How to Create The Most Value in Your Life Possible:
How often do we make choices that are valueless?
Truth is we do it all the time, mostly because we’re not aware we’re compromising our life.
No sane person throws money away. But many of us throw time away. Are you using the currency of your life, time, to generate the greatest value possible?
Currency of Our Lives
What are your goals in life? Do you want a beautiful girlfriend? Want more money? Maybe you want to be happier. All positive goals that increase value in your life.
Problems occur when how you spend your time isn’t used creating the value you truly want. Spending your time in ways that aren’t generating much value is like having a suitcase filled with 100 dollar bills and spending all afternoon at the toy store buying G.I. Joes.
–If you want to be an amazing blogger, consider watching less TV and reading more.
–If you want to be happier, consider doing more happy inducing activities and focusing your mind more on positive thoughts.
–If you want to be physically fit, consider eating healthier and exercising more.
–If you want a beautiful girlfriend, consider approaching more girls regardless of how many failures you’ve had. Past failures don’t hurt you. But ceasing from moving onward to more opportunities that could be successful, definitely does.
As you see from above examples, our time usage either creates value we want or wastes it on activities that don’t. Even worse, our activities often take us much further away from what we truly want in our lives.
Choose What Gives You The Greatest Value
What creates the greatest value for your life isn’t always obvious. Sometimes there are two roads to travel, yet one provides far more value than the other.
I spent three years studying Wing Chun Kung Fu at a superb martial arts school. The instruction was unparalleled and as a result I became very skillful very quickly. Wing Chun is my favorite style of martial arts, too.
But looking back, this school didn’t give me enough of my most cherished value: how the whole experience makes me feel.
Before this school I studied elsewhere in another state. The instruction there wasn’t as good and it also wasn’t teaching my favorite style. But I felt greater connection with fellow students and more warmth than at the “better” school.
Had I been clear on what provides me the greatest value when I was looking for a new school, I would have chosen a different one with more students I connect with and a more uplifting atmosphere. Those factors are much more important to me than the level of instruction or the style being taught.
By being clear on what provides you the most value, you’ll choose the most valuable option for your life.
Avoid What’s Valueless
Many things in life are almost valueless. I say ‘almost’ because bad decisions made in life can be used to help others avoid those same bad decisions. And doing so is a huge act of kindness, filled with value.
That said, let’s examine things that don’t offer value:
Embarrassment. Here’s truth you must internalize: You’ll never regret being embarrassed, but you will regret failing to act out of fear of becoming embarrassed. Read that one hundred times. Then apply immediately.
What has greater value? Approaching a guy or girl which can lead to a lifelong relationship. Or, avoiding approaching out of fear of becoming embarrassed? See what I’m talking about?
You have to determine your choices based on the value they can give you. Make it your mission to live a value FILLED life!
How about self improvement? Are there actions you can take that’ll help you become your best but will also make you feel uncomfortable? Avoiding feelings of discomfort has zero value. Experiencing discomfort doesn’t even take anything away from you. In fact, avoiding it creates self-imposed barriers to reaping more value than you can fathom.
For example, if you have a bad habit that you find very difficult to kick, do whatever’s necessary to overcome it. Go see a life coach, hypnotherapist, support group, whatever. This may be uncomfortable for you, but living how you want to live is invaluable! Discomfort? That’s temporary and not worth compromising how great your life can be.
Generate Value by Giving It to Others
Creating value for ourselves isn’t just about improving our own lives. When we give others value, we’re effectively making our own lives more valuable.
One of the simplest ways to give to others is having self mastery over yourself and being kind to others. When you lose your temper, for example, you’re not giving any value to others. You’re actually diminishing how others feel, which can’t be considered valuable.
When passing someone in the street, saying hello and smiling, you’re doing a great act of kindness, making them feel good and giving tremendous value to them.
Other things such as giving charity and being a considerate neighbor are enormously valuable.
We won’t live on this earth forever, but people will continue after we’re gone. Do you want your mark to encourage goodness in the world or do you want your mark to have made it more difficult for others to be their best? How valuable do you want your life to have been while living in this world?
Doesn’t matter where you are in this life. Doesn’t matter what you’ve done or how many mistakes you’ve made. That’s totally irrelevant to using your time, right now, in the most valuable ways possible for you and others.
Begin.
