HOW TO CHANGE MYSELF TO LEAD A SUCCESSFUL LIFE ?
“If you keep on doing what you have always done,
You will keep on getting what you have always got”
Jack Canfield
Who Needs to Change?
Who does not need to change! Change is the only permanent fact in life. Anyone who aspires to achieve something better in life or wishes to move up to a higher orbit or desirous for name, fame, success, and more charisma for them change is a must!
Even a lot of evidence and research-based studies also showed us the cases wherein big corporate houses did not bother to cope up with the changes and eventually they had to close down.
For an individual like you and me change means adapting with pain, change means doing something differently, change means doing something extra, change means aligning with the requirements.
Ordinary, Extra-ordinary and Outstanding-
To become extra-ordinary from an ordinary you have to do that little extra.. always.. untiringly and consistently
To stand out from the crowd you have to do something outstanding ..always.. untiringly and consistently
& .. that is why you need to change yourself ….
Change and Transformation –
If you want to achieve more in life you have to be a different version of yourself. You have to have a completely changed mindset and provide additional efforts. Brian Tracy, motivational public speaker, and self-development author offered a ‘Forty Plus Formula’.
Forty Plus Formula –
Working forty hrs per week gives you only survival. There is no progress. Every hour you invest over forty hours is an investment for your future.
A study in the USA showed that self-made millionaires work 59 hours per week on average, some work 70–80 hours even in a week.
Why We Fail to Change?
Ø Belief System — Our desire to change is usually limited by our beliefs. Father of the nation M.G. Gandhi once said — “You must be the change you want to see in the world”. Our disempowering beliefs and thoughts are impediments to bringing change to ourselves. One has to come out from the limiting belief barriers.
“Each of us sees in other what we carry in our hearts” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Ø Reference Pattern — Normally we carry a generalized pattern about anything in our mind. These patterns are the results of our past experiences. Past experiences are based on either pleasurable or painful incidents we had faced. The reference point even could be a misinterpretation of some happenings too.
“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” — Deepak Chopra
Ø Cultural Obstacles — Sometimes our cultures stop us to be changed. In our society, we have a set of ideas, rituals, and cultures that do not allow our mindset to cope up with the new change or even do not push us for new changed behavior. The mind remains pre-conditioned. Re-conditioning of minds and recalibration of thoughts are critical.
“Things do not change, we change’’ — Henry Thoreau
Ø Lack of Decision — People expect change will happen automatically. They wait for the ideal time to come and they will change themselves. They don’t decide to act. Taking a decision is the first step. A decision has to be followed by action. Consistent action. That gives direction to your destiny.
“You fail to decide, you fail to change”
How Can I Change Myself ?
There is a sequence of actions to change yourself from your present status to your desired status. Remember, unless you change nothing is going to get changed. If you change sooner or later there is a high probability of a better life. Only positive thoughts are not enough. Positive actions are inevitable. Positive thoughts coupled with positive actions increase the possibility of success to a great extent. To change yourself the first action is –
1. Take Decision — This is the first step to change. Today’s decisions are tomorrow’s reality. So, your decision is your destiny.Decide .. and stick to your decision…till it is instilled in your system known as habit building. Remember, repetition is the mother of skill.
2. Link Your Decision with Pain/Pleasure — Feed your thoughts with the pain you gain if you continue your old behavior ( example — smoking/drinking / late rising/conflict mentality/anger, etc. ). As soon as you do it immediately link the pleasure to your new good behavior. Both the sensations are required to condition your mind. Your conditioned mind with your new behavior is the pathway to bring change in yourself and eventually success in you.
3. Break the old pattern — Remember old pattern will give you old results. If you dream to get great results you have to interrupt the old pattern. Your old pattern creates neural pathways in your mind, impacts your body, and consequently in all your actions. Stop running the old limiting pattern in your thoughts. Break the old pattern.
4. Create An Alternative — An empowering alternative to the old, pain-causing emotion is crucial. Studies showed that in many cases drug-addicted victims after leaving drugs once again got re-addicted. They were re-addicted because they were neither guided by a professional nor they adopted a new empowering alternative.
Remember anyone can condition any behavior if it is done repeatedly and with emotional intensity.
“There is nothing training can’t do. Nothing is above its reach. It can destroy and principles and can recreate good ones” — Mark Twain
5. Check it Up — Test yourself. If you have followed all the steps to change yourself, you will not fail. Appreciate yourself, you pat on your back, reward yourself. Your mind reconditioned. You have changed your neural pathway. If you skipped or failed to change, learn to analyze and check that have all the sequences are followed up sacrosanctly! If not, please go back to your drawing board and Restart.
Final Remarks — Change is created in a moment and instantly. Change is the only permanent phenomenon in life. You have to embrace the change to prevent extinction. Not only outer world requirement but also change empowers you to become the person you always wished to be! Change brings the best in you. Decide to change ….Condition your mind with the change and become the world-class version of yourself..Take the first step.. will you?
