Why Not #5 - Learn The Secret of Small WHY NOT?! October 28, 2015

Good Morning to you and Happy Wednesday!!!!!!!!

How did the Mets do in Game 1 of the World Series?!?!?!?! Did the Dark Knight Rise?!

For some thoughts, watch today’s Why Not Video discussing the Mets AND our Challenge!

For today, let’s focus on the “Secrets of Small”.

The basic premise of Why Not, is to say yes instead of no, where you should.

To act, instead of not act, where you should. To do what is going to support your happiest and most fulfilled life as opposed to doing the opposite, or nothing at all.

I believe that we are born happy and outside conditions and forces change that. Do I believe people have biological issues that impact happiness, absolutely!

However, I believe that for the vast majority of the population, there is a science and process that will lead to our success and fulfillment.

The goal of Why Not is to support you in this endeavor in a world full of negativity, cynicism and obstacles to our best life and version of us.

For today, let’s look at the power of small. My favorite word to discuss small is “distinctions”. Distinctions are small differences. Our success and failure is decided in very small differences.

The challenge for us though, is we make the differences feel and seem BIG.

This impacts us emotionally, so we don’t take action.

Remember the truth about our ultimate dream destiny: it flows from our daily results, which flow from our daily actions, which flow from our daily thoughts, which flow from our daily feelings. Thus, one terribly important tiny distinction is to know that reality and to remember it!

Let’s take a very simple story to show the power of distinctions and how it impacts our results.

In 1987, 28 years ago, I had a conversation with my mom’s friend Joan. I told Joan that I would always maintain a size 32 waist. Joan told me that her husband believed the same thing, that he exercised and took great care of himself, but it was impossible to do.

I didn’t like the idea of being told I couldn’t do something, especially when it was as simple as maintaining a size 32 waist.

I bet her 100 dollars that I could still have a size 32 waist on my 30th birthday. Well, I’m now 45 years old, and guess what? I still have a size 32 waist.

Well, that must mean I do A LOT to keep it that way. I must really be on a major diet and crazy work out routine. WRONG!!!!!

Here is my magic weight maintenance formula: 1. I weigh myself every day: 2.

I eat 3 meals a day, and I have substantial amounts of ice cream a couple of time per week: 3. I lift weights, do abs and run, and I love it!!!!!!!

If I see my weight creep up, I don’t have any sugar drinks, I don’t have dessert for a few days, and I make sure I don’t miss doing cardio.

If my calf bothers me, which it does at times when I run, then I shift to following an indoor cardio 45 minute work out that I learned from buying a Tae Bo video.

Tiny, small, simple distinctions. The key distinction within the distinction, is that I have a process I follow, with simple contingencies, that allows me to maintain my results.

BUT, I recently had a BIG problem. I was at my friends home in Arizona. I hadn’t weighed myself in about 3 months because my vision had worsened to the point that I couldn’t see the numbers on the scale anymore (I have a hereditary eye disease that medical science says will cause me to go completely blind-i say differently, but that’s a story for another day).

SO, I stopped weighing myself.

My friend said I looked heavier. I told him no way that I always knew how much I weighed. He challenged me to get on the scale. When I did, sure enough, I was 15 pounds heavier.

How did this happen? One distinction, and a very small one at that: I had stopped weighing myself.

Now I had a BIG problem, right? Nope. I needed to make a “small shift”. I needed to begin weighing myself daily again and flow my process.

In a month, without completely eliminating desert, I had lost 15 pounds and returned to a size 32 waist. No pain, no stress, no overwhelm and very simply got the results I wanted.

Another crucial tiny distinction is the distinction of managing ourselves.

Too often people believe that managing ourselves is a BIG process. It is not. Success also doesn’t require major disciple. Instead, it requires some very simple beliefs.

One of the simple, small beliefs success requires is this: my results are within my control, AND I am confident and powerful enough to produce all of the results I want for a happy and fulfilled life.

The distinction within this distinction is that how we interpret information is critical. If you receive negative feedback, people mock your goals or dreams or your not hitting your interim goals, do you make BIG changes?!?

NO! You stay the course and make SMALL changes.

The amazing book the Millionaire Next Store discusses the idea that as of about 10 years ago, the vast majority of American millionaires had never made more than $100,000.00 in income in a single year of their lives. How the heck did they do it? Small distinctions in savings and using the power of compounding was the answer.

I’ve touched on a lot of topic answers so far today, BUT do not be overwhelmed, as they were only illustrations. The sole point for today is

this: if you want to be in great shape, become a millionaire, have amazing confidence, obtain a college scholarship, buy a beach house, retire at a younger age, have the greatest marriage in the world, master sales or public speaking, the result lies in mastering the power of small distinctions.

We all are on an endless journey of growth and development. There are unavoidable and very specific rules to that process though. One of them is small distinctions and another is loving the process of growth itself.

Look for those two things today, e-mail me your thoughts, questions about this Why Not video, which will elaborate on this topic of the Secrets of Small!

In your service,

Sean Callagy

 

You can see all of our WHY NOT – HUDDLE videos by clicking here and subscribing! If you have questions about any of the content you see or to have your questions answered on an upcoming show by Sean, please email your questions directly to him by clicking here.

Why Not #5 - Learn The Secret of Small WHY NOT?! October 28, 2015