Sea Change Council Blog: 5 Major Pieces to the Puzzle

Coaching E-Med: #005

WEEK 05: The 5 Major Pieces of the Puzzle

In business, the Pareto Principle (or 80/20 Rule) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of our results come from 20% of our actions. This is also know as the “Law of the Vital Few” and what its application challenges us to do; is find, and focus on, those actions that will have the greatest impact or move us most rapidly in the direction we desire.

I believe the principle also holds true in the pursuit of an Extra-Ordinary Life!

I mean there really aren’t a million things you have to do everyday to be successful, or even a thousand, or a hundred. When we talk about what it takes to live an extraordinary life, it always comes back down to a handful of habits, a small set of repetitive thoughts, actions and/or routines that ultimately have the greatest impact in how our lives turn out. Simply stated:

“Success = A few simple disciplines practiced everyday”

Think about it, if you wanted to have extraordinary health, you don’t need to memorize a hundred new things. You don’t have to juggle dozens of moving parts or revamp everything in your life. There are really only about a half a dozen things you have to focus on to have extra ordinary health. 5 or 6 simple items that are really responsible for the majority of the results achieved. Things like daily exercise, meditation, vegan diet, drinking lots of water and limiting sugar and tv. The other actions we take may compliment and contribute to the 20%, but it’s clearly those 5-6 main actions that produce the best results.

So what are those 5-6 “Pareto” actions in our own lives that will consistently produce 80% of the results we are after? What are those major factors that really determine how our lives will turn out?

I’m sure in time we could get a good discussion going about all the things that really make a difference in life. But for the sake of time management and reasonably sized E-Meds; I’m going to offer up the 5 Major Pieces of the Puzzle according to Jim Rohn in his classic work the “Challenge to Succeed”.

I believe Jim has identified 5 Major factors, some basics or fundamentals for a quality life, and suggest by following his advise we indeed are focusing our time on the desired 20% of the activities with the greatest ability to positively impact our futures.

So let’s take a look, first up is:

1. Philosophy: The Major factor in how our lives turn out; our philosophy creates our view of the world; our perception, interpretation and understanding of reality. Our philosophies are essentially developed in two parts. The first is the sum total of all we’ve learned, heard, seen, experienced, witnessed and felt. Every event, every book, movie, song, story, phone call, conversation or person we’ve ever met, read, seen or otherwise encountered has helped us refine and define our own philosophies.

By using our minds and our ability to think and process ideas and information, bit by bit, piece by piece, event by event, we continually build up our own philosophies.

The second part of forming our personal philosophies occurs as we evaluate and process life’s events. Our decisions about which of these events are valuable or meaningful or important, sculpts and refines our philosophies even further and more succinctly. The sum totals of all you know, and then what you decide is important or valuable, ultimately creates your working philosophy.

And make no mistake about it: Your philosophy governs your life! It dictates how you feel, what you’re willing to do, and ultimately your results and lifestyle.

Is life a test or a Dance? Is it a struggle or an adventure? Is God watching over you or punishing you? Your philosophy determines which way you’ll answer every time.

We could really continue the discussion on philosophy as a E-Med topic of its own or at much greater length because it is that important. But for now let’s just finish up the topic with a couple of thoughts.

First let’s correct the philosophies in these old adages and adopt these new ones:

“What you don’t know WILL hurt you”

- What you don’t know about your business, your wife and kids or your health will hurt you!

“Ignorance is NOT bliss”

– Ignorance is poverty, injury and illness! Knowledge is (potential) Power!

