focus

31
Mar
2020
30-Day Just Do It Challenge

30-Day Just Do It Challenge

Reading Time: 3 minutes

If you want to change your life for the better, you need to start implementing some changes now. Don’t wait until tomorrow or next year to start making some adjustments. Success does not happen overnight. It is a product of all the little things that you do daily. The sooner you start making some changes. the sooner you will be able to achieve everything that your heart desires. Start now! Dare yourself to do the 30-Day Just Do It Challenge!

Before you begin, you need to figure out what it is that you want. Start by creating a bucket list. It is a list of all the things that you want to accomplish and do in life. From the list, identify your priorities through the 5/25 Rule Challenge.

Once you have identified your priorities, it is now time to create your very own 30-day challenge. All of us have different goals and priorities. Your 30-day challenge should focus on what is important to you and on what particular area of your life that you want to improve first. It could be about your health, your relationship, your spiritual life, your career, your finances, etc. It all depends on you.

You need to focus. You need to start on one specific area of your life first. It would be difficult if you are trying to accomplish so many things at once. Focus on a single goal. Do not be destructed by other things. You also need to do it for 30 consecutive days. As a general rule, it takes a minimum of 21 straight days for something to become a habit. However, not all individuals are the same. Other people may take longer.

Here are example 30-day challenges that you can apply in some areas of your life:

Health and Beauty

During this pandemic, we have learned that health is the most important thing in life. Thus, your priority should always be how to keep yourself healthy and follow the rules to combat diseases. Your 30-day challenge could be:

  • Get at least 8 hours of sleep a day
  • Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water each day
  • Do exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
  • Eat a balanced diet.
  • Clean face and put moisturizer before going to sleep.

Home and Living

A clean and organized environment is a necessary component of your overall wellness. Now that you finally have the time to stay at home, take this opportunity to declutter and clean your surroundings. Your 30-day challenge can include:

Money

Maybe you want to save for an emergency fund or for your retirement fund.Whatever your money goal, now is the perfect time to start setting financial goals for a better tomorrow. Here are sample challenges for financial improvement:

People and Relationships

Your relationship with yourself is important. It is the basis of your relationship with others. Equally important is your relationship with other people. A happy and healthy relationship with oneself and others are vital to our mental and emotional well-being. Here are some things that you can do to improve this aspect of your life.

  • Start a gratitude journal.
  • Call a friend or family member that you have not been in touch for so long.
  • Say “I love you” to people who are dear to you, “thank you”to those who have always been there for you and “I am sorry” to people whom you have offended.

Your future begins today so act now.

Feature Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay Images

Posted by A.L. Jonas in Intellectual, 0 comments
08
Feb
2020
The 80/20 Principle

The 80/20 Principle

Reading Time: 2 minutes

In a perfect world, 100% of your effort will bring about 100% of your desired result. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The world is not perfect. Life is unfair. In life, percentage input does not equal to the percentage output. This universal truth about the imbalance of inputs and outputs became known as the Pareto Principle better known as the 80/20 Principle. 

The Pareto Principle

Named after its founder, the Italian philosopher and economist in the mid-19th century, Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto. the Pareto Principle states that 80% of results or outputs came from just 20% of the action or inputs.

in his observation, Pareto noticed that only 20% of the pea plants in his garden is responsible to the 80% of the peas harvested. He then thought about the disparity of his country’s wealth. His thought led him to discover that 80% of Italy’s wealth was controlled by just 20% of the population. Further observations of society led him to the realization that all economic activities adhered to this principle. 

To illustrate, the principle says that:

  • About 80% of a company’s sales are generated by only 20% of the sales representatives
  • 80% of food sold in a restaurant came from just 20% of the items in the menu
  • 80% of road accidents are caused by just 20% of the drivers on the road.

Individual

On a personal note, it means that:

  • Around 80% of whom you spend most of your time with belongs to only 20% of your closest friends and family.
  • 80% of what you wear most of the time just came from 20% of your wardrobe
  • 80% of the online application that you use comprised of just 20% of the total applications stored in your gadget.

