ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Your Default Settings
Buy a computer--any computer--and it comes loaded with software automatically set to certain default settings. For example, the default setting for Word is Times New Roman 12-point. Last week, as I presented one of my periodic Best Year Yet(R) programs, I found myself referring to default settings of the human variety. Human default settings are those areas of life where we unconsciously cooperate with limiting thoughts and behaviors that keep us from living our best lives. A default setting in our lives can be anything from automatically turning on the television set when we walk into a room, to spending too much time surfing the net or checking email...it's usually brainless, time-stealing and rarely does it add value to our lives. Deeply entrenched default settings become beliefs like: "I'm not smart enough, pretty enough, educated enough...", (or any of a thousand variations). And just as documents pre-set with Times New Roman 12-point type have a consistent and readily identifiable look, our habits of thinking--default settings--produce results that are consistent with them as well. Default thought: "I don't have the right clothes (or whatever), so I can't start working out." Result: Not working out. Default thought: "I always have to be available for my clients." Result: No time to refill your own tank, ultimately leading to burnout. Is it possible to change our human default settings? Absolutely. Is it easy? Not usually. But if you find yourself defaulting rather than designing how you want to live, work, or play, with commitment and consistency, you can override your automatic settings. Here are some steps to help you do it: First, become aware of your default modes. You might start by making a list of things you do habitually that may not be useful or beneficial. Too much email or TV, not exercising, making excuses for not starting a project or growing your business, blaming others for what's happening (or not) in life, working too many hours, not pursuing a hobby, and always saying yes when you want to say no are just a few examples of default settings that may be keeping you stuck. Secondly, notice the amount of excuse-making and rationalizing you generate around your default modes. You'll often recognize these monologues by their characteristic repetitive phrases: "I can't," "I have to," "When I get X, then I'll do Y," "It's only," or "Just this once." Thirdly, see if you can drill down to the core issue that's really at cause. A few years ago I realized that I was a victim of "yes-itis," a behavior characterized by the tendency to say yes to everyone's requests for my time. I realized that my default setting was based on a belief that in order to be liked I always had to say yes. When I recognized it, I created a new internal message for myself: "I say no to others so I can say yes to myself." Then when my old default behavior came close to kicking in, I would remind myself of the new message. Eventually this became my default setting. And now, though I do occasionally slip, most of the time I at least stop to check my gut to ask whether this program or project is something I really want to do (is it a "yes" to myself?) before deciding to commit to it. Finally, it helps to create options to steer you away from old, habitual patterns of behavior. If you have a habit of turning on the TV the minute you walk in the house, start by entering through a different door. If you tend to spend too much time on the computer, close the door to the room or office where your computer is located. If you work tend to work too much, schedule times to meet a friend that require you to leave the office earlier a couple of days a week. If it's saying yes to your own detriment, develop the habit of requesting 24 hours to think over any decisions before making a final commitment. Ultimately we all get to choose the life we want to live. For some it will be based entirely on default settings, never questioning the beliefs or behaviors that dictate the quality of their lives. This week, I challenge you to examine your default settings to see if they are really adding to the richness of your life or just the convenience of it. Trust me, I'll be doing the same. Betty *********************** "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." ~~Ralph Waldo Emerson Betty Mahalik has been coaching small business owners, independent professionals and leaders who want to achieve more but stress less, since 1996. Her background includes several years in the broadcasting and public relations fields prior to starting her own firm in 1987. She is an accomplished public speaker and corporate trainer specializing in communications, goal-setting and leveraging your strengths. Since 2001, she has written a weekly motivational message, free to subscribers, titled Monday Morning Coach. To subscribe or learn more about Betty's coaching and training services, visit http://www.dynamic-coaching.com
