If you want to reach your full potential, you need to “climb” the right “hill” for you. You need to strive for the right things.
That’s not easy, though. Here is what I wrote in How to Find Your Best Possible Life:
Why do people keep climbing the wrong hill? Well, a big reason is that they can’t see other hills out there. They can’t see other possibilities for their lives. They think that their current life is the only one for them.
A big part of optimizing your life is knowing what is possible for you. You need to see the other “hills” out there. You need to know the possibilities.
That was the case for me when I started Life Optimizer back in 2006. I live in Indonesia and it didn’t occur to me to write for a global audience. But then I read an article about The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman. In essence, it says that no matter where I live, I can contribute globally in this new age of globalization. It was eye-opening. I was so excited about the possibility and started Life Optimizer soon afterward.
Of course, we should keep seeking new possibilities and working on them. That’s how to live your best life.
How do we put that into practice? Here are six tips.
1. Have the desire for more.
This is the starting point. If you feel all right about where you are, you wouldn’t have the motivation to seek something new. You wouldn’t be motivated to go further and higher.
There has to be a desire in your heart for more. You should say to yourself, “There has to be something more than this.”
It doesn’t mean that you can’t be happy now. No, you can live a happy life now. But this is not about your happiness; it’s about making the world a better place. It’s about contributing to the world by realizing your potential.
2. Have the right role models.
I can’t emphasize enough how important this is. There are at least three reasons why having the right role models is important. First, they inspire you about what is possible. Second, they show you how to get there. And third, they show you what not to do so that you don’t need to learn things the hard way.
3. Have long-term goals.
The definition of grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals. So if you want to have grit, you must have long-term goals.
That requires you to think long-term. What seems good for you in one year might not be good for you in ten. You should be willing to let go of short-term opportunities in favor of long-term ones.
4. Be willing to pay the price.
Knowing your destination is good. But are you willing to pay the price to get there? Are you willing to go through the obstacles? This is where the passion and perseverance parts of grit play a role. Believing in what you do helps.
5. Keep taking the next step.
If you think about the entire thing, you might get overwhelmed. But a big achievement comes from taking a lot of small steps in the right direction. So just focus on taking the next step. Keep doing that and you will arrive at your destination.
6. Build momentum.
To get the best results, momentum is essential. Momentum gives you more and more return on the effort you invested. It makes you go faster over time. Here is how to build momentum.
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These tips – though easier said than done – can help you live your best life.
Any thoughts? Feel free to share them in the comments!
