Taken from Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living
Written by Angel Chernoff
“If only . . . ” These two words paired together create one of the saddest phrases in the English language.
Here are ten choices that ultimately lead to this phrase of regret, and how to elude them:
1. Wearing a mask to impress others.
If the face you always show the world
is a mask, someday there will be nothing beneath it. Because when you
spend too much time concentrating on everyone else’s perception of you,
or who everyone else wants you to be, you eventually forget who you
really are. So don’t fear the judgments of others; you know in your
heart who you are and what’s true to you. You don’t have to be perfect
to impress and inspire people. Let them be impressed and inspired by
how you deal with your imperfections.
2. Letting someone else create your dreams for you.
The greatest challenge in life is
discovering who you are; the second greatest is being happy with what
you find. A big part of this is your decision to stay true to your own
goals and dreams. Do you have people who disagree with you? Good. It
means you’re standing your ground and walking your own path. Sometimes
you’ll do things considered crazy by others, but when you catch yourself
excitedly losing track of time, that’s when you’ll know you’re doing
the right thing.
3. Keeping negative company.
Don’t let someone who has a bad
attitude give it to you. Don’t let them get to you. They can’t pull
the trigger if you don’t hand them the gun. When you remember that
keeping the company of negative people is a choice, instead of an
obligation, you free yourself to keep the company of compassion instead
of anger, generosity instead of greed, and patience instead of anxiety.
4. Being selfish and egotistical.
A life filled with loving deeds and
good character is the best tombstone. Those who you inspired and shared
your love with will remember how you made them feel long after your
time has expired. So carve your name on hearts, not stone. What you
have done for yourself alone dies with you; what you have done for
others and the world remains.
5. Avoiding change and growth.
If you want to know your past look
into your present conditions. If you want to know your future look into
your present actions. You must let go of the old to make way for the
new; the old way is gone, never to come back. If you acknowledge this
right now and take steps to address it, you will position yourself for
lasting success. See the book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.
6. Giving up when the going gets tough.
There are no failures, just results. Even if things don’t unfold the way you had expected, don’t be
disheartened or give up. Learn what you can and move on. The one who
continues to advance one step at a time will win in the end. Because
the battle is always won far away and long before the final victory. It’s a process that occurs with small steps, decisions, and actions that
gradually build upon each other and eventually lead to that glorious
moment of triumph.
7. Trying to micromanage every little thing.
Life should be touched, not
strangled. Sometimes you’ve got to relax and let life happen without
incessant worry and micromanagement. Learn to let go a little before
you squeeze too tight. Take a deep breath. When the dust settles and
you can once again see the forest for the trees, take the next step
forward. You don’t have to know exactly where you’re going to be headed
somewhere great. Everything in life is in perfect order whether you
understand it yet or not. It just takes some time to connect all the
dots.
8. Settling for less than you deserve.
Be strong enough to let go and wise
enough to wait for what you deserve. Sometimes you have to get knocked
down lower than you have ever been to stand up taller than you ever were
before. Sometimes your eyes need to be washed by your tears so you can
see the possibilities in front of you with a clearer vision again. Don’t settle.
9. Endlessly waiting until tomorrow.
The trouble is, you always think you
have more time than you do. But one day you will wake up and there
won’t be any more time to work on the things you’ve always wanted to
do. And at that point you either will have achieved the goals you set
for yourself, or you will have a list of excuses for why you haven’t. Read Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture.
10. Being lazy and wishy-washy.
The world doesn’t owe you anything,
you owe the world something. So stop daydreaming and start DOING.
Develop a backbone, not a wishbone. Take full responsibility for your
life – take control. You are important and you are needed. It’s too
late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday. Someday is now; the somebody the world needs is YOU.
