Success is 80% psychology and 20% mechanics. –Tony Robbins

I am fascinated by how our decisions and habits direct our lives. I recently watched a video delivered by Tony Robbins (before the big news storm broke) and want to summarize his topic.

There are three key decisions that control the outcome of your life.

1. Do you focus on what you have or what you’re missing? Successful people focus on what they have. They practice gratitude. Unsuccessful people focus on what they don’t have. While it’s good to dream big and focus on the end goal, one needs to be grateful and appreciative of where he or she is.

2. Do you focus on what you can control or can’t control? Successful people focus on what they can control. Unsuccessful people get distracted by things they cannot control. 

3. Do you focus on the past, present, or future? While it is good to remember the past and the knowledge and experience gained, successful people focus on the present and also on the future. Unsuccessful people focus too much on the past while life passes them by.

The big takeaway for me is that once again it comes back to focus. Where you direct your mind is where you will go.

5-18-20

This post from a year ago is a particularly timely reminder. 

The first point boils down to gratitude. I need to make it a point to practice gratitude every day. If I don’t, I know my monkey mind will start taking me down paths that are not productive and sometimes even destructive.

The second point is particularly relevant as our society continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. I try to remind myself daily that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. There is never a shortage of things to worry about. Again, the monkey brain will spin out of control if you let it.

The third point is an interesting one. There’s the saying that says those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. There is value in studying history, but I don’t spend a lot of time looking backward. I also don’t spend a lot of time looking ahead more than a year or two. I can have a general idea of where I’ll be in ten years, but I don’t see much value in creating detailed plans far into the future. The world moves too fast now.