success

Turn Your Cell Phone Off For 24 Hours

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30. Turn your cell phone off for 24 hours.

This is one of the hardest Tools to use in the system and one I am sure many of you will avoid using or see no way you could ever use it at all. With that said, let me ask you a question, what did you do before there were cell phones? I believe we have become addicted to our cell phones to the point that we have become enslaved. Just to give you a perfect example, have you ever seen how someone acts when they lose their cell phone? You would have thought they lost a loved one or been deserted on a desert island.

The truth is if you put half the effort into things like you did in replacing a lost phone, there is no telling what you could accomplish. The problem is larger than communication. If it was simply used as a device to call people and receive calls, we all might be in a little better shape. Today’s cell phones do too many things and they often take away from things we could be doing to increase success. Texting, games, music, and it goes on and on. It is great for me as a chiropractor because people have their heads bent forward focused on their phones; looking on-line, texting, texting and texting. A plethora of cricks in the neck.

There is a part of success that is known as “present time consciousness.” It means being aware of what is going on around you and being focused on the task at hand. Giving your full attention increases the probability of success and growth. There could be someone next to you who you could engage with, who may have a lead for you or a possibility to network. Think of the human interaction you may be missing, or how the statement applies that life is passing you by.

How can this Tool help achieve success? For starters, just turn it off and find out. It will be uncomfortable and you will have a lot of excuses as to why you can’t. Simply leave a message that you have turned your phone off for 24 hours and you will call them back. If there is an emergency, in this day and age they will be able to find you and chances are the person right next to you has one. A full day of no phone will give you time to think, look around you, reflect. You will be less worried about what others are doing, because when you have your phone and think that, you simply call or text that person. You will just simply feel different. This is a good thing, especially if we are trying to change habits and establish new pathways.

It is truly an exercise that you can only feel the full benefit by doing it. If it is really too much for you to do it for 24 hours, try leaving it at home one evening when you go out. Or just have a time of the day that it is not on or around you. For me, this time is when I am running. I usually run for about an hour and it is nice to have some personal time where I cannot be reached. Give it a try. The only way you will honestly know if it is working for you is if you start to accomplish your goals. If turning the phone off is making things happening in S.A.N.E., then you know you may be overly attached to your phone.

Dress For Success

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92. Dress for success.

Clothing does not make the man or woman, but it sure does help a lot. Think about the times you knew you looked good and how it changed your confidence. You acted a little different, you moved through the room a little different and people noticed it. Some would say when you are looking and feeling good, you are in the zone. This can go for the work environment or a social one. This all comes back to the same things that we have been discussing throughout this entire book. Developing strategies to help us reach goals and reprogramming that space between your ears to work for you and not against you.

Keep in mind I am not talking about Tool 12 on making first impressions, which is more geared towards forming impressions upon other people and has more to do with just your clothing decisions. With Tool 92 we are talking about the perception you have about yourself. Admit it, when you look in the mirror and like your outfit you say to yourself (or maybe out loud), “I’m looking good.” Does this ring a bell? Doesn’t this sound like a positive affirmation? If you had any doubts about how affirmations work, this may strengthen those beliefs a little. This can go for all types of clothes from jeans to a tux. So if you are in sweats and a T-shirt most of the time, you will probably feel like what sweats and a T-shirt provide; comfort but not a lot of confidence.

There is a catch to this Tool. If you are out of shape, it is difficult to make certain outfits look good. No problem, right? We have that covered in our S.A.N.E. system. The best way to start using this Tool is to try to find outfits you have that you like and that make you feel confident, and to get out of the clothes that are simply used to “get through the day.” We are no longer just getting through days; we are building success each day. So you have to show up to the construction site in your work boots, not your underwear.

There is another way to give this Tool some bite. You are going to love this one. Go to the mall and buy some new outfits or even better go for a completely new look. The best way to spark a sluggish mind is to change its routine (Tool 102). So by trying a new image you accomplish that. What can also make this fun and rewarding is to tie it to a benchmark. When you hit a target weight, go and reward yourself by purchasing some new clothes. If you suffer from having too many clothes and risk getting yelled at or in debt, I tell people when they buy new stuff, something comes out of the closet to make room. Even better, you donate it.

If you know you are going to have to lose some outfits to get new ones, it makes you think twice if you really want to buy it. One thing I like to do is buy a new shirt for the weekend to go out in. Not very expensive and it makes me feel good about the night to come. So try this out if you need a boost of confidence or just to shake things up a bit. When we are looking good, we feel it and act on it; and when we’re in a better place, the world around us reflects that.

Your Mid-Week Butt Kickin’: Finding Your Sprinkles

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I received a book in the mail called Find Your Sprinkles by Chris Mott. I had no idea where the book came from (I later found out one of the readers of my blog was nice enough to send me a copy). I haven’t read it yet, but I did skim through it to get a gist of what the book was about. The book was basically about building your life. It did this through the metaphor of making a cupcake. It talked about picking the recipe, what you would put in the cupcake, the time it takes to cook the cupcakes, savoring every bite, and then finally……the sprinkles.

Why did I pick this to blog about? Because it is the same thing my book talks about. AND almost every other self-help book talks about! That you are the one responsible for “building” your life or “cooking” your life or “traversing” your life. Time and time and time and time again all of our books try to convey the same message in a way the reader can identify with. That YOU and no one else are responsible for where you are today and where you are going tomorrow. When YOU grasp this concept, you will start to foster success. Is it a coincidence that almost all the authors say the same thing?

Now go kick butt, and let’s start with your butt!

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