#203 What makes your aspirations valuable

ByLukas
|

An aspiring writer who doesn’t believe writing is a valuable skill in our current society and focuses on building a traditional career instead.

An aspiring runner who doesn’t believe running is a good use of their time in our current society and goes out for drinks every night.

An aspiring classical musician who doesn’t believe society will ever appreciate their art – and goes into pop music instead.

If you want to turn aspirations into achievements, you’ll have to decide for yourself what’s valuable, even if it goes against what society and tradition prescribe.

So to make writing a valuable skill, write.

To make running a good use of your time, run.

To make the world appreciate your classical music, practice classical music.

To make anything worthwhile, show that it’s worth your while.

Because going against the mainstream is not just necessary to achieve your aspirations – it’s what makes your aspirations valuable in the first place.

Similar Posts

  • |

    #22 Actions Overrule Thoughts

    ByLukas

    One of the most potent drivers of change AND perpetuators of old habits is cognitive dissonance:

    In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the perception of contradictory information, and the mental toll of it. Relevant items of information include a person’s actions, feelings, ideas, beliefs, values, and things in the environment. Cognitive dissonance is typically experienced as psychological stress when persons participate in an action that goes against one or more of those things.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

    What’s interesting about cognitive dissonance is that both “sides” of the dissonance are not equal:

    If you think one thing, but you do something else, eventually you’ll start believing what you do, not what you think.

    In other words: actions overrule thoughts.

    1. If I tell myself I can’t write a daily post (thought) and I don’t write a daily post (action), I perpetuate the belief.
    2. If I tell myself I can’t write a daily post (thought) but I gain enough courage and I actually do write a daily post (action), I will start shifting my belief towards the actions I’m taking. In other words: I’ll start believing I can write a daily post.
    3. If I tell myself I can write a daily post (thought), but I never actually write that daily post (action), then my belief will start shifting again, and I’ll start believing I can’t write a daily post.
    4. If I tell myself I can write a daily post (thought) and I do write a daily post (action), my belief grows stronger.

    We usually start in the first scenario until we gain enough leverage over ourselves to change our actions. The moment we change our actions to actions that conflict with our thoughts/beliefs, we’re creating cognitive dissonance.

    Then, if we follow through with our new actions, our beliefs start to change.

    The big turning point is that moment where you start taking a different action.

    Which begs the question:

    • How can we gain enough leverage over ourselves to go against our beliefs and change our actions for the better?
    • How can we make it so important to us to change (or so painful NOT to change) that we start taking different actions?

    Identify your leverage points that jolt you into action, and you gain power over your beliefs and identity.

  • |

    #260 Dancing circles around your gut

    ByLukas

    You’ll write the book until you start doubting if you have it in you to write it… then realize that the only way to find out is by actually writing the book.

    You’ll prepare for the marathon until you start doubting if you can finish it… then realize that the only way to find out is by actually running the marathon.

    You’ll build the business until you start doubting if this is a viable idea… then realize that the only way to find out is by actually building the business.

    No matter how much you dance circles, ignoring what your gut has been telling you, deep down, you know: this is where you should’ve gone all along.

  • #322 The naysayer in your head

    ByLukas

    Whenever you set out to establish a new habit, there’s often a nagging thought at the back of your mind wondering, “When will you quit this time?”

    But the naysayer in your head that has had free reign for all these years can’t be silenced.

    They can only be proven wrong.

    “You expect me to quit? Watch me.”

    “Say whatever you want; I am showing up today.”

    Tiny Trust Builders, day after day, until the naysayer admits, “I was wrong. You’re not that person anymore.”

  • #460 Why do the right thing?

    ByLukas

    Write, not for the words flowing on the page, but for how writing makes you feel.

    Run, not for the personal records, but for how running makes you feel.

    Help out friends, not for expecting them to return the favor, but for how helping out friends makes you feel.

    Do the right thing, not for any outer reward, but an inner feeling of aligning with who you want to be.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *