So we’d like to add more of the Character Triangle into our lives. How do we do that? What helps?
Leo Babauta has authored a helpful and practical personal blog on the topic of “personal change” in the August 11, 2010 edition of www.zenhabits.com. (One of the most popular blogs on the web )
Leo’s advice for driving personal change:
- Beat inertia with small, achievable changes (don’t plan on running a marathon, start by walking a mile).
- Overcome the resistance of others (get people who are negative on your side to cheer lead or spend less time with them… scarcity people get in the way).
- Find the Joy (you have to find the joy in what you’re doing… if you hate running, find the joy in early crisp mornings, or whatever you like about the experience).
- Keep the joy alive (find ways of refreshing the joy… e.g. you love the sweat and shower after that run too).
- Celebrate little victories (brag about the 5 mile walk on Facebook, put the milestone on the fridge, tell people who care about you).
- Make the change part of your life (it’s much easier to do as part of your routine vs. having to do it as an add on… “this is how I live”).
- Keep doing it, fail, try again (it is a relentless journey).
To make the Character Triangle a part of you, the same elements of change apply. It is a continuous process of small victories, set backs, more small steps and victories. And so on. It is a habit system. Before you know it you are way down the progress road.
with Character,
Lorne