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The other day I was pulling weeds one of my mother's garden beds. There's a particular weed called nut grass which I was deliberately leaving in the beds.
I was using my bare hands to pull the weeds out by their roots. However, nut grass has a tendency to break off in your hands. It leaves behind a root which has little 'nuts' spaced along its length. The 'nuts' are about the size of a hazelnut and, in time, they sprout, bear new shoots and do on to generate their own root system.
So you see, to effectively get rid of this weed you have to carefully dig it out. Breaking off the shoots may look effective in the short-term but before you know it your garden bed will be literally covered in nut grass.
Even when you aim to dig this pesky grass out you're unlikely to get rid of it the first time because of the complexity of its root system. It is process you'll have to keep repeating but so long as you do so you'll keep this weed under control, giving the plants you wish to cultivate a greater chance of thriving.
The same thing can be said with respect to getting rid of bad habits. Bad habits are often deep-rooted within you and just using a superficial, sporadic approach to getting rid of bad habits will be met with limited success.
You have to be thorough and relentless in your approach. You also need to have a measure of patience because you'll be sorely tested time and time again. However, if you are consistent with your efforts to eradicate bad habits and replace them with new positive habits over time you'll reap great results.
Your bad habits will grow weaker and weaker allowing you to reap the benefits of the good habits you've chosen to cultivate instead.
Sometimes we over-complicate matters. For instance, yesterday morning I noticed that the battery for my computer was not charging. I checked the connection of the power cable to the computer and it seemed fine.
Then I realised that there was no electricity flowing through the power adapter. I read this to mean that either something was wrong with the power adapter or something was wrong with the cable. I surmised that there was a fault with the power adapter. There was of course another reason why I experiencing this particular problem but, at the time, I didn't think of this.
Anyway, I contacted my brother who advised me of places I could try to get the computer parts I thought I needed. However, after I finished speaking to him I had another look at the cable and, in particular the plug. I thought that maybe the fuse in the plug needed replacing and if this was indeed the case I should check this out before going further.
Now it so happens that there is a small hardware store very near to where I'm living so I went there and was told by the manager that while he didn't stock what I was looking for the shop next door did. Unfortunately, they were not open yet. Then for some reason I started to explain in greater detail the problem I was experiencing before I had simply asked he sold fuses. The manager asked if this problem had just occurred this morning I replied yes and he told me that there was a electricity cut.
I burst out laughing. Here I was worrying about the time, energy and expense I would have to go through to get my computer up and running again when the reason I wasn't getting power to my computer was because there was none! I discovered later that it was quite a widespread power cut.
There are several lessons to be learnt from this experience. One is that we often make issues more complicated than they need be and worry about things we simply don't need to worry about. When this happens we:
1. Expend energy needlessly without any positive gains,
2. Dissipate our energy with the result that our power is weakened, and
3. Direct our energy to the wrong things so the real problem remains unresolved.
The other lesson to be learnt is that to effectively solve any problem we have to get to the heart or root of the problem and fix that. At best, we may be able to find temporary solutions but they will be just that - temporary. However, it is also likely that you'll end up going around in circles, never resolve the situation and end up accomplishing nothing.
When faced with a problem always consider the heart or root of the problem. It can be daunting at first but you may be pleasantly surprised to see how straightforward the solution is.
Already, folk who set New Year's Resolution's may be finding themselves lagging behind their intentions. It's frustrating but it's a reality that the majority of people who set goals at the start of a New Year will not materialise their goals.
The reason for this is very simple and if you fall into this category reflect upon the following. The year may have changed but have you?
You see we set goals with our conscious mind and so goal setting is a relatively easy process. However, in order to achieve our goals we have to carry out certain actions. Our actions or behaviour are governed mainly by our sub-conscious mind which generally likes things to stay just as they are.
Therefore, your sub-conscious mind is not going to be supportive of your trying to change things - even for what you consciously perceive to be better. You may therefore find your best efforts to achieve your goals are sabotaged.
To be successful at achieving your goals you have to work on changing your mindset. You have to re-program your sub-conscious mind.
Expressed another way, when you set goals your intention is to change your outer environment but you cannot change your outer environment without changing your inner environment.
So how do you go about re-programming your sub-conscious mind?
Create your personal success ritual and practice it diligently and consistently. Now, there will be days when you don't accomplish everything you set out to achieve. However, be forgiving and yet persistent and eventually you will start to notice shifts. Furthermore, one day you'll find that your personal success ritual has become just that - something which you habitually and almost effortlessly carry out.
There are three main areas regarding creating your personal success ritual.
1. Nurture Your body
If you were about to set off on a long journey in your car you would make sure that your car was in tip-top condition and that it had plenty of gas. The process of goal achieving is very much like setting out on a long journey.
However, often in the movies the vehicle that ends the journey is a far cry from the vehicle that started the journey. Usually, at the end of a movie the vehicle is only fit for the scrap heap - if that.
In contrast, ideally you want to end your journey in great physical condition because while achieving your goal may mark the end of one journey it also marks the start of another. Hence, ensure that you eat healthily, drink plenty of fresh water, and that you exercise regularly as well as get adequate rest.
2. Nurture Your Spirit
Make time to clear your mind and spend time in quiet reflection and or meditation. Bob Proctor said that "Mental activity does not constitute thinking."
People's minds are often active but the same old, non-productive thoughts are going round and round. When you calm your mind you can see things much more clearly and this can dramatically accelerate your progress towards your goals.
"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom."
James Allen, author of "As a Man Thinketh"
Meditation has numerous benefits, one of which it helps you to focus and sharp focus will be vitally important as you strive to achieve your goals.
3. Nurture Your Mind
You can achieve this by saying positive affirmations and by reading, listening and watching empowering personal development material. Enlist the support of a mentor or coach to help keep you focused and motivated.
Eliminate excessive negative media from your life. Unless, you completely isolate yourself it's virtually impossible to escape negative media altogether. However, you don't have to immerse yourself in it as some people do and then wonder why they feel so depressed.
To help target your sub-conscious mind - the level at which change must occur for you to see positive changes in your results us tools such as vision boards and Mind Movies. These tools will encourage you to feel motivated towards achieving your goals as among other things they will help you to feel a deeper emotional attachment to what you're aiming to achieve and, as Earl Nightingale said:
"The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfilment."
Earl Nightingale
The other day I was pulling weeds one of my mother's garden beds. There's a particular weed called nut grass which I was deliberately leaving in the beds.
