My aim for this blog has never been to simply write some articles and hope that the right people find them. Instead, I like to think of this site as a great way to connect with new people and help those people transform their lives while I work on transforming my own.
The last ‘ask the readers’ question which was “Why Are We Here?” turned out to be popular with over 50 comments, so this time I want to get to know you all a bit better. What areas of your life are you working on and what are you trying to improve?
When I look at 99% of my friends who I met through high school and college, I notice that they are all doing the same thing. Most of them are in debt due to student loans which are paying for university courses they have no interest in. I should know, I spent 2 years in college before quitting and deciding to focus on my dreams before I went down the same route.
The thing is, no matter what direction you want to take your life, you have to take action. I built my first website over 4 years ago at 15, of course it was about nothing special and it didn’t have much of a purpose, but learning how to do that then has helped me to be in the position I am in now.
The same goes for trying to grow PluginID. This site has almost 3,000 subscribers now, but that wouldn’t have happened unless I wrote quality content (at least I like to think so) on a regular basis, and wrote guest posts for over 30 blogs that are bigger than mine to raise awareness. I realised my aim and I took action because I know that 10 years of thinking about doing something is nothing compared to one moment of action.
I assume that 99% of the responses below are going to come under one of follow five categories:
- Health
- Relationships
- Income
- Happiness
- Social (being confidence, independence, public speaking etc)
Right now I’m working on all of these in a sense, but that is not because I’m thinking of them specifically. Take happiness for example, right now my life is great and I feel free, but that isn’t because I have tried to become happy or experience freedom. No, I’m now at a point where I’ve worked hard for 3 years, I’ve quit my job and now get to work on projects that really excite me. Additionally I’m now in an industry where there is unlimited income potential and I can take a month off work if I need to; this is how I want my life to be and this is why I’m happy.
I think that even if you only work on 2-3 of these 5 areas, you can unexpectedly end up covering them all, which definitely seems to be the case for me.
So, in terms of getting to know you all better and to find out what readers of this site want to know better, tell me what you are working on. What areas of your life are you hoping to improve in and what areas are you already taking action to change?
I look forward to hearing from you in the comments…
Great post!
The most important item on your list to me is Happiness. I’ve been meditating every day for 9 months to become more mindful and happier. I also started blog two months ago on happiness in an effort to help others. I think helping others also improves my own happiness.
That’s awesome Roger. I’ve neglected meditation to be honest but now that my 21 day challenge is over I’m going to do it again on a daily basis, as well as EFT.
Like Roger, I’m focusing on happiness. Through my blog, I’m trying to teach myself how to be happy in the present moment. What I’ve been trying to tell myself over and over again recently is this: “Live in the moment. Love the moment you’re in.” It’s not always easy, but I think it’s starting to work.
That’s great PP, and I see your blog is aptly titled! As I said above, I’m going to incorporate meditation into my daily schedule again as it feels amazing.
Personally, I’m working on the social aspect, building my character, self confidence and assuredness so that I achieve the enviable position of being comfortable in my own skin. For the most part I am, but certain people and situations seem to bypass this and reach back into the insecurities of my past.
Hey Nikki, it’s great that you know what areas you are working on and where you would like to improve. I found the best thing to do with this aspect of my life is to push your own boundaries, and also practice visualisation. I actually think visualisation helped me more than real reference experiences somehow.
Thanks to one of your posts, I have discovered “The Power of Now”. So that is what I am working/focusing on. Being present, understanding who I am. In doing this I have moments of true peace.
Thank you
Hey Dave, great to hear. I remember the first moment I had like that, it was very ‘unreal’ but perfect at the same time. I’m glad the book is working well for you.
Well, Dr. Glen… my biggest struggle currently is finding the balance between the things I want to do and the things I HAVE to do.
I sometimes wish I could just clone myself so I could give 100% to each of these roles: wife, mother, sister, friend, blogger, housekeeper, homeschooler, gardener, pilot, traveler, reader… the list is endless. I could spend ALL my time doing any one of those things, but alas, I don’t have world enough and time. I simply must choose ONE at any given moment, and forsake the others.
Balance, Glen; that is what I struggle with. Maybe it’s because I’m a Libra.
I’m working on the social aspect. I spent almost my whole puberty alone behind a computer, when I look back at that I’m so embarrassed.
Next month I’m turning 19, the last six months I’ve been going out a lot more, trying to be less introverted and trying to get some girls.
Hey Dutch that’s great. You’re only a year younger than me and you really do have your whole life ahead of you. It’s good that you know where you might be lacking and you’re working on that.
Feel free to send me an email if you need more specific help, I was sort of in a similar situation until I turned 18.
Lol, Dutch, dont worry about it, i was the same and so were most of my friends, at 19 things only begin to get good. you’ll do just fine, just keep working at it:)
I’m working on being genuinely happy for someone when I hear that something good has transpired in their life and being genuinely empathetic when things are not going well for others. I’m working hard on stomping the head of jealousy and envy. Ask yourself, are you genuinely happy when your friend gets their dream job? Are you overjoyed when your friend has found their soulmate? or are you a little jealous, a little envious, too quick to point out the bad and not feel genuine happiness for them?
Hey Maria, I can actually really relate to that. It used to be in SA when me and my buddies were ‘getting girls’ we would each be a bit jealous if someone got a really attractive girlfriend.
That’s completely not the case now though. I’m not sure exactly what has changed, but I think I adopted more of an abundance mindset and now I’m truly happy for people who get whatever it is they want out of life.
Realise that there are opportunities out there for everyone, and that means there are lots out there for you as well. If nobody could get those kind of breaks, you wouldn’t be able too either, so be thankful
This post came at the right time!
I had just decided last month to start changing my life and gave myself 6 months to do it (til september, because I turn 21 then). I focused on health – I was sick and tired of always being sick and tired! I have made drastic changes to my diet and exercise, and started taking lots of vitamins, etc. I see some great changes in my health so far, I would recommend to anyone to “work on” their health, it really is the best thing you can do for yourself!
Also, been working on my faith this year and building a relationship with God. I can honestly say that I’ve found purpose and happiness this year
I hope everyone achieves their goals this year as well!
Great post, Glen. Really got me thinking.
Renee
That’s awesome Renee, I’m focusing on my health pretty seriously as well. I’m really not a religious person, but I respect those who are and use their faith to propel them forward and get them through the hard times.
Good luck, I’m sure you’ll stick to your challenge.
Always great insights and thought provoking posts.
Like Renee, I am working on my relationship with God. Also working on my physical health and intellectual well being at the same time. We live in a house with many room, it is important to visit each of those rooms, and dust things off to be a whole person.
Got downsized this month. I am a social person, so I do worry about lack of social contact I like to stay emotionally healthy until I get my speaking business off the ground.
Lisis comment is probably where I am at in the quest for balance.
Erin
Hi Glen,
I am working hard in the area of increasing my income. I have tried working in 9 – 5 jobs and I hate it as it means that I am locked up doing something that I don’t want work on. I am trying to create passive income streams that will provide me with income and freedom at the same time. I believe achieving this will result in happiness for me too.
Vincent
Hi Glen ! I’m currently working on my health, my income and my social skills.
On the health side, went vegetarian more than a year ago, and I really want to go vegan! That of course, backed up with more exercise and outdoor living
Relating my finances, well, I’m getting out of debt (my credit card, my car’s credit, and some other stuff) that account for ~ U$S 10.000 (which converted to my local currency account for about $ 38.000). I’m also working on creating my own business as a freelance web designer and photographer, and I really need to do a lot of things here.
Finally I’m becoming more and more extroverted each day, but I still have to work on some problematic areas like relationship with my father, and some people that in presence of which, for some reason, I feel I lower my consciousness TREMENDOUSLY. I suddenly became introverted, to the point of almost not speaking at all. That’s frustrating and I recognize it has devastating effects on my overall progress. It’s one of those areas I know I must tackle right now, before anything else, and that will have the effect of making 1.000 steps forward but I really feel blocked to hell in those situations.
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Love your blog. Keep going !
Mauro Verón
“What are you working on?”
What a fantastic question. Hate to say it, but I’m working on all the cliches listed.
* Drastically changing a relationship that was not productive.
* Leaving (not voluntarily) a very solid job, and at the same time contemplating an entirely new career.
** Examining what exactly I “need” to for financial income so I can balance that with:
* Taking strong steps to be happy.
* Redefining what “healthy” means to me, and implementing strong habits to support that new definition.
Yes, I did not break these down to say exactly what I’m doing, yet each of these has a plan.
M
I know it can be tough to lose a job and it is happening to a lot of people, but try to see it as an amazing opportunity to do something new and try a different route.
It looks like you’re getting your life in balance which is great, thanks for the comment Maarburg.
“and wrote guest posts for over 30 blogs that are bigger than mine to raise awareness.”
That’s really a lot of guest posts. And while I think you use good copywriting skills, have a good design, write good content, and use social media very effectively, I can only conclude that you wouldn’t have nearly the number of subscribers you have now had you not done so many guest posts.
30 guest posts is a huge number and it has shown to really help you and your blog. That’s noteworthy.
I know for a fact I wouldn’t Bamboo, but from day one of starting this site I knew that would be one of my best traffic generation methods. It’s just one of the ways to stand out from the crowd. Bare in mind that while I’ve wrote 30, only around 20 are live.
awesome post.
really cool to see what everyone is working on.
i’m working on unleashreality, and being real. i guess that’s the main thing. trouble is that when you’re actively working and trying to be real, you’re not being real. so i’m not working on being real and authentic – i am real and authentic
keep well man
a
Very thoughtful post. I had my own business for 23 years without a vacation. One day I woke up broken! I moved to Asia for 5 years and found that I had missed my whole life. It really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are absorbed and laughing a lot, smiling a lot, and thinking the thoughts that give you that feeling. That is what I am working on, but it isn’t work because every day gets a little better.
Hey Jerry, thanks for the comment. Right now I would love to end up in Asia. I’ve been to thailand and vietnam and loved them both. Sorry to hear about the business, but I’m glad things worked out!
