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October 13, 2020December 18, 2020

Improve My Life

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Improve my life. The idea of improvement of getting better is not inherent in all of us. We do what we need to do and not much more. The caveman Grock needed a better smashing rock so what he did was he fashioned a new tool, enter the rock on a stick. The rock on a stick had an advantage and it was an immediate advantage.

Humans don’t often seek improvement when the goal is not clear. Oh, the improvement has potential but the payoff is not immediate, “So yeah let’s push that off.” For those on the cusp of a striking out on a new path of self-improvement, I have a recommendation.

Choose One Thing to Improve Your Life

Choose one thing, and here’s the secret make it small. How small? Here’s an example of how small I made one small improvement. I have a friend that must explain something three times. The story must be told three times not once, not twice, but three times. When I listened to it once I get it, I got the story. I get the explanation but two more versions are coming when regardless of my response. My small improvement was to nod between one and two and between two and three. Once that system is completed, we can discuss it.

A Small Change in Your Life

The smallest of changes, I am wiggling my head. It makes them feel good because they get me in their process, a process that must happen. A small choice on my part with a large improvement.

You want improvement choose one small almost invisible act and do it. The game is how small, how little, how singular can you make your act, and still get the results in the direction you desire?

The goal plus the smallest act should equal the desired result. Remember the game about this way of self-improvement in life is built around the smallest act.

Grok added one stick, I removed words. These are the smallest of changes, yet yield results on the way to the goal, and an improved life via the small change.

If you are perplexed as to what you might choose to improve your life, here is a list of 60 small ways: 60 Small Ways to Improve Your Life.

Another podcast you may find helpful on: Cultivating a Life

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KRIS WILDER

Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.

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October 7, 2020February 9, 2021

Cultivating a Life, an Excellent Life

Cultivating a life, an excellent life. Are you a cultivating person or are you something other? Seeking change in your life or are you letting it pass by? Are you looking at the small things? The large things? The difference makers or the things on the margins that you can change for the better? Your goal of that change should be to live a better life and help others that are in your orbit live a better life through your acts.

Coach Says

One way to look at this is a coach I heard one time say, “If you’re not coaching it you’re allowing it to happen.”

Is the thing that’s happening that you’re not coaching a good thing? If it is a fine thing then you let it be. But there was a discerning eye placed on the thing, to decide if it fell into that category needed to be coached or not. I’m not going to suggest a way to do this.

To analyze this and make this change there are tons of materials out there. There are programs, books, apps, Pinterest, you can find all sorts of things that will help you. The choice is yours in discerning what you think needs to be changed in your life and how can be done.

So, the quick recommendation is to do an ad hoc, freewheeling analysis and ask a modest question or a version of it. “Is this a good thing?” “The best thing?” “Is this good for me and those around me?” if it’s good allow it, let it happen, if it needs improvement go to that end, make sure you address it.

Comfort and Regularity

As humans, we seek comfort and regularity. Rhythm and regularity are soothing and they are important. The regularity and rhythm of a bad thing, well that’s less than a positive act. And yes, we do less than positive acts. When you look at these acts you should couch them in terms of being a cultivated person.

The Cultivated Person, A Cultivated Life

When you look at things in the cultivated person manner, acts begin to take on a new flavor. Think about that cultivated person. That term implies that it’s not an instant change but change that takes place over time. Here’s another phrase that might help you see this, “Whatever you are not changing you are choosing.”

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KRIS WILDER

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September 30, 2020February 9, 2021

The World Prefers You’re Organized

The world prefers you’re organized and organizing. The ordering of one’s life, putting your world in place is important but I would argue that it’s essential.

We talk about organization regarding productivity. Productivity and organization are critical to a successful business and a successful life. The price you pay for being disorganized is expensive, and here’s a couple of examples.

Banks Are Not Your Friend

Banks are counting on you not organizing well. Financial institutions like you to be late with your payment, to do an overdraft, to exceed the benefits that they provide.

I’ve seen some statistics that have said that banks make upwards of 40% of their income on fees for their services. Banks set a threshold for your failure and with that keep people continually financially violate.

Society prefers you to be organizing your life. Organizing and staying on top of your world is keeping you from getting fined. You get fined for not filing your business taxes on time. Even if you didn’t owe business taxes you still need to file. You can see the penalties that are built around these types of things cost money.

Cheat Yourself

You show up late to an event and you cheat yourself out of the moment, it’s expensive. Organization, even in its smallest forms changes your world it changes things instantly.

There’s a phrase today we are using, it goes, “Make your bed.” The first thing you do is make your bed. This is the first act of bringing order to your day and it scales up to the world.

Discipline is doing what needs doing even if it’s not enjoyable. Where and how to start? There are one billion different systems out there to choose from. Adopt a system and use it.

Creative Scheduling

It’s what a friend of mine did. I pointed to her appointment book, and I identified her system by name. She said, “Yes, but I changed a little to suit my needs.” Brilliant. You start and then you adapt and change the color, the pages. Do it however you need to do it to organize your world. You can do it on your phone or you can do it on paper. Know it’s about developing a successful method that suits your needs and also your brain type.

Eat The Elephant

You see you can’t eat the elephant in one bite. We know this and to simply start is an understanding. You will acknowledge your bites are going to be small but eventually you’re going to eat the elephant.

