Why 2011 Will Change My Life

I know, ambitious title.

As I’ve thought about what I want to accomplish in 2011, I realized that it was more about what I wanted to become.  If 2010 taught me anything, it’s that an old dog can indeed learn new tricks.  I am anxious about what the year will hold in all aspects of my life.  So, for my own personal accountability and motivation, here goes…

Pray/Meditate Everyday

At my highest self, I know that connecting with something greater than myself is the key to happiness.  I too often and too quickly forget how essential this is to my own personal success.  I “lean upon my own understanding” and strengths too often, and inevitably they eventually run out of steam.  I am quick to forget this principal, and am lucky to have a wife who excels in this regard.  By nature, I am a emotional person, and am sensitive to how things make myself and others around me feel.  I believe much of those feelings come from an external source that connects to my internal spirit/soul.  If I truly want to help myself and others in 2011, I will need that extra help.  The best way I know how to do that is through meditation and prayer.  Exposing my inner-most self to a source far greater than I.  If I set myself a “rule” to follow in this regard, it will play a vital role to how my 2011 and beyond will play out.

Live Abundantly

I am a worrier.  I think it runs in the family, as I know many others in my immediate family have the same issue.  Truthfully, I’ve wasted many hours of my life fretting about what “might” happen.  I realized this early on this year and made a decision to control it.  Whenever I would start to worry about something, I saw the problem for what it is, then recognize that by nature I am blowing it out of proportion, then decide not to allow myself to think about it again until I am in a better state of mind.  For example, 4am is not the right time to worry about my family’s finances.  I am far more capable of crunching the numbers after a good breakfast and a clear head.  So I resolve to not think about it again until after breakfast.  Seems simplistic, I know, but for my tiny little head, that internal dialogue works.

Now that I have had a better part of a year to practice this principal, I want to take it to another level.  Instead of just putting off the negative in order to get back to center, I want to proactively seek after the abundance that is all around me.  I really feel more alive at the end of this year, then I ever have in my life.  I have that “new lease on life” smell if you will.  However, as great as 2010 was, I know there is far more abundance to be partaken of then what I experienced in 2010.  I will live more abundantly by not allowing fear to control my actions, decisions, and direction.  I will take time to recognize opportunity and abundance as it presents itself, and not do it a disservice by shying away because “I’m not ready for that”.  I will take action on inspiration and eliminate fear/laziness from my life.

Follow Rules / Become a Disciplined Person

Like in the previous statement, I’ve found that setting “rules” for myself is vital for my own personal happiness, and increases my ability to think clearer and help myself and others.  Learning this about myself has really changed the game for me.  Once I learned that I could virtually enhance my personal happiness by not worrying too much about the details of life at the wrong time, I dramatically enhanced my ability to handle the real challenges of every day life.  Why wouldn’t I want to stack the deck in my favor in other categories?   So I have a few more rules to follow for this year.

Get up at 6am (or earlier)

This, like prayer, is something that I KNOW helps my immensely in my every day life.  When I do this on a consistent basis, I am brighter, happier, and healthier.  I am the best representation of myself throughout the whole day if I follow this simple rule.  One of my “life changer books” tags the alarm clock as the opportunity clock.  So true.  I’ve known this for years, yet most of my mornings don’t turn out this way.  I stay in bed until the last possible moment, then rush to whatever commitments I have.  When this happens, I NEVER bring my highest self with me.  I am throughout the day I representation of my morning.  Was it lazy and rushed?  Then that’s what I am.  On the other hand, was it under control and responsible, let me introduce you to my higher self…  My first rule, is to get out of bed at 6am or earlier.

Become a Better Triathlete

This one is simple, and really is a continuation of 2010.  I have spent much of this blog dedicated to the training of Alisha and I.  I suppose that 2011 will be no different.  The biggest change about 2011 is that I now have more refined purpose.  To become a more accomplished Triathlete.  I have yet to set clear intentions on the specific races I want to accomplish for 2011, that will come in a next few weeks, but I do know that I want to perform better at these races.  This really just comes down to my own personal discipline.  I will swim/bike/run multiple times a week, and refine my performance in each category.  So far, this winter has been all about swimming.  I am a much more confident and competent swimmer now (although I am far from where I want to be).  I enter 2011 now feeling like running is my weakness.  I need more focus on that.  So stay tuned to this one as I will have separate and more specific posts in the days to come about how I am going to accomplish this.

