201. Be specific about your goals, but not TOO specific. Example of a potentially ‘bad’ goal – a goal that leaves lots of room for you to be dissapointed later – imagine you tell yourself ‘I have to have 1 million Twitter followers by the end of the year’. The goal itself could really motivate and energize you and get you going. But at the end of the year you could end with 10,000 followers or maybe 100,000 or maybe 5,000 followers. From zero to 5,000 followers is still impressive, but because of the goal you set it will feel like the most crushing faillure. A ‘good’ goal would be: this year I want to create the best possible content with the best possible value for my followers. Also motivating, also energizing. At the end of the year you can look back and ask yourself: do I stand by the content I have created? Am I proud of what I have put out there? Much more room to feel happy about what you did and much more room to create something truly valuable. With a goal like ‘1,000,000 followers the end of the year’ you could eventually resort to sharing harmful content just to get that follower count to go up.
202. Plan your next day. Plan it carefully. Diet, activities, the first thing you will do in the morning and define the most important task you have to do tomorrow.
203. Limit your consumption of negative content. Reading, watching or listening to sad stories – real or fictional – is like scratching your skin, a little bit can feel pleasant, but if you overdo it you will eventually start bleeding. There is only so much sad and violent content your spirit can take. You don’t need to read about every murder, every car accident, every war, every famine, etc. Terrible things are happening in our world and it’s good to be aware of that, but you don’t need to soak yourself in the world’s misery, cause it will pull you down. And then you can’t help combat all the negativity. Keep your spirit light. Aware, but light.
204. Thank people. Genuinely expressing gratitude for every kind act, small or big, encourages more kindness in this world and in yours.
205. Apologize when you really made a mistake, but don’t apologize all the time. Treat your apologies as you would your money. Give them out when it matters.
206. Don’t bitch about what you can’t change. Your life goes where your focus goes. Work on what you can change. As the quote goes: ‘Do what you can, with what you have, where you are’, Theodore Roosevelt
207. Some people have ‘disagreeing’ as their go to reaction to almost anything someone tells them. This comes from a need to establish themselves as a unique person. This then probably comes from not being seen for who they were by their primary caregivers. Always agreeing on the other hand can be a survival strategy that grew out of a fear of being rejected or abandoned by their primary caregivers.
208. You pay attention to what you pay for. Simple example: when I pay for watching a movie or a documentary in the cinema I notice am not messing around with my phone, am not playing a videogame or doing the dishes or cooking. I pay attention, at least three times more than I would at home. It’s worth paying for things you care about. Pay an honest sum for things and services and those things and services will give you honest value.
209. If you shine light on something or someone some of that light shines on you too. Let people shine and you will shine too, much more than when you try to grab the spotlight.
210. Ask people for a favor if you want them to like you. Doing stuff for other people may be your reflex to make people like you and yes, to some extent that will work if you don’t overdo it and act like someone’s servant, but asking for a favor also works. Once a person has done you a favor they will register you as a person they like. Cause why else would they have done you a favor? Of course, as with everything, balance is key.
That’s it, folks.
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