We all have things about our lives we want to change. I have yet to meet anyone who tells me that everything about every aspect of their life is exactly the way they want it to be, without any change, forever. But let’s be honest, if you told someone one of the things you want to change and they asked what you are actively doing every day to change it, how good would your answer be? What steps are you taking every day?
I recently spoke with Mark Lack, best-selling author of Shorten the Gap and TV host of Business Rockstars and asked if he had any simple and easy routine that anyone can do to start to making positive changes in their lives, without spending a lot of money, or investing time they probably think they don’t have. Mark gave me an elegantly simple formula of three things you can do hour by hour throughout your day that will get you started on the right track to really changing your life.
The three simple things are Posture, Language, and Focus. Let’s break each of those down into a bit more detail for clarity. Mark suggest setting a timer on your watch or your phone that will ping you hourly or at least every other hour. When that timer goes off, stop and ask yourself this question: How am I feeling right now on a scale of 1-10? If you are feeling anything less than a 9, do the following:
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Posture – How am I sitting or standing right now? Am I slouching, hunched over, tight-shouldered, lying down? Is my physical body in the posture of a depressed person right now? Then adjust your posture. Sit up straight. Stand up. Do a Wonder Woman power pose. Go for a walk or dance around a little. As Tony Robbins says, “Motion equals emotion” so if you want to change your emotional state, move your body around.
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Language- What kind of language am I hearing and using right now? Am I complaining, engaging in gossip, or being negative in any way? Am I using the words a depressed or angry person uses? Try using some positive words. Put on a funny or uplifting audiobook, YouTube video, or some music with positive lyrics that make you feel great. Continue to be conscious of the words you use going into the next hour until you check in again.
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Focus – What are you focusing on right now? Are you focused on politics, negative news, or company policies that make you angry? Are you feeling stressed out about the stock market, the housing market or something else outside of your direct sphere of influence? Are there more positive and helpful things that you could shift your focus to right now that would help you to feel happier and more positive? Take a few minutes to focus on those things.
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Just three little things to check in on and adjust every hour or two throughout your day. But Mark insists that even if you do just this and change nothing else, you will start to see changes in how you act, react, interact, and accomplish goals. And Mark should know. At 14 years of age, Mark decided that he wanted to play professional paintball. I have to admit that before speaking with Mark I wasn’t aware there was a professional level of paintball, but there is! Between the ages of 14 and 18, Mark traveled the world and earned more than $300k fulfilling his dream.
But Mark didn’t want to play paintball forever. He went to college, discovered Tony Robbins and began a self-development journey that led him to start his first business at the young age of 23. Now, 4 years later, he has built that business into a thriving empire that includes a best-selling book, a TV show with over 3000 interviews, as well as a speaking, coaching and mentoring platform. If anyone knows how to help people Close The Gap faster between their desired result and their current reality, it’s Mark.
If you want to learn more about Mark Lack and his company, you can learn more right here.