Habits are the oil in the engine of life.
How long has it been since you have changed the oil in your engine?
Car manufactures recommend people change their oil frequently. The more often we change the oil, the longer the engine will last. If we never change the oil, it is likely the engine will “die a premature death” as it becomes clogged with dirt and debris.
We can relate our lives to the engine. Habits and routines are the oil in our own engine of life. When we change our habits and routines, we extend the life of our own engines by producing new and exciting results. While any path will generally do in the journey of life, it is our habits and routines which empower our path.
As this year comes to a close, we think about what we would like to do differently for the following year. We go through a period of review and reflection. We think about the past year and what we have achieved while planning the coming year to make things better than before.
We can all think about how long it has been since we have changed our habits and routines. “If we keep doing the same thing, we will keep getting the same results.” In computer terms we call it, “Garbage in, garbage out.”
If we are currently getting the results we desire, there is no need for great change in what we are doing. Even if we are going down the right path, it makes sense to look in our rear view mirror every now and again to make sure we don’t get run over.
Most of us begin the year with great intentions. Our New Year’s Resolutions may include:
Losing weight
Stopping smoking
Doing more exercise
Making more money
Being more productive
Improving communications
While these are all worthy ideals, as daily routine sets in after the euphoria of the holidays, often our goals and objectives are set aside as we take care of more “important” things.
In order to realize any significant change in our lives we need to first “change our oil” and make sure we have the proper lubrication to ensure our engine is running as it should. To do this we can review what we do and how we do it on a daily basis. Many complain, “I just don’t have enough time!” Time is a limited resource. It is not always possible to get everything done though it is possible to do the things we concentrate on. What is missing is not “enough time” rather a lack of focus.
We also need to have a strong reason to change. Many of us take better care of our cars than we do of ourselves. Why would do we do this? The answer is simple, our automobiles represent a significant investment and we want to take care of our investment.
How much is our body worth?
Regardless of the value we place on our own body, in order to keep it in optimum condition, we must “change the oil” from time to time. Unfortunately, the catalyst for many of us to “change our oil” is a life threatening situation where we face dire consequences if we don’t change.
Habits can be empowering or they can be destructive. Starting right now we can choose empowering habits over destructive habits.
Imagine what we can achieve when our thoughts are congruent with our dreams and desires. The sky is the limit. The only limits are self imposed. Our health, our income and our well-being are in our hands.
How then can we change our habits to drive our direction and determine our destiny?
Life is not as it should be; it is as it is. No magic wand can take a lifetime of habits and change them overnight. We can start to “change our oil” more often to guarantee our own engine of life is running as it should.
Here are some questions we can ask ourselves:
“How is what I am about to do going to effect the oil in my engine?”
“Is the food I’m about to eat going to make my engine run better or worse?”
“Is the cigarette I am about to smoke going to make my engine last longer or shorter?”
“Instead of taking the elevator up two or three floors, how about if I take the stairs instead?”
“What if I do more for what I am paid for rather than doing the bare minimum to get by?
“What is the most valuable use of my time in this instant?”
“What can I do to listen more effectively and talk less?”
Dramatic changes in our lives are not the result of some secret formula which will magically solve all of our problems. Instead, it is the small things done on a consistent basis which make a tremendous difference over time. People are not overweight because they ate “one” chocolate bar. People are not out of shape because they took the elevator “one” time. Our habits and routines over a lifetime create our realities.
Our bodies are finely tuned machines which in most cases keep working despite abuse and negligence. As this year comes to an end and a new year lurks on the horizon, we have the power to take action today, change our oil and make sure our own engine of life runs smoothly and soundly into the days, months and years to come.
∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 31