Glen, not only am I making some changes, but I’m practically reinventing myself. A few months ago, I was finally tired of watching the movie of my life instead of actually creating something meaningful for myself and my family. Remaining in my comfort zone of daily routine (sleep, eat, work, pay bills, repeat), my life was getting no where. Working a job I haven’t loved for a long time, drowning in nearly $100,000 of loans/credit card debt (not counting a mortgage) and keeping my dreams trapped inside my head, I finally had enough.
Some of the things that I’m working on:
- making fitness interesting by doing some fun challenges (couch-to-5k, 100-day burpee challenge, etc)
- started meditation to calm my mind, help invigorate my body and explore my spirituality
- living a more frugal lifestyle to get out of debt quicker (harder on the rest of the family than myself)
- starting the photography business that I’ve been putting off for far too long
- joined Toastmasters to gain communication skills, help with self-confidence/self-esteem and just to be in a more social environment
- reading, reading, READING any books/blogs on personal development and business
To the younger readers, don’t let life pass you by. Take the advice in this blog, or any other personal development book/blog you read, and do some good with it, to enrich your life and the life of those you come in contact with. I’ll be 34 this year and wish that I had these sorts of resources at my fingertips when I was younger. And to the older readers, it’s never too late to make a positive change or two.
Thanks for this great resource, Glen. It’s a very useful addition to my arsenal for kicking my life into shape.
Thanks Bill, I love your point at the end that it’s never too late to change. $100k debt is quite large, but I think you have the right mentality to get out of that.
Good luck, and be sure to come back and let me know how it goes.
Glen writes: “Bare in mind that while I’ve wrote 30, only around 20 are live.”
Well… I have 6 completed guest posts in hibernation right now, not yet unleashed to the world (but soon will be).
And I’ve done three guest posts in my entire career so far…
So… very soon it will be 9 guest posts in my career. I’ll only be 11 behind you.
I have a strange feeling that I’m going to soon exceed you in amounts of guest posts :]
Hi there Glen.
I was working on, and have now finished, my first eBook, so I saw it as fitting to point out here. It is a compilation of Quote Analysis posts from my site.
The effort you are bringing to the table is quite noticeable, and appreciated.
That’s awesome Armen. Tasks like creating an eBook can look huge before you start them, but even if you only write one page per day, you can have a good sized ebook within 2 months.
Keep it up!
I am always working on all five
Specifically, at the moment I’m:
-working to generate traffic and attention for my blog
-learning French
-improving my ability to communicate with other people
-preparing to spend a year living in New Zealand
I think, in some way, they all relate to those five all-important areas you mentioned.
I find somehow invariably all those areas are entwined with each other. For some less income may mean more debts, which can affect their other areas like happiness, health, social life, etc adversely.
For me the key is to not let any problem in any area not affect other areas. Like no matter how I may be struggling with my income, I will not let that hamper my health(workouts, eating right), wont let affect my social life(I will still be as social as possible with a pleasing personality and not let my problems affect my inner/outer appearance), will have fantastic relationships because we may not realize that in times of adversity having a good solid relationship with your family/friends/etc can make you come out of that problem in a faster way and give you the ability to not let those problems bog you down !
So essentially subconsciously I am working on all others, but if I do have to choose one area, it will be income.
Hello Glen, you definitely have great content.
* Health – I’m working on this massively right now. In the last few months I’ve changed almost everything. I’m eating healthy, walking, and soon to be running. I’ve stopped taking most of my prescriptions.
* Income – Not too much here yet. Still trying to figure out exactly “how”, but I have big goals.
* Happiness – Big time changes here. Starting my blog gave me an outlet I never had before and it has made a big difference.
I’m really working on expanding my blog to a much higher level. It will be a lot of work but I’m looking forward to the challenge.
I’ve also been trying to read a lot more which I have found to be a wonderful experience.
Like a lot of the people here, I’m working on expanding my blog (just did a complete redesign), driving more traffic, and improving my online business which will in-turn continue to provide my family and I a lifestyle where we can focus on doing the things we love, and accomplishing in life the things we’ve always wanted to do.
There’s never a shortage of things on our “to-do” list that’s for sure, and that’s how we like it. My wife and I are very blessed with a very huge sense of “purpose”.
While reading the title of this particular interview question it might not seem like it, but it is in fact very relevant to this blog post (not a link to my blog, just a very good inspirational resource)… Read Question #2 (How to Deal With Apathy) from Yaro Starak to Steve Pavlina, really take it in, it’s very inspirational:
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/400/steve-pavlina-interview-part-1/
Great question! I’d have to say I’m working on all of the items in your list in some way because right now I’m working at learning to love me again. After too many years of giving my self and my power away to others, I’m learning (with the help of some great books and blogs) how to set boundaries and create balance in my life again. My current read is Patricia Spadaro’s Honor Yourself, and I have to say it’s given me more aha moments than I can count and I’m only on chapter four so far!
Working on world domination right now
I’m getting there, I’m getting there…
LOL @ Vlad.
Honestly, I think I am working on how to change my lifestyle. I have a habit of being a big procrastinator so I would like to be more productive, and a bit more outgoing and sure of myself in new situations.