Happy New Year from Somerset
Published: Thu, 01/02/14
Happy new year to you. Now the holiday is near enough over for
most of us and it is back to work. Breaks are nice and we all need
a rest but the difficult part can be getting started again, I am
certainly having that problem with writing this email this morning.
I have all kinds of ideas and plans for the beginning of 2014 and
the difficulty is knowing where to start. Obviously
procrastinating for ever will get you nowhere but it is also
important to remember that some actions achieve a lot more than
others. The 80/20 principle teaches us that only a small
proportion of possible actions will bring significant results. The
majority of effort brings minimal returns. This may sound
depressing but I am afraid that is the way it is. Of course you
may not believe in the 80/20 principle and if your life always
consists of the same activities giving generally the same results
you may not have any reason to notice the principle in action. On
the other hand if you have ever wondered why some people seem to
achieve so much more than others then you may want to consider the
80/20 principle in such people's lives. Someone who is a
massively richer or seemingly more successful than you are
isn't actually all that different. As I wrote a couple of days
ago everybody's year has 365 days of 24 hours. We are all
pretty much the same physically and our brains are pretty much the
same size. So why the difference in results from one person to
another?
Well, there is the element of luck, and some people are more
talented than other people. But a lucky break only means anything
if you can recognise the opportunity and you are in a position to
take advantage of it. The opportunity to turn the redundant
furniture shop in Crewkerne into a Martial Arts School may, or may
not, turn out to be a great opportunity. But the shop has been
standing there empty for years and I am only proceeding with my
plan because I have spent the past twenty years learning,
practicing and teaching Stav and I know how to do the essential
work that will be needed to refurbish he place.
Talent is also fairly meaningless if it isn't nurtured and
developed. How many people do you know who demonstrated great
talent for some sport, or music or acting when they were teenagers
but after twenty one never kick a football, touch a keyboard or
tread a stage again? I am not judging that as right or wrong, just
because we have a certain talent for something doesn't
necessarily mean that is what we should spend our lives doing it.
The world only needs so many professional footballers and rock and
roll musicians.
The key factor is focus on the activities which will bring the most
direct results. This means three things: First actually doing
stuff and putting it where it can be reacted to. This is why I do
the regular emails. I could spend months or even years writing
another novel and dreaming of how it is going to be a best seller.
But I will never know if there is any interest until it is actually
published. But with regular emailing to an opted in list, or on
the facebook group I can get an instant response and test different
subjects and ways of writing about them. If it is an exercise
programme then get going and see what effect it has on your body.
Whatever it is start and see what happens.
Secondly, monitor results and be honest with yourself about what
happens. There are lots of exercises you can do with a kettle bell
for example. Each variation has some value. But I do know that an
exercise called 'swinging' where you swing the bell from
between your legs to above your head results in a rapid and
dramatic improvement in cardio vascular capacity. So if I want to
get the most benefit from working out with a kettle bell this
exercise gets priority. In business a certain product or service
will be massively more profitable than other things you may want to
sell. If a musician has composed a number of songs then there
will always be one or two that everyone particularly wants to hear.
(Think Ralph McTell and Streets of London).
Thirdly, be prepared to go with what works best for you and be
willing to release the rest. Any activity or investment that is
not giving the return you want should be dropped and energy (the
only resource that really matters remember) directed to where you
know you will get results and to trying out new ideas.
Something I would like to do in 2014 is a Guided Chaos boot camp in
the USA in late April. For me I think it would be well worthwhile.
I think these videos demonstrate the application of 80/20 principle
to self-defence training.
http://attackproof.com/martial-myths-what-works-what-doesnt-in-self-defense.html
regards
Graham