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by Rick Baker
On Apr 9, 2012
Thought Tweet #451 Expanding Good Habits: that is Life's Major Construction.
The Thinking Behind The Tweet
Our Habits define us. Our Good Habits will be viewed positively by other people...assuming the other people are thoughtful and balanced.
So, for the benefit of other people there is nothing more worthy of construction than Good Habits.
And, by definition, Good Habits make us feel good because they align with our Goals.
And finally, Bad Habits make no one feel good; they do the opposite; so, the more they are replaced with Good Habits the better.
by Rick Baker
On Apr 3, 2012
People gain comfort under discipline.
People gain self-esteem under discipline.
People gain happiness under discipline.
The extent of the gain depends upon application of the discipline. For the gain to be maximized, the discipline must be created with accurate forethought and applied with fairness and top-notch communication.
Successful work environments maintain a fine balance between autonomy and discipline:
- not too much discipline because that kills enthusiasm
- not too much autonomy because that creates work-Frankensteins
- not too little discipline because that raises decision-making confusion
- not too little autonomy because that fires up the spirit of rebellion
Routine work is most-suited to the discipline of Process Systems.
Routine work lends itself to the application of blankets of Process Systems.
For routine work, Process blankets provide comfort...and effectiveness...and efficiency.
And, when Process Systems are planned with accurate forethought and applied with fairness and top-notch communication they provide comfort. This comfort allows the building of Good Habits for smooth performance of routine work.
And, this frees up brainpower for creative thinking and innovative work.
by Rick Baker
On Mar 30, 2012
I have touched on the topic of self-management, but, as yet, I have not presented a concise summary of how to go about it.
I am about to remove that shortcoming.
Here are some suggestions on how to go about obtaining the benefits of Self-Management:
- Have a definite purpose - also known as a life purpose. People who have a definite purpose have an easier time with self-discipline. The reality is - most people, perhaps as many as 98-out-of-100 people, do not have a life purpose. Put another way, most people do not have a consuming, driving, life-long ambition/goal. The natural next question is, can you develop one? The good-news answer to that question is - Yes. [It will take a concerted & lengthy introspection...but, it can be done.]
- "Know Thyself". Perhaps Socrates said this first? Anyhow, it is ancient wisdom which spans many cultures and at least 2 millennia. Again, most people do not have a detailed knowledge of 'self'. That's because they have not taken the time to regularly perform concerted & lengthy introspection. The good news is - many self-development gurus provide help at a cheap price. For example, check out Napoleon Hill's 'Think And Grow Rich'. In that classic, Hill provides a list of questions for an annual self-assessment.
- Understand your personal Values, your personal Rules, and your Habits. And, work at trying New Things which you think may, with your continued effort, become Good Habits.
- Write our Your Vision and Your Goals...and update them at least once a year. Many self-help experts and many psychologists state this is a major key to success. Rather than argue whether or not that can be proved...I suggest you just do it. Really, it does not take much time so why not take a leap of faith and accept it as a good piece of advice.
- Each morning, write out a TO DO list for the day. Make a practice of receiving the merits of The 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle: 80% of results are due to 20% of causes. So, focus on the 20% of Actions that generate 80% of the desired results.
These 5 things will take you a long way down the path of Self-Management....and SUCCESS.
by Rick Baker
On Mar 28, 2012
We are complex creatures...I mean, People are complex creatures.
We want autonomy. We want freedom. We want decision-making authority. We want to be able to choose what to do, how to do it...and where...and when. When our locus of control1 is threatened by others we feel uncomfortable.
At the same time...
We want relationships. We want to belong in community. [We find stability and comfort in Place.2] We want law and order for protection. We want shoulders to cry on and we want help when we call for it.
Our egos are powerful drivers, our emotions are powerful drivers, and our needs are complex.
Abraham Maslow3 ranked a hierarchy of human needs...
Self-Actualization
Self-Esteem & Confidence
Love/Belonging [family first]
Safety [shelter, security, health]
Physiological [air, water, food, etc]
If we under-estimate how complex People are then we do it at our peril.
If we fail to appreciate The Differences in People then we do that, too, at our peril.
Footnotes:
- Locus of Control
- In his classic 'Future Shock', Alvin Toffler does a wonderful job of explaining the importance of 'Place'.
- Abraham Maslow
by Rick Baker
On Mar 27, 2012
"Life is a repetition of the same things over again."
"Life is ceaseless reiteration."
James Allen wrote those sentences 100 years ago.
He did not say these things as a complaint: they were observations.
He did not say these things in resignation; they were explanations.
Allen explained why people are the way they are so he could go on to help them make changes for the better.
Below is one example, which shows how Allen approached changing for the better and how he helped other people change for the better. It is an illustration of step-by-step thoughts about change. Step-by-step, often in baby steps rather than giant leaps...that's the correct way to approach change.
Here is how Allen described the 5 Stages in Regeneration:1
IGNORANCE
- Reflection: Deep and earnest thought on the nature and meaning of life.
- Introspection: Looking inwardly for the causes and effects which operate in life.
- Self-analysis: Searching the springs of thought and purifying the motives in order to find the truth of life.
- Meditation: Pure and discriminative thought on the facts and principles of life.
- Pure Perception: Insight. Direct knowledge of the laws of life.
ENLIGHTENMENT
Of course, Allen's aim here is spiritual - 'Enlightenment'. That aim will appeal to some. It will not appeal to others.
To make changes for the better you must:
- reflect on what you are trying to accomplish in your role
- perform introspection, recognizing you sow the seeds of the things you reap
- self-analyse, to understand why you do the things you do
- think in an orderly and focused way
- work to perceive accurately and objectively, rather than with bias and judgment
Footnote:
- Source: 'The Shining Gateway', published in 1915 - 3 years after Allen's passing
by Rick Baker
On Mar 23, 2012
100 years ago, the great British philosopher, James Allen1, described the process of how needs and wants develop and how they span the gap between Inaction and Action.
Here's the picture:2
INACTION
- Perception: Objects of Sensation perceived as such.
- Cogitation: Objects of Sensation considered as a source of pleasure.
- Conception: Objects of Sensation conceived as affording pleasure.
- Attraction: Objects of Sensation perceived as pleasurable in possession.
- Desire: Objects of Sensation coveted as such: i.e., desired for personal delight and pleasure
ACTION
Allen argued, "The only external tempters of man are the objects of sensation. These, however, are powerless in themselves until they are reflected in his mind as desirable objects to possess."
James Allen's 5 Stages approach to 'wants and needs' provides a blueprint for self-improvement...another way of looking at Habits and clues on how to go about trying New Things aimed at reducing Bad Habits and expanding Good Habits.3
Footnotes:
- About James Allen
- Source: 'Men and Systems', published in 1915, 3 years after James Allen's passing
- Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things
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