I heard the most incredible thing earlier this week and I want to share it with you.
I don’t know about you but when I think about the overall vision that I have for my life, I always think about where I want to be, who I want to become or what I want to have accomplished. I like to create a vivid picture in my head so I know exactly what it is that I want to achieve.
Following that, I think about the action steps that I can start doing now to get me to that point. If I want to get there, then what do I need to get there? I think to myself and then the planning, goals and action steps come out of my mind onto a notebook outlining my goals.
So it’s safe to say that I like to think with the end in mind and work backwards.
This world is filled with universal laws that govern the outcome of our lives. Every outcome or “effect” is the result of some cause. In order to have a desired effect in life, you have to know what the cause is. It’s the iron clad law of cause and effect.
For example, if the effect that I want to achieve is to lose 10 lbs in January, then I must partake in several different activities in order to achieve that effect. I know the outcome I want, now I just have to figure out what I need to do (that work’s for me) in order to achieve that outcome. Let’s say that I go on some sort of low-carb diet and work out 3 times a week for an hour each time but come January 31st, I only lost 5 lbs. I may have to go back to my drawing board, assess what I did right or wrong and get back to working on the effect that I want to achieve. Perhaps I had a low-carb diet but I noticed that I was still consuming an abundance of fatty and sugary foods, which effected the outcome of my goal.
So for February, I decide to eliminate the fatty and sugary foods, and also replace my gym workouts with dance classes because I realize that I prefer that method of a workout, it’s twice as effective and better for my work schedule. I implement my new regimen and guess what? I not only hit my 10 lb. goal, I lose an extra 5 lbs on top of that!
What happened?
My desired effect never changed. The only thing that changed was how I would achieve that effect (my cause.)
The law of cause and effect is universal and it is not going anywhere. Every “effect” in your life has some sort of “cause.” Like the law of giving and receiving, the more you give the more you will receive – this is classic example of the law of cause and effect at work. Another example of cause and effect is the law of sowing and reaping – what you put out into this world is what will come back to you.
Why am I telling you all of this?
This is why. I want you to think about the “effect” that you want to have in your life. What is the end goal? And when you do, I want you to think about the “cause” that you need to partake in for you to get that effect. However, here is the most important part that I want you to get. You may have to try a few different “causes” in order to achieve the effect that you want.
Look at my example above about losing the 10 lbs. My desired goal did not change; I had to adjust my meal plan and workout schedule in order to lose the weight. Often, when we do not get the “effect” that we want, we decide to change the “effect” instead of going through trial and error to find the right “cause.” Success is not an accident; it is a deliberate, consistent, relentless effort that is determined to achieve that “effect.”
If you have gone through a few failures in your journey of success (as we all have), look at it as you going through your different “causes” in order to get that effect. Make it your business to learn from those failures, analyze what is working and what is not working for you and make the decision to implement new strategies.
All change in life begins with a decision and change is not an event but a process. Give yourself a break, pat yourself on the back for how far you have come and go back to drawing board if you need to.
Therefore I leave you with this, what effect are you looking to cause in your life?
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy