Vision: The Art of Seeing Things Anew

 
 

"Anyone who limits her vision to memories of yesterday is already dead."_Lillie Langtry

 

When we dwell on the past at the expense of the future, we lose.

This happens by wasting today to bemoan yesterday. That’s a double loss because we have lost yesterday and still not making the most of today.

The truth is this: no matter what has happened in the past, it is absolutely impossible for anyone to go back to before.

A better alternative to bemoaning the past is to start doing something today to make tomorrow better. And it starts by envisioning a new dream and vigorously pursuing it. In the words of a Czech statesman and writer, Vaclav Havel, “It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.”

Therefore, we need to close the door on the past and use the present as a stepping stone towards a better future for ourselves and our world.

If we want to transform a mediocre past, we need to start something meaningful now.

 

Start Afresh Today

 

The author of 'the Ordeal of Change' Eric Hoffer once said:

"The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist."

 

Consequently, the main question is: What am I doing now?

 

And here are some derivatives of that one question…

 

Now, am I envisioning a new dream?

 

Now, am I setting a new goal?

 

Now, am I creating a new identity?

 

Now, am I being more proactive?

 

Now, am I being more productive?

 

Now, am I doing something today that will live on to benefit others long after I am gone?

 

What about you? What will you start now for the sake your future self?

 

What will you start now to make your highest contribution to the world?

 

We all have a responsibility to become more in order to give back more.

 

Know this, your destination and legacy will not be determined by what has happened to you in the past but your legacy and destination will be determined by what you choose to do now.

So dare to pursue a direction that will allow you to stretch beyond where you are now. And help you grow by using your talents, gifts and skills in new and exciting ways.

This is the way to be an active force in your own life. This is the way to take charge of your own future. This is the start of designing a life of substance and enduring meaning.

Moreover, when we choose to transcend our history by committing to a better future, we will begin to realize how resourceful we can be. We will begin to realize the impact we can make.

Finally, if we can learn to do this relentlessly, then we will be headed in the right destination. Because we have held the key to our entire lives as the English writer and author of the satirical novella, Animal Farm, George Orwell eloquently put it that, “He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”

 

 

Procrastination Is the Seed of Destruction

 

 

“Everything in human character goes to wreck, under the reign of procrastination, while prompt action gives to all things a corresponding and proportional life and energy.”_William Alcott

 

 

As red blooded Homo sapiens, procrastination is a natural malady that every one of us must conquer to reach our highest potential.

 

From a very young age, we tend to struggle between doing and delaying what needs to be done. But now at this stage, we must understand that success will only go to those who have learnt to do now what others will rather do later.

 

Furthermore, the real danger of procrastination is that, the simplest tasks can become really hard when they are allowed to accumulate into a big heap. As the American aphorist and professor emeritus of French, Mason Cooley said, “Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder.”

 

Observably, those who delayed yesterday are likely to repeat the same thing tomorrow.  This is certainly a habit we don’t want to build. Unfortunately, some people do just that, and they may remain hooked on sloth, till the end of their lives.

 

In order for us to be free of such a disaster, I am sharing today one simple idea that we can use to overcome procrastination for good. And it is, to go small—or even very small— on the task at hand, no matter how hard or how big it actually is.

Sometimes, it's easy to feel somewhat besieged by the utter volume of work on our desks. As a result, we find it even easier to put off the whole tasks for a while, until a while becomes dangerously longer than we can afford.

 

To counteract such ruinous temptation in the midst of massive tasks that are starring at us in the face, I suggest we ask this focusing question, “What is important now?”

 

At any moment of confusion on what to do, when you have too many things to do, pause for a while and ask yourself the question, “What is important now?” And for that moment, forget everything else. Choose to think only of that important, one task.

 

Then again, if that one task is really huge, don’t dodge it because there is no better use of your time at the moment, than doing just that one thing. Instead, break it down into smaller parts that are easily doable by numbering the broken pieces from, say one to six. And, don’t mind whether the mini objective has an immediate effect on the task as a whole. Just make sure it is definite, meaningful and bite-sized.

 

By breaking this huge task into manageable pieces, it becomes far easier to beat procrastination and spring into action. More so, crossing off smaller parts of the giant task brings a wonderful sense of accomplishment to you as you proceed on the job. And the speed with which you will complete the task may surprise you.

 

This simple strategy—used on the basis of time—was responsible for the prolific output of the famous English Novelist of the Victorian era, Anthony Trollope who published more than forty novels on topical matters.

 

His smart methodology was to write 250 words every 15 minutes. And he would maintain this pattern for three hours each day. That is about twelve 15-minute blocks in a three-hour session. Quite simple but very powerful!

 

This approach engendered gradual progress which in turn created momentum that made it almost impossible for him to think about procrastinating. And with the corresponding feelings of effectiveness and motivation; he was able to achieve the mammoth feat of writing many successful books.

 

Back to you my enthusiastic reader; use this strategy to seize your own day, every day. Never let your irreplaceable asset slip away by always remembering the words of the President of the defunct Soviet Union,  Mikhail Gorbachev when he said: “Those who are late will be punished by life itself.”