Are you part of the “Vital Few” or “Trivial Many”?

Dr. Joseph Duran, known for his work on quality management used this principle. Dr. Duran expanded it even further and it became known as the “vital few and the trivial many”. This means that in anything, only 20% are vital while the remaining 80% are trivial. Although first used in quality management, the 80/20 Principle can now be applied to anything in life.  

If you look into your life, you will notice that 80% of your productivity or success is brought about by just 20% of the things that you did. In the same way that 80% of your failures or disappointments in life are caused by just 20% of your issues. It all boils down to where you put all your efforts.

We all have 24 hours. The “vital few” in society choose wisely on how they spend their time that is why they belong to the top 20%. The rests or the “trivial many” remain slaves to their never-ending to do lists. They work hard all their lives yet their efforts do not contribute anything to the success of their lives.

“Work smarter not harder.” 


Now, ask yourself, are you part of the elite class in society called the “vital few” or are you part of the “trivial many”?  If you feel like you are not going anywhere in life despite all the hard work and effort that you have done, then it is time to reassess your life on where you put all your priorities and energies. Don’t be a part of the bottom 80%. Adopt the 80/20 Principle as one your life rules. Choose to work smarter not harder. Start now by taking on the the 5/25 Rule Challenge.

Feauture Image by Posted by A.L. Jonas in Intellectual, 0 comments

30
Jan
2020
Redefine your Life Through the 5/25 Rule Challenge

Redefine your Life Through the 5/25 Rule Challenge

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Are you ready for a fresh start in your life? Then, it’s time to take those goals into action. A good strategy to use to achieve your goals and redefine your life is through the 5/25 rule challenge of Warren Buffet.

Warren Buffet is the most successful investor in the 20th century and one of the richest man in the world. His 5/25 rule on productivity gives importance to focus.

According to the story, Mike Flint, the personal airplane pilot of Warren Buffet for over a decade was having a conversation with his boss about his dreams and goals. Buffet told him to write down 25 of his career goals. Out of these 25, he was asked to identify his top 5. He was then instructed to focus all his time and energy in accomplishing those 5 items on the list. The other items that did not make it on the top 5 would fall under the “avoid-at-all-cost” category.

This kind of strategy is highly effective because if you don’t have focus, it is so easy to get distracted in life especially in this day and age. With focus, you will know exactly what you want and what direction you are supposed to go.

Here is the challenge if you are determined to change your life for the better. Try applying the 5/25 Rule in your life by following these steps:

1. Write Down your Goals

If you still don’t have a bucket list, now is the perfect time to start writing them down. Just list down all the things that you want to have and accomplish in life, even if it feels like impossible. There are no restrictions. After all, they are your dreams. Write as many as you can. To make it easier, label your dreams and goals under the following categories:

  • Health and Beauty
  • Home and Living
  • Wealth
  • People and Relationships
  • Travel and Recreation
  • Work and Career
  • Spiritual

Make sure that you put at least more than 10 entries in each category. To help you with your list, you can check out some of the A Fresh start articles on the different categories and use them as guide.

2. Choose your Priorities

The 5/25 Rule states that you choose your focus. Instead of merely choosing just 5 items in your work and career, it is better to choose at least one from each of the category. The important thing is to have a well-balanced life. Your life is not just about your career, it is also about your health, your relationships and your overall well-being.

The elimination process won’t be easy. However, it is something that you have so that you can focus all your energy, resources and attention on just a few. You can choose to prioritise the urgent ones or you can opt for the easiest one to accomplish first. It is all up to you. Don’t worry about the “Avoid-at-all-cost” list, you can still go back to that list later on once you have accomplished your initial goals.

3. Start Working on Your Goals

The best time to start working on your goals is now. Start doing them one-by-one. There is nothing sweeter than to experience the feeling of accomplishment once you start fulfilling your goals. As you crossed out one item every now and then, you will surprised how your life is slowly starting to change.

Infographic Credit: Piktochart

Best of luck!

Image Credit: photosforyou from Pixabay Images

Posted by A.L. Jonas in Intellectual, 1 comment