Being disorganized is expensive. It is expensive in money and it’s expensive in lost moments. We want to keep as much of those as we can and enjoy our lives. We want to enjoy our money and enjoy our time, our experiences.

The World Prefers You’re Organized, It’s Elemental

If you’re not organized you need to start getting organized. If you’re good at organizing go ahead and start reviewing your system. Review because you change, the world changes, and your system should probably reflect that as well.

Recommending something to do, yes get starting on it today. Even the smallest of steps toward organization count.

Here is my book on leadership and organization

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KRIS WILDER

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September 23, 2020February 9, 2021

Lack of Effort is an Error

Lack of effort is an error. Mistakes are part of life they’re part of business, they’re part of our advocations, our games, every aspect of life has mistakes encoded into it.

John Bonham

The greatest drummer from Led Zeppelin. John Bonham was known for his attacking of the drum kit, his alternate rhythms, and his extraordinary effort in how he was playing his drums.

Decades after dying in 1980 his drumming is still studied. Bonham was part of arguably the greatest rock band that ever walked the face of the Earth. Now I know that other people would argue differently, but John Bonham decades after his death rings in the earbuds of new generations of fans.

Bonham’s effort was based around strength and syncopations and rhythms and he was extraordinary, and sometimes he was off time. His drumming was not matching the beat of the song, subtle yet present.

Lack of Effort is an Error

This error is…well, it’s human, it does bring a flavor to the music, humanity, and emotion. We forgive Bonham for this error, that is if we even perceive it. We also are seeing the error being completely swallowed by his efforts.

Mistakes they’re expected in music and in life however, when we make a mistake well an apology is in order. It’s part of the formula, but the formula has a part that was said earlier and that is that you get to take ownership of your error.

Nobody should question the effort you put in, even though it was an error. So, making mistakes is expected. Lack of effort, never.

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KRIS WILDER

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September 16, 2020February 9, 2021

Monotony is a Large Part of Life

Monotony can be confusing. Monotony can often be jumbled randomly with boredom. They can cross-pollinate each other. However, boredom and monotony are two different things. Monotony is a large part of life.

Boredom

As for being in a boring situation. If you claim to be bored it’s because you are lacking. Lacking in creativity. You’re lacking a sense of exploration, or a tinge of adventure.

As for monotony, it’s difficult to endure monotony when it’s without purpose. If it is purposeless monotony it does become horrible. But with those observing monotony, they see the goal or the objective. It doesn’t become purposeless. The losing of purpose disappears, the monotony takes on a new sensation that’s a thing called fruitful monotony.

Fruitful Monotony

We should integrate into our lives the idea of fruitful monotony. You see fruitful monotony is having a target. Then properly moving toward that target. Being ready, willingly engaging in the inevitable monotony that is going to come. Monotony is known. It’s in the observing, and it is expecting it to arrive. Like I said, monotony is a large part of life.

Viktor Frankl

Fruitful monotony is what separates the failures the also-rans, the losers from those that are successful. Knowing the monotony exists and approach it from a mature viewpoint. As long as we have a goal to that monotony then we can endure it, it becomes a fruitful monotony. Viktor Frankl in writing in his book, “Man’s Search For Meaning,” wrote these powerful word, “Those that have a why to live can bear almost any how.”

Wise words from a wise man.

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KRIS WILDER

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September 9, 2020October 12, 2020

Quote Sitting

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Quote Sitting, that’s a term I just made up but I’m going to show you how it works and I think you’re going to find value in it.

On any social program any social platform you’re going to find quotes that are tossed out like chicken feed cast on the ground with little thought and the chickens eat it as quickly as possible with no thought.

Quotes, Quotes, and More Quotes

If you ignore a majority of quotes that come across your social media feed and I believe you do you’re not reading them you’re not engaging in them and they are nothing but chicken feed cast out on the ground with little thought to what they mean and little thought on the reception.

What happens though when you see that one quote that really hits you, you know just one of those stunners what action do you take with that? Do you write it down? Do you screenshot it or pause and re-read it? How do you deal with it when it hits you?

Well, I have a suggestion for you. Here is my recommendation when you find that quote. Take a moment and dive into it and hear what it has to say.

John Steinbeck

Here’s how this works in an example. I love the quote from American author Steinbeck. “The final weapon is the brain, all else is supplemental.” Now here’s the process as I engage with that quote. Each word is seen separately and then it’s placed back in context.

As an example, “final.” OK that’s the last, that’s the end of the road, that’s the last stop there is nowhere else to go. Then I moved to, “weapon” well that’s a tool that’s used in defense or offense to stop or injure an opponent. That’s what a weapon is for. Then the brain, the brain is the driver of the body, and supplemental means that everything else is in a supportive role of the brain.

The Beginning of Quote Sitting

When I get done reading this, I look at it and I say, “My brain is the initiator of all of my behavior and it should be treated as such and especially when I am using it in a weapon like manner. Whether it’s defensive or offensive my brain is what separates me.

I understand that it is my intelligence, my cunning, and ability to build and use all the supplemental things of my body or in my environment to suit my purposes. That is how I read that quote. The results of quote sitting.

So, the next time you come across a quote that means something to you take a moment and break it down and digest each word. What does each word really mean? Then once you’ve done the breakdown, you’ll have that quote integrated into your thought process and soon your behavior process as well. You don’t sit too long, but you quote sit.

Here is a back issue that you may find interesting as it deals with words and their meanings: Word Salad Tastes Terrible

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