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Focus on one goal at a time(DW #828)

inspiration mindfulness objective Oct 28, 2020

Remember what we said about being a "metaphysical glutton" and trying to change everything at once?

It seems that Benjamin Franklin realized the wisdom of focusing on one thing at a time in his quest to attain moral perfection.

His process was extremely structured and organized.

Each week, he would focus on one of the thirteen virtues to practice. He would write the virtue on top of his diary page as inspiration and would give himself a passing or failing score every single day.

Once the thirteen weeks were up, he would repeat the entire process again. In this way, he focused on a particular virtue four times during each year in rotation.

Benjamin Franklin’s Project(DW #826)

growing inspiration motivation Oct 26, 2020

Some years ago, I came across something which has continued to fascinate and inspire me: Benjamin Franklin’s Moral Perfection Project

Benjamin Franklin, as you may know, started from humble beginnings and rose to become a successful printer, writer, musician, inventor, and, of course, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.

While we may be aware of Franklin’s life accomplishments, what I find really inspiring is the processes he followed that led to his many accomplishments.

Franklin had a rocky start in life: by his early 20s, he had already failed in twice in business ventures. His personal life was also in trouble and he was raising a son born outside his marriage.

Personally and professionally, Franklin felt unsatisfied and decided to take charge and change the course of his life.

It seems that he realised that while he may not be able to control his life circumstances, he could control how he...

Recommitment(DW #821)

inspiration motivation objective Oct 19, 2020

The process of getting back on track to our path of progress is called Recommitment.

We have been discussing how even with much motivation and inspiration at the beginning, there WILL be times when we fail to live up to our commitments to ourselves or fall short of the standards we set for ourselves.

Sad but true.

So then what?

Once we spend a few minutes reminding ourselves that we are human and that self-compassion will get us further than self-criticism, it is time to RECOMMIT.

Again. And again. And again.

Just like the pilot that we discussed, keeps coming back on track after drifting, we remind ourselves of our path and get back on track.

Here are the steps:

Step 1. The destination/goal/target needs to be clear of course

Step 2. Remind yourself about the WHY. Why is this important? Why are you on this journey? What does it mean to you?

When we forget our why, we lose our way.

Step 3.Commit to the process. 100%.

Step 4. Take action. Get in motion. Keep taking baby steps....

Blog

Focus on one goal at a time(DW #828)

Benjamin Franklin’s Project(DW #826)

Recommitment(DW #821)

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