a long season eagerly looking forward to the next.  We would wait.  Our birthday comes.  So does Halloween [and Trick or Treat].  As we grow, we anticipate being old enough to play a sport, to drive our own car and to vote as a citizen or to have our wisdom tooth pulled.  So, during those days, we sublimely learned 'delay gratification'.  Over time, we learned more💊💊💊

Over time, we may have heard or learnt that IMPULSE CONTROL and FRUSTRATION tolerance can have benefits.  Our lives abound in so many opportunities to practice developing these habits.  We should have heard stories that tell us that devoting TIME, MONEY and EFFORT can bring rewards that CANNOT be gained without FOCUS, HARD WORK and yes, that ability to DELAY GRATIFICATION📌📌📌

So, what's our FIXes?  First off, PREPARE.  If you want to migrate to France, learn French.  If ypu're about to onboard to a new organization, learn the new tools and systems, not just keeping to your existing skills set.  that's being PREPARED.  Secondly, Handle DISTRACTION deftly.  When WAITING becomes uncomfortable enough to derail us from being our normally efficient self, endeavor to SWITCH GEARS to another tack✅✅✅

Yes please, STOP WAITING IN LINE!  What do you gain by passively waiting in the queue?  Is it just being part of the bandwagon?  BUT are you sure everyone in that bandwagon share the same plan and goals as you have plotted for yourself?  Sadly, I know first-hand people who wasted decades of their life simply because they thought they were PATIENT enough when in line.  PATIENCE MAY NOT MEAN WAITING, dude❗❗❗

Are You Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop, Really?

Are You Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop, Really?

Are You Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop, Really?  In simplest English, we're referring to manifestations by some who tend be so apprehensive or worried on something unfavorable that may happen next.  And what's the probability of that worry to happen?  Honestly, only God knows.  Could be anywhere between 1% to 99%.  So, really, the ask is Are You Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop, Really❓❓❓

So what explains why some of us tend to be worrisome?  Scientific explanations do explain its common causes. and topping the list are people who repetitively think NEGATIVE thoughts to avoid NEGATIVE emotional contrasts.  Oh, there is a second jargon we got to grapple with, that's RUMINATION so let's differentiate WORRY vs RUMINATION. While WORRY refers to repetitive NEGATIVE thoughts about potentially unpleasant future events, RUMINATION refers to repetitive NEGATIVE thoughts concerning either present or past difficulties📌📌📌

So that's it.  RUMINATION refers to either present or past whereas WORRY refers to the future.  Despite these differences, RUMINATION and WORRY share much in common as both are peppered with NEGATIVITY, REPETITIVE and UNCONTROLLABLE circumstances.  Not to be an alarmist, both are also associated with mental illness⏳⏳⏳

So, here's what's bogging us.  What ties us up to repetitive NEGATIVE thinking?  Studies show that NEGATIVE repetitive thinking tends to decrease the chances of experiencing NEGATIVE emotional contrasts and instead, INCREASES the chance of experiencing POSITIVE emotional contrasts.  And here's a bit of a twisted take from some worrisome folks.  They would explain that they are focusing on the NEGATIVE because allowing themselves to feel happy leaves them vulnerable to feeling terrible in the end✅✅✅

So what's our FIX [f we can exhaust fixing this]:

• Challenge POSITIVE beliefs regarding the usefulness of repetitive NEGATIVE thinking
• Endeavor to reduce the SENSITIVITY to NEGATIVE emotional contrasts
• Try reducing SENSITIVITY to prolonged positive mood.

So let us NOT Wait For The Other Shoe To Drop❗❗❗

Should We Go From GOOD To GREAT?

Should We Go From GOOD To GREAT?

