The Difference Between I Wish and I Am
Breath Life Into Who You Are and Aspire to Be
Image by Jonathan Chng from Unsplash
No person or circumstance can gift us peace, confidence, or self-efficacy. These attributes are the result of our choices. They come from within. If we want things to be better, we must decide.
If we want to be better, we must act.
If we want things to change, we must change.
The way to transform our lives is two-fold. We transform:
by taking responsibility for ourselves — for our words, our actions, our mindset — all of it.
by making substantive changes regardless of obstacles, critics, or what we have to do to make them.
Deciding is not just a mental process. Real decisions require action.
What about wanting? Wanting something isn’t enough. Wanting is passive. We can want from the couch. Deciding & Acting are different. Deciding and Acting are catalysts that place us in the arena.
Are you ready to decide? Are you ready to change?
Previous articles outlined Innovation 1, Innovation 2, and Innovations 3, 4, and 5. In this article we’ll investigate Innovation 6, 7, and 8.
10 Innovations for Clarity & Confidence
Image by Ivana Cajina from Unsplash
Innovation 6: Position Yourself with I Am Statements
6. Breath life into the things you want and aspire to be by replacing I will try , I would like to, and I will do this when… with I Am statements.
What is at play when we do this? I am statements change things because when you say I am a runner, I am a writer, or I am a good student, things change. YOU change. You become that person. Identity fuels action, action creates habits, and habits propel us to who, what, and where we aspire to be. Author/Teacher Seth Godin cites how easily we’re confused by I am. “I am five feet tall” is a given, while “I am a chef” is up to us.
People often believe that roles like writer, leader, and artist are fixed in place — something we either are or aren’t. The truth is far more simple. If you want to be a leader, lead. If you want to be a writer, write, and if you want to be an artist, make art. Start where-ever you are with whatever you have. START. Begin. Once you begin, you are. Do — then be.
Position yourself is about declaring important decisions you’ve made on your own behalf. Once you say I am a runner, I am vegan, I am an investor, etc.. , resources and new ways of being come your way. The when and how become more clear.
Position yourself is about being intentional regarding who you are and what you do and don’t do. Use I am to establish identity and set processes in motion. The benefits are palpable and the scenery is good.
Innovation 7: Eat and Train.
7. We exist within physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and social realms. The physical realm is a great place to develop discipline, skills, and a can-do mindset. Fitness is key to a healthy body, to robust cognitive function, and to creativity and intellectual development. If you want a leg up on creating and leading a robust life, don’t leave health and wellness to anyone else. Whatever your circumstances and to the degree possible, take charge of your body. Take charge of your health. What to do? Eat and train. Athletes don’t diet or exercise. Athletes eat and train.
Step one is Eat. Food is pleasure and food is fuel. Be mindful about the quality and quantity of what you eat. Take time and enjoy. Experiment with produce, nuts, seeds, healthy protein, herbs, what time of day you’ll eat and by what time you’ll finish eating for the day.
Step two is Train. Movement matters, and movement to the point of rigor matters. Purposeful movement positively influences every area of our lives as it clears the mind and fills us with energy hours after the fact. Our health is our responsibility. Craft a weekly weight routine, train for a 5K, take up lap swimming, or join a climbing group. Try a few things, figure out what works, and remove all friction points and obstacles between you and engaging in purposeful rigorous movement 3 to 4 times weekly.
Eat and Train is about self-empowerment and taking charge.
Eat and Train is also about shifting attitude. The energy created from exertion clears the mind and moves us forward with optimism. Go for a run, a vigorous walk, or take a dance class multiple times each week. Stretch, challenge and exert the body. Invest in healthy joints, muscles, systems, strength, peace and yourself by finding a way to move with vigor on a regular basis.
Innovation 8: Agree and Commit with Care
8. Personal agency contributes greatly to our sense of happiness. We feel agency when we exert command in some degree over things we control. Time is the one resource we can’t replenish. Using our time with intention makes an immense difference in the tenor and content of our days. How we spend our days, with whom, and why matters. What to do?
Agree only with that with which you actually agree. If that means stepping away from the herd, so be it. You may find yourself to be the subject of strong opinion, a fine place to be.
Equally important — commit with care. Feel less obligated. People routinely categorize events and tasks that are not obligations as obligations. Don’t say yes when you shouldn’t, can’t, or when you truly don’t care to say yes. Determine what works for you in terms of your wellness and priorities, and decline invitations and requests in a polite manner when it’s time to do so.
Agree and commit with care about being intentional with the way we use time, resources, energy, and mindset. Handle people, time, and materials with thought and care, and don’t go along to get along when stakes are high or when doing so means compromising a core tenet.
Summary of Innovations 1 through 8
Image by Vasi from Unsplash
Innovation 1 is Greet the Morning.
Innovation 2 is Drink cold water.
Innovation 3 is Stand tall.
Innovation 4 is Mind your thoughts.
Innovation 5 is Watch your words.
Innovation 6 is Position Yourself.
Innovation 7 is Eat and Train.
Innovation 8 is Agree and Commit with Care.
Moving through out days from a disposition of welcome benefits our relationships, career, and our emotional and physical health. Paying attention to how we use energy, how we move, where we focus our attention, and how we speak forms a proven and powerful physiology-focus-language triad we can use in our pursuit of positive change.
Take time for breath and gratitude. Take responsibility for your health, your fitness and physical self, for your thoughts and your words. Be grateful for what is good, for connection, for encouragement and kindness. With these actions and changes, we’re on our way!