Keep My Thoughts Pure and Positive

I don’t hide my feelings very well.  This is something that has caused me some grief over the years, both for me and my family.  If I am uncomfortable with something or someone, I cannot “put on a happy face” and mask how I am feeling inside.  My rule for 2011 is not however that I will disown, or disassociate myself with anyone or thing that I don’t like, it’s that I will change my view of the world in these situations.  For example.  A few months ago I was sitting in a committee meeting.  I am not a fan of committees to start with, especially when I am on them.  This particular cause is for something that I don’t have a passion for, but feel committed at this time because I made a promise to be a part of it for a time.  As we were sitting in a endless meeting a few weeks ago, I was filled with frustration and anger as the committee chair was going on and on about very little.  I am sure those feelings were quite visible to the other participants.   I spent the better part of an hour in that state of mind.  As I sat there in my fit of rage, I had a thought.  My wife has the gift of seeing the good in people.   Many times in our years together she has taken the high road, and made it very clear that I am not on the same path.  So I decided to change the way I think about this situation.  I took a minute to realize that to this committee chair, this cause is their life.  It’s what’s on their mind a good portion of the day.  So maybe, if we were talking about something that I was consumed with for a good part of my day, these details would be significant.  Almost instantaneousness, when I changed my view of this person, the frustration and anger that I was feeling melted away.  Nothing had changed except for the way I saw the situation.  So this rule is: change the way I view certain people, situations, and gain a connection and understanding of their view.  By doing that I will increase my own happiness, and that of other’s I am around.

Take the next step towards Vegetarianism

Prior to a few months ago, this would have been the furthest thing from my mind.  I would have been more likely to poke a vegetarian with a sharp stick, then want anything to do with that lifestyle.  However, something changed for us a few months back, and we (my family and I) were put on this path.  Since “toying” with it these past few months, I am shocked at the difference I feel.  I would say that for the past few months, we have been about 70% vegetarian, and most of that has been raw food.  Two of the biggest challenges I thought would come from this way of eating were: the price of food would increase, and the ability to get enough protein/other nutrients into my body would be hard.  Both of these things turned out to be a non issue.  Our grocery budget has at least been the same, if not a fair bit less.  Alisha has said that recipes have actually become easier to manage because of the nature of the ingredients.  And as far as the nutrients thing, I was way off.  Not only am I getting sufficient protein/iron/whatever else I gained from meat, I am getting FAR more nutrients that I never had sufficient amounts of before.  When my eating is clean, it’s like a haze lifts off my mind, and my body feels light and full of boundless energy.  I know that many people poo poo on this sort of thing, and will likely poke ME with a sharp stick, but in the end, why wouldn’t I do something that gives me a far healthy and nutrient rich body, and more able triathlete, and generally happier and sharper person?  Seems like a simple argument to me.  I find myself wanting to preach this gospel more and more, and frankly, I want to be careful of that, as I know the stigma that’s associated with it.  Along with the fact that I am far from being a nutritional expert (or even novice for that matter), I just know how it makes me feel.  And in my Neanderthal mind: me like food, food make body happy, me like to be happy, me eat food that make me happy.  So for 2011, I will transition to 90% vegetarianism, leaving myself open for one meal a week to include meat.  When I eat that meat, it will be light meat such as chicken or fish.  No red meat.

OK, I think I will quit for now.  Developing this blog has taught me something about myself, I am a long winded writer.  I can hardly imagine a person making to the end of one of my posts without a hit of Ritalin due to my long winded nature.  I will add more “rules” in the upcoming months, but wanted to get these out there for my own personal accountability before the new year hits.

Have a safe and happy new year everyone…

About the author

Mike Green formed MG Success in 2004 after seeing a need for “something different” in the world of marketing and sales. Working with various clients in differing industries throughout that time has provided MG Success an unmatched oppertunity to see the similarities in business, and how they fail due to undirected marketing efforts. Paramount to the MG Success philosophy is an understanding of how valuable it is to be your “Highest Self” in all that you do. At work, or at home, or at any other capacity of life, a Higher Self awareness is key to bringing the best to those around you. Your customers, your family, and all others within your circle of influence will thank you. - Mike Green, originally from Salt Lake City, contracted with SunRiver development as their Marketing Director in 2001. During his time with SunRiver, he has developed the marketing plans and strategies for SunRiver St. George Development, the SunRiver Golf Course, and the Riverwalk Grill. SunRiver has been named one of the top 100 master planned communities in the United States by Where to Retire magazine in 10 of the last 11 years. Mike has also served in other capacities in the community such as: Trustee for the SunRiver Home Owners Association Board of Directors, the Vice President of the Sales and Marketing Council of Southern Utah, and currently sits on the board of directors as a Trustee for the Dinosaur Discovery Museum at Johnson Farm. - Mike enjoys competing in Triathlons, and can usually be found among the red rocks of Southern Utah where he calls home. His greatest accomplishment and joy is being married to his Triathlon training parter and best friend for 11 years. Mike is currently grooming three up and coming Triathlon and Life superstars, that also happen to be his children.