One of my all-time favorite sayings is ‘how you do anything is how you do everything‘. It’s amazing how true this adage is and critical for each of us to become aware of how the little things we say and do play a direct role in the bigger picture of our existence.
Here are 5 areas you can examine and take note of the link between how you do them and the greater landscape of your life:
1) When Given a Task
Whether it’s from someone at work, a spouse, or someone you just met at a party, ask yourself when someone asks me to do something, how well do I complete the mission? Honestly query yourself if you are the type of person that likes to cut corners and find the easiest and quickest way to complete the task, or if you take time and put full awareness to each duty.
The happiest and most successful people we know are the ones who put their best effort into every situation no matter how small and insignificant it may seem to the overall picture. Their success in life is a direct mirror to their success in small situations.
2) Home Organization
The home is a great place to begin observing how your modest actions parallel your greater situation. Is your house in constant disarray, are there clothes strewn about, do you pay your bills in a timely manner, and is your sink always filled with dishes? If your place is consistently disorganized then chances are many other areas of your life fall in the same category. Apply this philosophy to your office, car or any area where you spend significant time.
3) Environmental Concern
The spread of sustainable environmental practices is a wonderful occurrence in our time, and there is no shortage of information about what we as individuals can do to contribute. But do you ever stop and ask yourself: am I really doing my part? Do you not shut off the lights in your house when you leave (even for a short time)? Do you keep the water running in the shower while you talk on the phone for 15 minutes? Do you generally feel ‘oh, what’s the point, my tiny little actions don’t make a difference anyway?’ If so, notice how this attitude permeates other areas of your life and begin shifting your beliefs and realize that every action counts!
4) Effective Morning Routine
How you begin your day is often a clear indicator for how the rest of your day will transpire. Not having a consistent pillar of activity in the morning can translate into scattered and fragmented experiences over the coming hours. When you get up in the morning do you have a similar routine or is the start to every day completely different? To establish greater focus and a more productive outlook, it is critical to implement an effective morning platform; this can certainly lead to more success and fulfillment for the rest of your day!
5) Relationships
Examining how personal relationships affect our well-being can be very complicated; there are just so many emotions involved! It is easier to see ‘how you do anything is how you do everything’ when looking at the dirty laundry sitting on your couch as opposed to the inter-personal communication you have with friends and loved ones. However, if you tune into the manner with which you have relationships you might become aware of parallels with the general direction (and overall feeling) of your life. Yes, its true, how you speak to your mother is directly related to how you do everything else!
In conclusion, for effective personal development to ensue it is necessary to shed awareness on the smaller decisions and situations we abound ourselves; they tell us a lot about our habitual ways of being. Do the little things with as much awareness and effort as possible, and the bigger issues will follow suit!
Contributed by Todd Goldfarb from We the Change.
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