Are YOU living an energy efficient life?

I like to think that I have some pretty awesome friends who dream big and who take action to make those dreams come true.  And things like this just confirm my belief.  My friend did a TED talk.  A TED talk.  If you don’t know what TED talks are, they’re a big deal.  The best of the best speakers do TED talks.  And talk about “ideas worth spreading”.  And their talks change people’s lives.  And make the world a better place to live in.

Jenna and I managed a restaurant together.  Which were some incredibly fun, yet super challenging years of my life.  We’ve been through a lot together.  A whole lot.  We also played (play) soccer together.  And we laugh.  A lot.  She’s funny, smart, kind-hearted, and incredibly generous.

 

I knew it was a goal of hers to do a TED talk.  And then a few days ago I got the text.  The one that linked to her dream.  Her TED talk.  To say I’m proud of her would be an understatement.  And even better than fulfilling her dream, she gave a killer talk that applies to most humans I know.  And definitely applies to me.  And I’m determined to make some changes to live a more energy efficient life!

 

Well done, my friend.  Well done.

And, I had the opportunity to read the book “Living Well Spending Less:  12 Secrets of the Good Life” before it gets released (you can preorder the book by clicking here: Living Well, Spending Less It’s a good one!  You also get a pre-order bonus.  And I have decided reading books and offering feedback before they’re published is a job I’d totally be okay with.).   I’ll talk more about the book in a later post, but I found some similarities between this TEDx talk and Ruth’s book.  The biggest similarity being the idea of WRITING DOWN and establishing daily routines and habits so we can live a more energy efficient life.  If we dream big enough, our dreams are going to take some serious energy.  So if we want to make our dreams come true, we must find ways to increase our energy.  Being the mom of four young, energy stealing kids, I could most definitely use ways to find more energy.  Especially ones that don’t involve toxic doses of caffeine.

The first step in doing that is writing down our routines, our goals, and the habits we want to form.  And then taking action on what we wrote down.

 

A few quotes from “Living Well Spending Less” by Ruth Soukup that support living the lives we dream of:

“I lacked a clear direction and focus, and as a result I was wasting far too much time on the things that didn’t matter at all, and not finding any time for the things that did.”

“What would happen if we took the time to actually write down our current priorities?  How would our perspective change if we took just a few moments to determine what it is we want most out of life?”

Writing down our goals and focusing on doing those first makes all the difference “living life to the fullest and just getting by.”

 

“The happiest, most successful, and most fulfilled people I know DO have a secret road map for their lives.  They’ve taken the time to visualize what their lives would look like if nothing stood in their way.  They’ve given themselves enough freedom to dream about the future, and that dream gives them enough confidence to figure out a way to get there.”

“It is not enough to have a vision in your head of what you wish your life could be.  It’s not enough to have some vague semblance or hazy daydream of what you’d like to accomplish someday.  You have to actually take the time–whether it be five minutes or five hours–to write it down.  Taking the time to write down your vision of the future not only forces you to self-evaluate and to decide what is most important, but it also motivates you to act on those dreams.  Writing them down makes them real.  And once they are real, you can’t ignore them.”

 

“You have to know where you want to go before you can know how to get there.”

 

“What if self-discipline and time management skills are something that can be strengthened over time?  What if self-control is not an innate character trait bestowed on a select few, but something we all need to develop?  What if willpower is actually a finite quality, one that runs out over the course of the day?  Wouldn’t that change the game?  Wouldn’t we want to be sure we used our energies well?”

“How would your life be different one year from now if you were willing to take the first thirty minutes of your day to work only on long-term goals?”

 

“I realized that creating good habits was the key to being able to get things done.  The more good habits I could create for myself, the more willpower and mental energy I would have left over to pursue my dreams.”

“What would happen if someone else were to observe how you use your time?  Would your long-term vision be immediately apparent?  Does the way you use your time clearly reflect what is most important to you?”

 

I’ve read my fair share of self-help books.  And books about business.  And books about success.  And books about living your dreams.  And books about creating a better life.  And one thing nearly every one of the authors from those books talks about is the importance of writing down our goals, visions, and ambitions to live a better life.  And then taking action on what we write down.  We have to dream.  We have to write it down.  And then we have to act.

 

Here’s to living a more energy efficient life.  I feel so “green” just typing that.