survive or thrive

“Only you can decide how far you get to travel in life. Therefore, you definitely owe it to your future self to be courageous and ambitious enough to strive and thrive without limitations.”
― Edmond Mbiaka

Take time to hit the pause button on your life.

How did you do today?   Did you just survive the chaos of the day?  What was it like?  How does it feel to be spending your time and energy only to just survive the day?  It doesn’t feel so good does.  It can feel draining.  It can be filled with anxiety, stress and turmoil.   A lot of people are just surviving the day.   Careers go sour when the focus is on just surviving.  If I get through today then I’ll be OK.

Are you one of those who are just surviving the day?   Do you find it hard to get out of bed in the morning?  Do you feel drained and used up by the end of the day?  Do you believe what you do matters?   Does your boss believe you matter?  When was the last time you were complemented on your work?  How many hours are you being asked to work?  How much time do you have off?

What does it mean to thrive?   Araianna Huffington wrote, “Nothing succeeds like excess.”  We live in a world where “more” and “having more”  drives us to be doing more, working more hours, earning more money, filling the day with more activity.  At the end of the day – there is nothing left – there is no more.  Day after day of pushing yourself to the limits doesn’t result in a better life, it results in a battered life.  Thriving isn’t about just surviving the day-to-day race.  Thriving is about living a rich life, and by rich meaning a life that includes time to relax and find peace.  A thriving life is one that has time, enough time for family, friends, personal growth, contribution and time for you.  Thriving means that you do have time and you don’t feel rushed and you don’t feel that the day has to be absolutely packed with activity.

Part of the reason to completely fill each day with activity is because everyone else is doing that, filling their life with stuff.   Eating becomes a quick stop at a fast food restaurant and the food is consumed as you drive to the next event.   Sleep can be reduced to just a few hours, maybe 4 or 5.  It is no wonder people are totally exhausted much of the time.

What would it take for you to thrive every day?   What would you want to change to feel like every day mattered more than yesterday?   What can you take out of your day that will give you time to relax and recover?

be intentional first

“Powerful words come with powerful intent. Where you have passion, strength, courage, and determination you can accomplish anything!”
― K.L. Toth

It starts with an intention.  All of your actions start with an intention, an idea that is ready to take shape and be acted upon.  Perhaps you  can call intention as the motivational force that enables results.  Intention is more than just and idea, it is a commitment to getting a result.

What do you want to change in your life?  Has it changed for you?  When did you become intentional about creating change in your life?

Notice that intention precedes attention.  You need to figure out what you want and then commit to it.

If life isn’t going the way you want then decide to do something about it and then make a commitment to taking action.  Write down what you want and then write down your intention.

Want to lose weight.   Write it down and then write down how much you want to lose.  Imagine yourself at your ideal weight.  Write down what you eat each day.  Count the calories you consume.  What would you notice?

Want a better job.  Write down what that job would be.  What are the attributes of the ideal job for you.   What skills would you have to develop?   What do you need to become in order to get your ideal job?

Want better relationships with others.  Write down what that would look like?  What does it take to have a better relationship with anyone?   Set a goal to create establish a better relationship.

Want better work/life optimization.  Write down what it means to have an optimized life and a work life that is optimal.  What does it really look like for you?  What steps can you take to achieve that goal?

Choose the area of your life that you’d like to see improve.  Set a goal and then take action.  Make it happen.  You can take that first step today.