Survival Mode

"Embracing new things often requires us to embrace our fears, however trivial they may seem. You deal with fear not by pretending it doesn’t exist, but by refusing to give it decision-making authority."

If the goal is meaningful, it will transform you. You’ll be more confident, mature, capable of seeing even bigger adventures, and empowered to pursue them.

A quest might end better than we imagine or disastrously. Either way, there’s always another adventure if we’re willing to pursue it.

1. Live the game you dream.
2. Make your own Playbook. Identify the “epic players”, the current “quests”, the “bosses” and the “countermoves” in beating them.
3. Experiment a reward system. Give points to every milestone and collect “loots” in the form of predetermined rewards.
4. Create your “dashboard” for detailed project planning. 
5. Keep your game simple. Do not load it with too many and complicated rules and quests.
6. Pause for a while to regain your energy. Sticking to the game is more valuable than heroic bursts followed by inaction.
7. Design it beautifully to be inspired to play it.
8. Revisit and refine your game, improve your Playbook.
9. Define boundaries. Don’t be a game addict.

• When a person is in a state of flow, all five potent neurochemicals massively amplify the immune system.
• While on flow, stress-causing hormones are flushed out of body, and the autoimmune and nervous systems go haywire.
• A Gallup poll found that most American workers are disengaged and spends less than 5% of their day in flow.

Flow is an optimal state of consciousness, when you feel and perform your best. It’s the moment of total absorption.

Time speeds up or slows down like a freeze-frame effect. Mental and physical ability go through the roof, and the brain takes in more information per second, processing it more deeply.

• Your goals are like the rudder on a small rowboat. They set the direction and determine where you go. 
• If you commit to one goal, then the rudder stays put and you continue moving forward. 
• If you flip-flop between goals, then the rudder moves all around and it is easy to find yourself rowing in circles.
• If the rudder is your goal, then the oars are your process for achieving it. While the rudder determines your direction, it is the oars that determine your progress.

Example: If you’re a writer, your goal is to write a book. Your system is the writing schedule that you follow each week.

1. Ruthlessly Eliminate Your Goals. Consistently prune and trim down your goals. If you can muster the courage to prune away a few of your goals, then you create the space you need for the remaining goals to fully blossom.
2. Stack Your Goals. Make a specific plan for when, where and how you will perform this."Networking: After I return from my lunch break, I will send one email to someone I want to meet."
3. Set an Upper Bound. Don't focus on the minimum threshold. Instead of saying,  “I want to make at least 10 sales calls today.” rather say, “I want to make at least 10 sales calls today, but not more than 20.”

Before charging people money, do what you love for free for quite a while. 

Doing the work without worrying about turning your passion into a business right away will help you hone your skills and build your confidence.

Figure out how to create your own success tool kit /secret sauce made up of all the different skills and experiences that only you have. This is what will make you stand out and keep your service unique.

Maybe you’re thinking about a career in photography. Maybe you also have writing skills, and you could start a blog to promote and build excitement around your photos.

Our emotions motivate us more than willpower.

If we are generous, fair and co-operative, we have an invaluable tool to motivate us to complete our goals. If we cultivate good character, compassion, and honesty, it leads to a better chance of success in our endeavors.

Deliberate Rest means engaging with restful activities that are often vigorous and mentally engaging.

For example, Winston Churchill and Victor Hugo painted while Leo Tolstoy played chess.

Most of us put off tasks that stress us out. Unfortunately, this avoidance kicks off a cycle of procrastination that just causes more stress. 

Instead, committing to crossing one of them off of your to-do list on a day off can improve your overall well-being.

Behavior modification teaches us that we repeat behaviors that make us feel good. What’s your payoff for not changing? 

Until the goal becomes larger than the payoff, you’re always going to choose feeling good over feeling uncomfortable.

Start with one behavior at a time.

Instead of concentrating on losing 20 pounds in 20 days, for example, make a goal to simply begin by eating five fruits and vegetables a day.