I know it has been some time since the last installment of these articles – and I do NOT apologize! I have just returned from my family summer holiday and one of the ways I have learned to more effectively win the game of my life is to fully take regular holidays BEFORE I feel like I need them.
So, this week let us look at the 3rd and final solution to YOU winning the game of YOUR life – Structures for Success! We know that successful and happy people set up their lives so that the game is winnable, exciting and effortless. Their schedules and rules for living fully support their awareness and behaviours (see the previous 2 articles). These people surround themselves with people who help them to consistently move forward. They also tend to live PROactively instead of REactively.
One of the most important structures we keep is our time schedule (if you don’t control your time it will certainly control you)! People winning the game of life plan their weeks ahead of time. This includes meals, exercise sessions and down time. Perhaps the biggest difference between successful people and the rest is that they know to schedule time for themselves FIRST (are you listening, moms)! This allows them to be much more effective and productive in everything else they do.
Another crucial – and often overlooked – structure is our physical body. We may not be aware of it, but something as simple as our posture tells the rest of the world so much about us before we even speak. Research shows that poor posture reflects a poor level of general health and well-being. It is also associated with less than ideal emotional states that other people sense whether we are trying to fake it or not. As a chiropractor who has seen thousands of people over the past 12 years it is obvious that optimal posture is essential to a healthy body and mind.
It would help anyone wishing to win the game of their life to consult with a doctor or health professional with the technology to measure and monitor posture over time and understands that posture is as much about our inner experience as our external expression.
Another structure essential to winning the game of life is our relationships. I know, some of you are saying oh sh*@! More than anything else in life, relationships define who we are. We also know that the relationship we have with our own bodies will reflect the relationships we have with others. Be sure to structure your life in a way that nurtures your most important relationships. Remember to focus your efforts on creating growth in relationships, not disaster control.
The magic of the solutions of Awareness, Behaviour and Structure is putting them all together. When we do this effectively, winning the game of life truly becomes effortless and fun. I invite you to now go back over the last 3 articles and commit to making at least some of this real. Start small, build the muscles, and then watch your life take off!
Next week we will conclude this series of articles with a guide to finding the right doctors, coaches and facilitators to help you accelerate the winning of the game of life.
« If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. »
W. Churchill