“GET OUT OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AND INTO THE DRIVER’S SEAT; DRIVING IS A BLAST.”
Whenever our phone or computer hangs due to full storage, what we do we refresh it. Likewise, we should press the START button whenever we are stuck. The ME business would be our first and foremost job- everything else comes after that. Sometimes we know what our passion is, our goal. We are motivated, inspired, and know what to do to reach our goals. We require that things be simplified so they can get back to the foundations of who they are, dig themselves out of the clutter to find clarity and purpose in their daily routines, and live a full life without self-destructing. Ironically, when we are motivated and inspired, we start achieving. As high achievers, we start overloading our lives, so when the stress and exhaustion mounted, we brushed these warning signs aside as the price to be paid for the kind of success we craved. We believe we are strong, and nothing will hold us back from everything we want.
In this process, we forget or rather are unable to slow down, and eventually, our body, mind, and soul start delivering a devastating reminder of its need to be cared for, abruptly giving way to chronic fatigue syndrome; it starts affecting not only our well-being but unconsciously we are drifting apart from our loved ones and friends as well. Whenever we face this situation, it’s time to pause and incorporate 7’S as a life strategy, understand what life looks like at your best, and prepare your future intentions. Hence, the road ahead is clear, inspiring, and successful.
7s are
1. START
2. SIMPLIFY
3. STRETCH
4. STRUCTURE
5. SUCCEED
6. SABBATICAL
7. SHINE
START
We often attempt to live our lives to achieve happiness, we try to have more money, more success, and more comfort, but the way it works is the reverse. You must BE who you are, then DO what you must to HAVE what you want. Defining our values is the next major step to unlocking your success. Values are those things that matter to you-the, ideas and beliefs you deem to be the most important in your life. A range of factors, including your background, upbringing, spiritual beliefs, life philosophy, and incidences you have experienced or witnessed, shape your values. Values influence your behaviour and serve as broad guidelines to make more authentic choices that leave you feeling more content, happy, and satisfied as life unfolds. When your actions don’t align with your values, you find yourself without a sense of achievement or feeling out of control.
My top three values are health (physical, mental, emotional & spiritual), the happiness of my family, and having a sense of achievement daily. Understanding our values clarifies every decision, so start from your values.
SIMPLIFY
Simplicity is one of the most valuable yet underrated qualities you can strive to embrace. Simplifying your life gives you clarity, freedom from unnecessary efforts, and the ability to be fully present. When you do this, you effectively clear your mind to continue feeling confident and motivated. When we simplify our lives, we stop wasting our precious energy. Get clarity on what drains you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Know your habits. Work with them, change them, and challenge them. It’s estimated that we spend up to 40 percent of our day on habits, many of which we don’t even know we have. There is much time to waste on unnecessary actions that need to be doing something to move you toward the success you crave. You can declutter your few habits and create the life you want by developing habits that support your values and who you are. First, you must identify and recognize the cues that kick them and create new, more constructive habits to declutter your patterns.
STRETCH
To get in the driver’s seat of your life, you need to know where you are heading; without a clear vision, you make yourself life’s passenger. This section is about stretching yourself, stirring up your creative side, and making your hopes to create the life you most want to live. The goal is to think of exciting possibilities for what could be and to discover the greatest destination for yourself.
For that, get specific
*What kind of work will you be doing? How do you feel about the work?
*How much money will you be earning? What are you doing with it?
*What’s your health like? How are you getting this result?
*Who brings you joy in your life? How do you spend time together?
*What are you learning? What difference does it make in your life?
*What do you do for fun? Do you have a hobby or a passion project?
*What have you conquered emotionally?
*How are you moving through the world?
STRUCTURE
This is the building part, which creates the structure to support the purpose, values, and definition of success you have set so that you can make your vision a reality. Keep stretching yourself and realise your hopes. This is where the accomplishments kick in, and the rewards begin topple up. The structure also gives you some easy levers to adjust your path. Our life circumstances constantly evolve, and our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours sometimes must shift accordingly. The structure should always guide you but never govern you; it should help you find the rhythm of the life you want to be living. For accurate structuring, you need to know WHO IS IN YOUR TEAM.
*Confidence – This makes you resilient and driven, viewing difficult goals as challenges rather than impossible. You are more likely to bounce back from setbacks and believe in your ability to succeed.
*Realistic optimism is particularly important when things are not going as planned. Don’t think ‘I knew I couldn’t do it, but “This one failure isn’t going to stop me.”
*Focus – Setting clear, strong goals helps you stay focused.
*Support – Surround yourself with people who remind you of your goals and encourage your progress willing to celebrate your success. Seek out resources that will support you.
SUCCEED
To navigate life’s natural lows and highs, we need tools to buoy our success, ways to maintain our energy, the right amount of stress, affirmations to keep us on track, a healthy dose of confidence, and plenty of reasons to laugh. We need our own “recipes for success” to guide us toward the lives we most want to live. Here are some ideas for your toolkit
*Authenticity gut check – Are you being you? Are you living your values?
*Gratitude moments – Are you expressing gratitude for your supporters?
*Self-love makes over – Are you looking in the mirror and connecting with who you are? Try smiling at your own reflection.
*Story audit – Are the stories you tell yourself creating beliefs that pull you forward?
*Sleep bank – Are you refuelling yourself with sleep? Remember, sleep is our best medicine.
*Acts of kindness – Are you giving to others by performing kind acts? This can be one of the best ways to lower stress levels.
*What’s working well – Are you building on your strength to get the desired results?
*Jolts of joy – Have you genuinely laughed today?
SABBATICAL
Taking a break is part of your plan if you want it to be in the same way our cars need refuelling, our technical tools need recharging, our soil needs fertilizing, our minds need space to think, and our bodies need to move.
*Identify why you want a pause.
*What will be different from where you are now?
*Disconnecting is a great way to recharge.
*What kind of impact did your family experience from the method of pause which you use?
*Plan with intentions.
SHINE
Allowing yourself to shine each and every day, as well as honoring yourself for doing so, is a principle worth taking on board. The finishing touches are the smallest details that make the dedication and commitment all worth it. They honor your risks, courage, visions, and attitudes and let the changes you have created move naturally with the tides of life. Taking control and getting into the driver’s seat with these easy, small snippets of focus ensure you always be true to yourself and honor who you are.
