How are you doing with the things you wanted to accomplish this year?
A Year Passes Quickly
One of the reasons that the year seems to go so quickly is because of habits. When you have routines the brain merges your experiences into the same memory. This makes life feel like it is passing faster.
Human Nature
Human nature is the concept that there are a set of characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving, that all ‘normal’ human beings have in common. Creating the life that you want often means going against the tendencies of human nature.
Health
A perfect example of this is a gym membership. Every New Year hordes of people join a gym. The average gym membership (USA) costs just under $60 per month. Buy an amazing 67% of memberships go unused.
Habits
Some habits are more expensive than they appear. According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube.
According to a 2020 study we watch over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos a day, more than Netflix and Facebook videos combined. 70% of YouTube views come from mobile devices. The average mobile viewing session lasts more than 40 minutes.
Of all of the bad habits, this is perhaps the most insidious. Binge-watching and screen addiction steals time. Even cutting back one hour a day will give you time to:
- Spend time with friends/family
- Take a healthy walk
- Work on a side business
Time
Time is our most valuable commodity. It’s truly priceless because you are unable to buy more. Once lost, it can never be replenished. Many feel stressed, and unfulfilled at the end of the day because they are not accomplishing the important goals and tasks that were set.
Family
A palliative care study revealed the most common ‘deathbed regrets’. A few worth considering were:
- “I wish I didn’t wait to “start it tomorrow.”
Excuses are plentiful because they’re so easy to make. You will always find reasons to validate your inaction, and this is a common cause of deathbed regret. The things you want to do tomorrow can effortlessly turn into things you wish you did decades ago. - “I wish I’d have traveled more.”
People often think that “traveling” has to involve a foreign country and thousands of dollars. But you can drive to a nearby city, and explore something you haven’t before. - “I wish I’d taken more chances.”
The fear of rejection or failure dissipates in the face of death. The pretty girl you didn’t ask out on a date, the job you didn’t apply for because you felt underqualified, or the business you believed in but didn’t start will weigh heavier on your shoulders than not trying and learning. - “I wish I had stayed in touch with loved ones.” (and “I wish I’d told others how much I love them.”)
There were many deep regrets about not giving family and friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their loved ones when they are dying. So often we are wrapped up in gaining love but fail to give it to the ones we care about most. Tell them often, before it’s too late. - “I wish I’d dared to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
People regretted not following their dreams. Most people had not honored even half of their dreams! Too many regretted wasting lives in unfulfilling jobs. - “I wish that I had let myself be happier.”
Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits.
The Trance
Another problem with wasting time through bad habits is ‘the trance’. You get into such a routine that the days fly by. Days turn into years and decades slip through your fingers.
Perhaps your biggest routine is the job. Too many people sacrifice their lives for jobs that don’t reward them. Worst yet these jobs rob them of time that could be spent enjoying a more fulfilling life.
The secret to getting ‘more’ time is breaking routines. This allows you to create new experiences and memories in the brain and gives life more meaning.
Freedom and Happiness
People who work for themselves are happier because of the freedom that working for one’s self permits.
In a Forbes Study:
“…Among the 600 owners polled, 42% said the biggest draw of entrepreneurship was being their own boss and having the freedom to make decisions for themselves. The second reason was the pride and a sense of accomplishment, which 17% mentioned.”
How to Begin
A big benefit of the internet is that you can start a business on the side. You won’t jeopardize your job. And even if you don’t leave the job the new money generated can improve your lifestyle.
The method we recommend allows you to start in complete privacy or needing to make phone calls: