In this article I am going to share with you two analysis exercises that will assist you in warding off paralysis in life. So many people are simply treading water, when it comes to living, and one of the major reasons for this is that they really don’t fully understand who they are and what they have been born for. They have no purpose and so their life is purposeless. If this is you, you can put a stop to it today by undertaking these exercises with the utmost honesty. For there is one person whom you cannot truly lie to, and that is yourself. Be truthful and the truth will set you free. It is my prayer for you that as you undertake these following two tasks that it will be one of the most liberating experiences you have had in your entire life.
This first self-analysis has been drawn and adapted from a fabulous book entitled ‘You Inc.’ by John McGrath. The response of my team to this analysis was so good that I have decided to share it with you.
Even though I am applying it to the website design business, you can adapt it to whatever you do in your own life. This is a great exercise to do on your own, but if you really want it to have a lasting impact on your life, ask another person, whom you can trust, to do the exercise with you. It may be your partner, your business associate or even your staff.
The first question raised was: What would the best website salesperson on the planet look like? What would their strengths be? How would they look? How would they act? What habits would they have?
MAKE A LIST OF ATTRIBUTES…
Then list these attributes and rate yourself on each of these attributes from 0 to 10, with 10 being the best, and zero the worst. If you’re completely honest the average rating is usually between 5 and 7 for most of the skills.
Is 6 or 5 or 7 out of ten going to help you market websites? NO! The problem is that a lot of us have been living our lives at 6 out of 10.
The good news though is that the first step towards living a 10 out of 10 life is creating awareness that there’s room for improvement. Just by doing this exercise you start to take control of your life and begin thinking about how to improve your ratings.
Now let’s make a plan. Write down a few things that you could do to improve your ratings in key areas.
Now in order to be motivated, think how your life would be if you were operating at an 8, 9, or even a 10 in all those areas.
As these increase you will see your sales increasing, your income increasing, and your financial situation improving. You’ll also see your self-esteem rising, stress decreasing, and as a result your relationships will be better.
Focusing on the positive outcomes of the changes will give you the impetus to actually make changes. By focusing on your rewards rather than any pain that you have to go through to get there will help you stick with your changes.
20 LIFE CHANGING QUESTIONS
It is in the times of silence that my goals and dreams shout the loudest. With pen in hand and a piece of paper before me, my thoughts are able to jump from my mind onto the page as I concentrate them on my future and analyse my present and past. I make it a habit to take myself off somewhere quiet; sometimes to a park, a restaurant, or to a library or beside a lake. It doesn’t really matter where, but at that moment in time my entire focus is to reach into the depths of my mind and heart to discover what dreams lie lurking below the surface. Some of the goals or ideas discovered are for the next six months, while others may take years to materialize.
The busier I get, the more time I take out to think. The more projects I take on board, the more I need to get refreshed and recharged as I take the next steps. I also use the time to not only chart the future, but to also evaluate the past and present activities that I am engaged in. A journey begun must be kept on course through the habit of making regular checks and balances. How do you do this? By asking yourself some simple questions. ‘Is the path that I originally embarked on, moving me closer to my original goal? Have I replaced the basics of success with busyness?’ For it is possible to be so busy that you have become ineffective. Remember, that it is not how many times you shoot that will make the difference; it is how many times you hit the target that counts. If you are missing the mark, and not making significant progress in reasonable time, then maybe you need to readjust your aim or get some good advice from a professional marksman in your line of business.
It pays to be honest in your own self-evaluation. If you find this difficult to do, then ask your partner or a close friend to assist in the process. Build into your life a regular, self-development check-up. Put yourself under the spotlight and give yourself a personal development x-ray. Look in the mirror, and face up to the fact that you may still need some further growth in certain areas of your life. (If you ever think you’ve arrived you’re in big trouble.) Anyone who can seriously evaluate their life is heading not only on to the road of success, but has in fact got off the beaten track and is set to start cruising on the freeway of success.
Now for the second analysis. I previously published this under the title ‘20 Questions’. But once again, having my team do this analysis emphasised to me on how powerful this analysis tool, that I created, really is. So here it is once again for your benefit…and if you have already competed it once before, may I challenge you to do it again. You may be surprised how far you’ve come since the last time you completed it.
To help you in this process of self analysis answer the following questions…
1. My greatest strengths are…?
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2. My greatest weaknesses are…?
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3. Am I presently making the best of my strengths in my present occupation? If not, why not?
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4. If time and money weren’t an option, what would I be doing today and what work would I pursue?
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5. Have I established a goal that in the next twelve months will attribute to my overall Life Goal? If so, write it down.
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If not, use these four categories to assist you. Write two or three ideas for each category.
In the next twelve months I will….
DO:
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HAVE:
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LEARN:
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BE:
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6. In my present occupation do I provide both quality and quantity of service?
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7. What is my greatest fear and what action can I perform to overcome it?
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8. Do I procrastinate? If so how can I improve my rate of performance?
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9. Do I persist with a project or a goal until its completion?
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10.Do I make a habit of seeking out mentors in my chosen field?
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When was the last time that I sat down with someone, much more successful than myself, so as to learn from them?
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11. Have I met someone new this past week?
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12. Do I use my time wisely? How many hours in the past week have I spent on developing myself?
Mentally:
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Physically:
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Spiritually:
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Socially:
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Financially:
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13. How much time have I wasted this past week?
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14. In what areas of my life can I improve?
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15. Have I made decisions this week that are based upon my personal attention to detail, or have they been made without too much thought?
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16. Have I planned my week and each day in advance so that the building blocks to my success are built through planning, and not through guesswork?
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17. Have I remained true to my conscience and maintained integrity in all of my affairs?
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18. Have I kept up good relationships with all those with whom I have dealt with this week?
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19. Have I encouraged another ’student of success’ through a phone call, note, letter or e-mail this week?
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20. Have I achieved all that I set out to achieve this week?
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Are there any areas that I could become more efficient in, or even possibly delegate?
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So how did you go? Enlightened? Challenged? Liberated? Confused?
Whatever feelings are currently going through you, and whatever thoughts are bombarding your mind will determine the next steps that you are going to take in your life.
If you have discovered a number of areas in your life that require change, let me challenge you to CHOOSE ONE AREA ONLY to start with and apply the action to increase your zero to 10 score or at least effect some positive change in that area of your life IMMEDIATELY. It is applied action that will make all the difference.
For I can wish to lose kilos or pounds, as much as I like. But real change starts when I hop on that trampoline and run for 21 minutes every morning five days a week, or lift those weights, or walk the dog every day. Action creates change. So let me encourage you to get to work.
And if you have been challenged or encouraged by either of these self-analysis tools, let me know I’d love to hear from you.
Motivational Quote: Action cures fear and years of neglect.
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