And finally l'll add the quote: As a Man Thinketh so is He

How we Think (Philosophy) affects how we Feel (Attitude)

Our Philosophy affects our Attitude

2. Attitude: A truly magic ingredient in the Successful Living Toolbox™ and in an Extra-Ordinary Life is a positive mental attitude.(PMA) And it’s only a decision away. Life is not reacting to you it is responding to you and what you put out you get back. Put out positive vibrations and that’s what you’ll get back. It is your choice. Confidence, joyfulness, enthusiasm, they really do make a difference. By and large we all move along the path of our own expectations. Decide that path is a positive one and it becomes so...decide otherwise and you’ll sow and reap the consequences of a decision based upon your attitude in that moment. Consequences you may not be able to change. Why not give yourself the best possible options or outcomes by maintaining a positive attitude. It takes a little practice but the results are well worth the effort. This is clearly another one of those topics that we could also discuss at much greater length, but I believe most of us know how important a good attitude is, so for now I’ll leave you with these quotes:

“Change your attitude and you’ll change your altitude” – Zig Ziglar

“People are about as happy as they decide to be” – Abe Lincoln

“Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude” – Thoreau

How we Think (Philosophy) affects how we Feel (Attitude)

How we feel (attitude) affects what we are willing to do (activity)

Our Philosophy affects our Attitude

Our Attitude affects our Activity Level

3. Activity: Disciplined actions create multiple rewards and our activities will define our outcomes. Define your activities in order to design your outcomes.

Be like an Ant. Have you ever tried to stop an ant from carrying out its activities? It will go over, under, around, across or tunnel through if it has to. An ant will do what ever it takes, it has no boss, no alarm clock, no external motivation or reward and yet it still takes action, everyday. Be like the ant ;)
Patient and persistent.

You must take action in order to receive a reward. No one can do your push ups for you. You have to make the effort yourself in order to benefit from the results.

Just Do it! – Nike

Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience – Ralph Waldo Emerson

How we Think (Philosophy) affects how we Feel (Attitude)

How we feel (Attitude) affects what we are willing to do (Activity)

What we do (Activity) affects what we get (Results)

Our Philosophy affects our Attitude

Our Attitude affects our Activity Level

Our Activity creates our Results

4. Results: For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction and certainly a result. Sometimes we get the results we’re after, but more often than not we need to make some adjustments to our activities. By consistently checking our results, measuring our progress and changing whatever isn’t working, we will be consistently refining our process and improving our ability to produce the kind of results we’re after and thereby the lifestyle we’ve designed.

Remember the definition of insanity is taking the same action and expecting a different result. If we want more in our lives, we must become more. We must take different actions than we have in the past, we must be willing to think, feel and do what other successful people have done. And we must consistently check our results and change what isn’t working.

How we Think (Philosophy) affects how we Feel (Attitude)

How we feel (Attitude) affects what we are willing to do (Activity)

What we do (Activity) affects what we get (Results)
What we get (Results) affects how we live (Lifestyle)

Our Philosophy affects our Attitude

Our Attitude affects our Activity Level

Our Activity creates our Results

Our Results create our Lifestyle

5. Lifestyle: Extraordinary results will produce an extraordinary lifestyle. One in which we are free to choose to live the life of our dreams. A life un-bound by geography or limited capital; free of mental distress, emotional scars and baggage.

Designing a “Lifestyle” instead of just making a living should be the goal for anyone seeking an Extra-Ordinary Life. How you choose to live – like a beggar, banker, worker or robber baron – full of love and charity, or a reclusive scrooge, angry and argumentative or peaceful and pleasant, adventurous or stationary, activist or pacifist, these are all a representation of our choice of “Lifestyle”.

Choose yours wisely. I believe the goal should be to find what we enjoy doing (while benefiting or servicing others) and then to design our lifestyle’s around those activities.

It’s also very important not to Major in Minor things. In other words, spend your time on what truly matters most.

If 20% of our actions truly create 80% of our results, then lets make sure to identify those actions and prioritize their execution on a consistent basis.

This Week’s Coach’s Challenge:

Apply the Pareto Principle this week to prioritize your most productive activities and produce some extra-ordinary results within each of the 5 Major Pieces of the Puzzle.

Do you agree with Jim’s 5 Major’s? – What would you add to/delete from the list? What did you find useful about these 5 pieces?