I have a mantra that I use. It’s this: “Do it. Take action today.” Pretty simple, pretty straight forward. I follow it with this “You only really know a thing by doing that thing.”
I read the following some time ago in a book about Aikido:
“You can’t enjoy the benefits of a bowl of rice by looking at a picture of it. You need to eat the rice to be nourished by it.”
More recently, I came upon this from Tasha Schuman:
“It’s like this: You can talk about pizza all day long, but if you want to know how pizza really tastes, you gotta take a bite for yourself.”
Your Most Important Goal and Your Most Important Task
A technique that I believe can help with this, is to focus on one thing at a time. One goal that you liked to achieve or project that you’d like to complete. The one step you can take each day to help you achieve it.
In this way we ‘zoom out’ to see the big picture & ‘zoom in’ to keep making progress with it.
NB When you’re starting our with this you may want to start with something small - practice it, get results & then set your sights on bigger things.
Most Important Goal (MIG) or Project (MIP)
Firstly, figure out what you’d like to achieve. Is there something that you’ve always wanted to do?
Do you want to be a writer, painter or photographer? Would you like to learn how to code or play a musical instrument? Do you wish you could lose weight, exercise regularly or meditate each day? Would you like to start your own business? or maybe you’d simply like to spend more time with your family.
Whatever it is, big or small, choose something that’s important to you & commit to achieving it.
This is your Most Important Goal (or Most Important Project). Write it on a post-it & put it somewhere obvious. Don’t hide it away in your phone or on in a list somewhere. Put it somewhere where you will see it throughout the day.
Most Important Task (MIT)
Then, each day, decide what the next step you can take to move closer to that goal is. The one thing that will make you feel satisfied that you did it - even if it was the only thing you did that day.
This is your Most Important Task. Write that down. Put it alongside you Most Important Goal (or Project).
Now, do it. Take action.
Finally, and most importantly, you have to complete your Most Important Task each day. You have to take action - you have to actually do the task. You only have to complete that one thing & you will inevitably move closer to achieving your goal.
Sounds simple, right? It is and it isn’t. You have to commit to it. You have to sustain it. Keep taking action every day. Action over time equals results.
“The key is to do the experiment. Don’t just read about a practice – try it, see how it works for you. Commit for a while.”
Jeff Warren
Jeff Warren & Tasha Schumann are the hosts of The Consciousness Explorers Podcast