By Timothy L. Coomer, PhD
For three years I have been writing and blogging about life change, decision making, and a process I call DISCIPLINE.
Getting a message out in today’s noisy world is difficult. But, I keep at it because I believe each and every one of us are the HERO of our own life’s story. We have the capacity to make a decision that changes the course of our life. I believe that!
Occasionally, I read a research study that motivates me to keep pushing out my message. And I am reenergized.
This week, that research study, as summarized in this article:
https://www.studyfinds.org/hindsight-is-20-20-four-out-of-ten-adults-regret-their-life-choices/
highlights that 4 out of 10 people regret how they have lived their lives.
Wow.
My own attitude toward life was dramatically adjusted at age
53 when I almost died due to a bizarre medical mishap. This is when I started
thinking about how to live life with no regrets.
Here is what I came up with:
1) Have a life mission. Mine is:
“Help People Improve Their Lives. Always Interact with Deep Love and Gratitude.”
I wear this on a bracelet abbreviated, HPITL AIWDL&G
This reminds me daily how I will interact with the world.
2) Decide the overall meaning of life and turn this into a filter for all life decisions. Mine is:
“Experiences and Relationships Are the Meaning of Life”
This is written on the wall of my office.
All major life decisions run through this filter. For example: an opportunity to travel with my family on a vacation is always a priority because it builds those important family relationships and creates unique life experiences.
3) Use a process for life change and ever-increasing well-being.
The effort to describe this process resulted in my book, Discipline Strategy (January 2020 release – preorder available now on Amazon:
The book explains the details of the DISCIPLINE process I teach.
• [DECIDE] Make sound decisions.
• [INVESTIGATE] Investigate relevant topics.
• [SORT] Sort through information with a critical eye.
• [CONCEIVE] Conceive a detailed plan.
• [IMPLEMENT] Implement the plan.
• [PERSEVERE] Move forward with passion and perseverance.
• [LOOP] Use a feedback loop to evaluate your progress and make
adjustments where needed.
• [INTENSIFY] Intensify your efforts where appropriate.
• [NOTICE] Take notice of what you have accomplished.
• [ENJOY] Enjoy the fruits of your labors using the positive
psychology concept of PERMA
Here are a couple of free resources for you to begin to better understand your personality, the DISCIPLINE process, and the positive psychology concept of PERMA.
1) Free personality assessment that includes a predictive model to forecast how you will perform in each step of the DISCIPLINE process:
MyPersonality® Assessment: https://disciplinestrategy.com/my-personality/
2) Free download, including worksheets, to help you design your own personalized plan to improve happiness and well-being using the positive psychology concept of PERMA. Go to my home page, click on the button in the upper right-hand corner that says, “DOWNLOAD GUIDE TO WELL-BEING.” This guide also includes a detailed summary of the DISCIPLINE process.
If you have questions, feel free to email me.