Oh Oh Oh, this should NEVER be debatable, right?  Should We Go From GOOD To GREAT?  Because the absolute answer is a big screaming YESSSSSS.  But hold on, let me play the devil's advocate at least for this thread.  While I would push and be egging everyone to GO FROM GOOD TO GREAT, this is something that is NOT a no-brainer.  Even in America, the bastion of democracy, while anyone can run for President of the United States, this is NOT a given📌📌📌

In U.S. politics, there is a process both with the Republican and Democratic parties, wherein 'probables' and 'wannabes' go through the Presidential Primaries.  Unless you are a billionaire like Ross Perot who went on with his presidential foray way back 1992.  But hey, Ross Perot is a multi-billionaire.  Now let's get back both our feet on the ground.  What does it take for us to craft an informed decision that we'll GO FROM GOOD TO GREAT⏳⏳⏳

In our life, concerns about our adequacy can take different forms in each person.  A student feels special when he gets good grades.  A young lady may feel better when she's attractive.  Or an up and coming executive feels better when he can showcase his TALENT + POTENTIALS to go up the corporate ladder.  So, what's the commonality amongst all these?  It is our desire to do everything we can to prove to ourselves and others that we are GREAT.  But dude, things just DON'T work out superficially that way❗❗❗

Just like that ambitious gold fist who keeps jumping from the smallest to the biggest bowl ever, probably, since it successfully hurdled the first jump to the middle bowl, that fish became confident enough.  But be aware that it is actually our RELENTLESS trying to FEEL GOOD about ourselves that indeed causes much of our distress.  In a nutshell, a lot of the wounds we are LICKIN' are self-inflicted, no thanks to our cockiness❗❗❗

Take note.  When our GOALS are external enough, we may find ourselves falling short most of the time.  There are always people doing BETTER, so we can feel constantly judged.  And if we ever hit a GOAL we had set for ourselves, we often just raise the bar [all over again].  BTW, raising the bar is PERFECTLY FINE if your ambition to go FROM GOOD TO GREAT remains feasible and realistic✅✅✅

You Need To Get Into Every RABBIT HOLE

You Need To Get Into Every RABBIT HOLE

Today, our thread is NOT about rabbits but instead, we'd like to take a leaf from a rabbit's daily life where their world revolves around the rabbit hole.  But do you know that even before we were born on this Planet Earth, there was a pre-existing human problem awaiting us.  And that problem is WANTING LIFE TO BE EASY.  Unfortunately, that is both a combined fallacy and fiction because the hard truth is, throughout our lifetime, You Need To Get Into Every RABBIT HOLE not only to survive life but to bring you closer to the goals you set for you to achieve❗❗❗

This ISN'T intended to be a post in support of drudgery or making life difficult for yourself.  In the first place, we're all for doing things in the most straightforward and simplest way, however, believing that life should be inherently easy and straightforward is sometimes a 'FAST PASS' to dissatisfaction, anger and worst, depression.  Sometimes, things will come easily to you and it's important to enjoy the parts of your life that seem to slot into place💎💎💎

Having said this, when people assume that things should come easily and believe at some level that the core aspects of life such as relationships and work should generally be plain sailing, it often leads to feeling 'cheated'.  Also, it can feel as if there's something wrong with you if you find certain parts of life challenging while other people seem to sail through, finding things difficult can somehow become a fault or even a character defect⏳⏳⏳

So, here we go.  Like it or NOT, we got to live our life like a rabbit.  As with most beliefs in adulthood, they often stem from our childhood experiences.  Having a sheltered childhood that involved a lack of of exposure to difficulty and challenge often means that WHEN we face any level of ADVERSITY in adulthood it feels unfamiliar and intolerable.  On the other hand, having a childhood of emotional or practical hardship can leave us exhausted and may create a SENSE of WANTING to make it to the FINISH LINE📌📌📌

As we go up against ROADBLOCKS in adulthood, it can be easy to slip into wondering 'AM I THERE YET' as if you're waiting to enter the HARDSHIP FREE ZONE in life.  Of course, life isn't all bad and over time with the right combination of focus as well as HARD WORK, you will then hopefully experience life as being easier than it has felt in the past.  Much as we are NOT rabbits, the harsh reality is that we got to inculcate that 'rabbithole' mindset because that's what life is all about✅✅✅