How to Get on Meaningful Autopilot

 

“Any serious attempt to try to do something worthwhile is ritualistic.”—Derek Walcott

 

Do you have a vision to accomplish something worthwhile?

Is it big enough to scare and motivate you at the same time?

Are you absolutely committed to making it happen?

If you answer yes to these three questions, I think you need to set up a result ritual immediately.

So, what is a result ritual? 

 

A result ritual is a set (pattern) of actions (or words) that is followed regularly and precisely to produce certain result in any aspect of our lives.

 

A result ritual requires intelligent purpose and it serves a constructive function in our lives. It not only makes our goals easier to achieve, it also makes our journey a little more enjoyable. And as we fall in love with the process of achievement, we become more motivated to keep the ball rolling—even on a very bad day. 

 

From the foregoing, we can see that a ritual is one of the only things which can impact our results in a very powerful way. When we design and follow a ritual for a goal, we feel more disciplined, less distracted and more consistent on the meaningful direction that we have set; a useful ritual helps us make the most of our time.

 

This is the secret of the cream of the crop in all walks of life. And it is a point the publisher of SUCCESS magazine, Darren Hardy highlights in the following great words: “A daily routine built on good habits and disciplines separates the most successful among us from everyone else. The routine is exceptionally powerful.” 

 

For illustration, let’s take a look at one of greats in the literary world of creation: the prolific American writer, Stephen King. In the following quote, he informs us of how he uses this tactic to prep his mind to move into high gear for an ingenious output, on a daily basis. He writes:

 

“There are certain things I do if I sit down to write:

 

I have a glass of water or a cup of tea. 

 

There’s a certain time I sit down, from 8:00 to 8:30, somewhere within that half hour every morning. 

 

I have my vitamin pill and my music, sit in the same seat, and the papers are all arranged in the same places. 

 

The cumulative purpose of doing these things the same way every day seems to be a way of saying to the mind, you’re going to be dreaming soon.”

 

Having heard from a giant, I think it is time to talk about your own result ritual.

 

 

Design Your Own Result Rituals

 

The thing about ritual is that it is not only a choice but it is pretty personal. If you choose, you can use it to season your energy and emotions for their optimal returns in your life. And it is necessary if you are after extra-ordinary result in your field. 

 

As Mason Currey writes in his book, ‘Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration, and Get to Work’: “The surest way to discipline passion is to discipline time.” 

 

He explains how to do that in the next sentence. He says:

 

“Decide what you want or ought to do during the day, then always do it at exactly the same moment every day, and passion will give you no trouble.” 

 

Unlike amateurs who always wait for perfect moods to do what is important to them, this is how real men work. They design a result ritual to enable a good outcome they want to see in their lives. And then, they commit to doing it every single day—no matter how they feel. 

 

On why this tactic works so well, ‘Daily Rituals’ states: “The more of the details of our daily life we can hand over to the effortless custody of automatism, the more our higher powers of mind will be set free for their own proper work.” 

 

Lastly, to achieve like the expert, we must stop relying on willpower alone to do the things we truly want to accomplish. We need to know that the big things that we dream of, can be made a lot easier to achieve with better strategies of success; one of which is a well-designed ritual for the specific result that we really need in our lives.

   

 

Get Clear

 

“It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.”_Jim Rohn

                       

Brian Tracy, the prolific author of self-improvement books once said that the number one reason for the failure of most people is fuzzy goals.

 

If you think about it, you will realize how accurate he is. Because fuzzy aim is indecisive, incoherent and weak, and as such, it will ultimately lead to an ineffectual end. Clarity is sine-qua-non to living a truly extra-ordinary life.

Now, let me share with you an interesting poem by the prolific English poet, Edgar Albert Guest which he titled, “Equipment.”  This, I hope will help you—like many greats—make a better decision in an important area of your life.

 

Here it goes:

 

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,

You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,

Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,

And a brain to use if you would be wise.

With this equipment they all began,

Do start from the top and say, “I can.”

 

Look them over, the wise and the great,

They take their food from a common plate,

And similar knives and forks they use,

With similar laces they tie their shoes,

The world considers them brave and smart,

But you’ve all they had when they made their start.

 

You can triumph and come to skill.

You can be great if you only will.

You’re well equipped for what fight you choose,

You have arms and legs and a brain to use,

And the man who has risen great deeds to do,

Began his life with no more than you.

 

You are the handicap you must face,

You are the one who must choose his place,

You must say where you want to go,

How much you will study, the truth to know,

God has equipped you for life, but He

Let’s you decide what you want to be.

 

Courage must come from the soul within,

The man must furnish the will to win.

So figure it out for yourself, my lad,

You were born with all that the great have had,

With your equipment they all began.

Get hold of yourself, and say: “I can.”

 

The parts I want to stress in that beautiful poem are: “You’re well equipped for what fight you choose.” But, “You are the one who must choose his place.” Still, “You must say where you want to go.” Now with absolute clarity, “Figure it out for yourself, my lad.”

And Benjamin Stein, the American lawyer and writer, agreed firmly when he said:

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." 

In a nutshell, get clear on what you truly want and then persevere until the end.