You are the most important person in your life. This is one of my all time favorite sentences in the world. It’s so powerful, yet so simple and easy to understand – once you really, really understand it – that it can, in itself, change my mood entirely into a better one, just by saying it in my mind. Once you understand it and make it works for you, it will change your life.
It surely changed mine. Not in one big leap, but gradually revealed more and more power and energy, clarity of intention and compassion. How this can be? It’s really simple once you understand how you’re functioning in this world. Have you ever thought what are you actually doing, during your entire activity cycle? Have you ever thought of your actions? How do you do them? For whom?
When I decided to write something about they way you act, I had only one post in mind, but after I started to work on it, it quickly become obvious that I should split it in several posts. Therefore, I ended up with my first series on this blog. Without further ado, let’s dig into it:
Everything you do in your life is based on this very simple 4-steps circuit:
- intention
- action
- energy
- outcome
You intend something, and an action is performed. Being it a thought, a walk in the park or climbing the Everest. That action consumes some part of your energy. If you drink a cup of water, or have a career, all of this requires your energy. You create that action by directing a part of your available energy into your intention. And every action has a result, or, in other terms, creates an outcome.
Once you reached the outcome, you can go back either to step 1 or 3. You can either intend to generate another action, starting the circuit again, or you are just being affected by the outcome in your energy potential. You can increase your level of energy, or you can decrease it, based on the outcome of the action.
What Are Actions?
Each and every action you do in your life will respond to these simple 3 questions:
- how you do it?
- why you do it?
- who will receive the outcome?
It will of course respond to many others, but those 3 are the most important ones.
In this post we’ll talk about the “how”. The “how” is the most important part of it, because this is the point where you decide if you will increase or decrease your energy level, and that’s of course because of the desired outcome. The “how” is not related to the actual tools or knowledge you may use to perform a certain action. The “how” is mostly the answer of a simple question:
“Is that action harming any of your beliefs, or it is nourishing your beliefs?”
Let’s think about your belief about a job. You do believe that a job should be something fulfilling, challenging but not exhausting, fun and rewarding. We’ll take this particular belief as an example, although you have zillions of beliefs by which you are driving your life every day, from relationships beliefs to money beliefs.
So, if the action of going to a job is harming your general job beliefs, well, your energy level will always be low. It will drain you out.
Suppose you currently have a boring job and your are “forced” to go there every day. You intend to go to work, put some energy in that intention, and go to a place where you are feeling bad. You don’t like what you are doing, you don’t like your boss. You do think a job should be something nice to do, in a friendly environment. But still, you are going to that boring job. You become inefficient and spend more and more time doing the same type of tasks, with more and more energy and weak results. You argue with your boss in your mind, taking away your focus from the current reality and building a conflicted one in your head. Although you believe a job should be fulfilling and your boss a nice person, you are still going there and do your hated job. You’re doing something against your beliefs.
What’s the outcome? Probably some money, and surely some long term health problems, because you’re getting inefficient and angry. After getting this action outcome you go back to step 1 and do this again tomorrow. Wake up, put some energy into your intention to go to work, and at the end of the day you have the same outcome: some money and some health problems, more anxiety and more lousy professional results.
What’s happening with your energy level? It isn’t hard to guess that it will constantly decrease. It will go down every day because the outcome of your actions. You will constantly consume your energy and will never complete it back.
All of this because you are doing something against your beliefs. You think in a way, but act in a different way. You create conflict and tension.You are performing against you, becoming your closest and more powerful enemy.
But what’s happening if you are doing something that nourishes your beliefs, like having a job that you like? Of course, the energy level will be high all the time and you’ll feel in turn nourished by the outcome of your actions.
Let’s have the same example, but this time suppose you have a very nice job. Well, you intend the same action, to go to work, and arrive to a place where you are feeling good. You like what you are doing, and you’re even doing it with passion, enthusiasm and efficiency. You like your boss, if you have one, you like your team, your clients and your partners. You do think a job should be something nice to do, in a friendly environment. And this is exactly what it is. You become more skilled at what you do and start to constantly receive appreciation from your colleagues and from your boss. You think you’ve made a right choice with this job and are happy about it. You’re doing something that nourishes your beliefs.
What’s the outcome? Probably some money, and surely a better health and a general state of well-being, because you’re getting efficient and happy. After getting this action outcome you go back to step 1 and do this again tomorrow. Wake up, put some energy into your intention to go to work, and at the end of the day you have the same outcome: some money and better health, more happiness and wealth.
What’s happening with your energy level? It isn’t hard to guess that it will constantly increase. It will go up every day because the outcome of your actions. You will constantly add to your existing energy and will never take back from it.
All of this because you are doing something that nourishes your beliefs. You think in a way, and act in the exact same way. You create harmony and wealth. You are performing for yourself, becoming your closest and more powerful friend.
Your beliefs are the core of your being. Everything you do is based on this, and you are actually shaping your world by what you are believing about it. If your actions are harming your beliefs you are actually harming yourself.
Remember how many times you’ve been forced to do something against your beliefs? Every single time you’ve done something against yourself.
So, every time you can consciously evaluate “how” you will do a certain action, do it for yourself. First and foremost.
In the next post we’ll look at the next action question, which is: “Why you do it? To please others or to please yourself?”.
[tags]personal development, productivity, success, beliefs, motivation, personal growth[/tags]
Nice Site layout for your blog. I am looking forward to reading more from you.
Tom Humes