The problem with the internet
Aside from shortening attention spans and increasing impatience, the decline of the old-fashioned book, and manic monkey minds constant digital connectedness, the biggest problem with the internet I see is that it’s a real action killer.
Overwhelmed with resources
We give away valuable information via these newsletters. A lot of people do. Internet marketing is all about sharing something of value. Yet an abundance of free resources doesn’t lead to actions. In fact, it can bring the opposite.
Countless people aren’t boldly striding in the direction of their dreams because, too often, they are distracted with multiple browser windows open to read later, a desktop cluttered with PDFs and a bookshelf of unread or unfinished inspirational books. We simply don’t apply what we’ve learnt.
The uselessness of comparing
Too often we don’t take action because we’re intimidated – we’ve been face-to-virtual-face with revolutionaries, seen countless videos of a perfect handstand, listened to wit- and wisdom-filled interviews or read E-Books that we think we couldn’t possibly match.
We become avid but inert consumers of motivators and movers-and-shakers. Or, we start a blog, a newsletter or Facebook page, spend a week, a month or three doing it, and then … nothing.
There is no perfect time
No-one is going to knock on your door and tell you you’re ready. Nobody is going to recognise your brilliance until you do.
You have to take action if you want results and if you want new and different results, you need to do things differently to how you’ve previously done them.
There is no perfect person
One of the personal motivations I had to start Yoga Reach was to learn from great yoga teachers. The greatest. One thing I have learnt is that there is no perfect teacher. Great yoga teachers don’t levitate in their sleep. They get road rage, experience jealousy, say things they regret and sometimes teach a pretty average class.
Putting someone on a pedestal does neither of you any good. It is easy to overestimate others’ abilities while underestimating our own. But if you feel in your gut that you are doing something that’s going to improve someone’s life in some way, then the best time to start is now.
Act first then the mind will follow
The quickest way to learn something is to do it. Waiting for self-belief and mastery to strike is a fool’s game. Everyday epiphanies come by committing to taking action daily, to discerning between your petty provocateur and your inner guru. You are, no doubt, more powerful than you think.
My New Year’s Resolutions
- Dance more often
- Go to more parties
- Make new friends
- Be a better friend
- Read more novels
- Do a (near) perfect handstand.
What are your resolutions? I’d love to hear.
