“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-tzu
Today marks Day 1 of the 20-day business cleanse.
As we begin this process I think we should determine what we hope to accomplish by April 30. For me, I intend to develop a more productive business day and a healthier work-life balance. This is important to me because I am entering what will be one of the most stressful 3-month periods of my life so far, during which I will launch a new product and move across the country to a state I’ve never set foot in.
What intentions do you have for your business cleanse? Why is this important to you? Leave a comment with your intentions, and I’ll be sure to hold you to them.
Practice Makes Perfect
“Do, or do not. There is no try.” – Jedi Master Yoda
Notice the two meanings of the word “practice” in this article. In the article headline, practice means “habitual action”, while in the subheading above, practice means “actions trying to form a habit”.
To me, both of these meanings are a bit narrow. I believe that life is practice, which means practice is living (my TV yoga instructor would be thrilled with that definition).
As Yoda intimated in The Empire Strikes Back, there’s really no such thing as trying, only different degrees of doing. So as we move through this month, we must remember our intentions and hold on to what our ideal day looks like in order to do the best we can each day and avoid slipping into our old routine.
The purpose of this business cleanse is not to reinforce our existing habits, rather it is to break these ineffective habits and move us closer to our goals.
The Life You Have Is The Life You Lead
“Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” – William James
My wife and I watched Paris, je t’aime this weekend (a series of 5-minute short films on love in Paris). One of the short films began with a man getting ready to tell his wife he is leaving her for his mistress. But before he can break the news, his wife tells him she has terminal cancer. In that moment he decides to rise to the occasion and he recommits himself to his wife.
In his wife’s final months, the man finds, to his amazement, that by acting like he loved his wife, he in fact fell deeply in love with her once more. Even after she passed he remained in love with her for the rest of his life.
You see, these new habits don’t have to “feel right” in order for us to implement them. If we wait to make a change until things feel right, we’ll be waiting forever.
Instead, if we act in accordance with the results we want, our enjoyment, and our success, will follow.
I’ll write an update about my week on Friday. Until then, let’s continue our discussion in the comments.
I know you can do this. Have a great week.
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Most of the way through the first day, and I have to say that things are going pretty well! This morning went exceptionally well. I’m definitely feeling better and more excited about my work day, that’s for sure!