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Fun Way To Make A Living "You must be willing to do the things today others won't do, in order to have the things tomorrow others won't have." -Les Brown Four Proven Techniques On How To Capture Positive Habits Bad habits, we all have them. They keep us from accomplishing our dreams, make us say and do things that really aren't in our integrity. What Will It Cost You? What will it cost you if you don't do it? Give The Wrong Words An Inch And They May Take A Mile! What do you do when circumstances seem out of control? What's the first thing you look for? Or Whom? What immediately runs through your mind? Do you yell? Do you curse? Do you go bow up your back like a porcupine getting ready for all out war? You?re Right to an Abundant Life We are all part of the universe. The universe is a living, breathing thing. I use the word "thing" because there is no other way to describe it. It is not animal, vegetable or mineral; it is all of these things. It is the creation and the substance of all life. The Beast What does one do when one is too old, too weak, and feels powerless and regretful? What does one do when one looks back at his life and sees nothing that was worth living for? What does one do when one sees the future coming to an end ? the end of a journey? "The journey was not mine," said the old man. "What was that about? Why was I here? What was I suppose to do? Where am I going and will I ever come back? Come back to what, to whom and for what purpose?" Living Abundantly: May the Force Be With You! Perhaps, you have heard the phrase "May the force be with you" from your favorite Episode of the Star Wars movies. The Star Wars movies explore the power of our choices, the wonder of destiny, and the manifesting power that is in us and all around us. However, what if the force could truly be with in every aspect of your life? Isnt It Time to Give Yourself Permission? Remember back in school days when you needed a permission slip to do almost anything outside of the classroom? Things like simply being able to visit the washroom, attend a sports meeting or going on a field trip? As adults we don't need someone to give us a permission slip. We already have a whole supply at our disposal. How Do You Attract Opportunity Into Your Life? Someone recently asked me the question: "How can I have more opportunities come into my life?" Good question, but I think my answer surprised them a bit. The Cliché of Balance The world we are living in is changing at a fast pace. Never before in the history of mankind that change was so enormous and rapid. This roller coaster ride of change is affecting every aspect of our lives. From relationship to work, from the pursuit of happiness to the quest for spirituality. Some authors have called it a Future Shock, others have called it Mega Trends, but whatever the tag you give, it is there. How to Tame the Destructive Ego Polly tried her best to keep her cool but predictably, the point was soon reached when she would feel herself almost bursting with rage every time she heard the offensive words. Become a Babe Magnet Without Surgery or Drugs! "I'd like to find a partner who dances. Do you?" my profile on Match.com asked. My now-husband Drew emailed that he was willing to take lessons, and that was enough for me. Non-dancer Drew's courage to put himself out on the dance floor and to show in lesson after lesson his amateur status was truly impressive. We took private dance instruction for a year before our wedding, and as a result, got around the dance floor quite gracefully at our reception. Women are dying to dance. Any man who can ask a woman to dance, then take charge of what happens on the floor and move relatively smoothly to music, has enormous appeal. Fat or skinny, short, tall, or not even close to attractive, even old, old, old, a man who is comfortable on the dance floor has his pick of the ladies. For whatever the reason, dancing intoxicates. Especially women. Few men can really dance, and those guys are on the floor constantly. Some men think they can dance and do get up, ask the ladies, and have fun. But at least half the men sit or stand uncomfortably on the sidelines with all the women who wish to be on the dance floor. We women don't get to dance nearly as much as we'd like to, even the ladies who are good dancers. There aren't enough dancing men to go around. You can almost feel the yearning, the sadness, and the disappointment in those women and between those non-dancing couples. And the non-dancing guys? Pathetic. I personally know three women close to my age who met their now - spouses on the dance floor, and those ladies were great catches! Gentlemen and ladies, there's a message here. Guys: 1. Take lessons and learn how to dance. Leading well takes skill, but if Drew could learn how, so can you. Two Principles That Can Change Your Life Completely First principle: You and the universe is one. The Keys To Faster Evolution Prosperity is management of positive energy. It's individual capacity to pour energy out in the world and re-circulate back in our life. The greater we share our energy and prosperity in the universe, greater will be recirculation of the same energy into our life. Heres What I Got Out Of ?What The Bleep Do We Know? Your mind is so powerful that what you focus on happens. Your intent bends reality, creating vibrations in the quantum field. Is There Something Called Free Will The statement ""The concept of free will is a fallacy"" is actually fallacious! How do you live your life? of course you live with free will. You decide what to eat for breakfast, what to wear today and so on. don't you? So how can you not be responsible for your actions? Aspirations Worth Their Weight in Platinum "To succeed, planning alone is insufficient. One must improve as well." - Isaac Asimov Improve Your Conversations By Watching Talk Show Hosts If you want to learn how to be a good conversationalist, a really useful place to start is by watching television! Etch a Sketch or Oil Painting: Where Do You Need to Take a Stand? Maybe can be a great place. It's full of possibility, it can feel like there's an escape hatch available at all times. Maybe can also be what holds us back the most. The Winning Combo! What do we all strive for in life? Success! Success is the ultimate destination. Every one of us has the good intentions and capacity to achieve something but we lack the follow-through. A system is needed to keep us focused on the most important thoughts, ideas, people, actions, and results. Perhaps, a life organizer is what we require.
|
|
|
|
|
