Life's 2% Solution - A Roadmap To Happiness and Balance

Hughes's 12 Resolutions for Seasoning Life with Value and Joy
-- Marcia Hughes

Life’s 2% Solution, the pragmatic application of 2% Solution principles presents a reliable path to changing your life in a manageable amount of time. Take advantage of these 12 strategies to change your life – engage one a month to embrace 2009 as a year to live with intention and joy.

Overcome workplace oppression—the feeling that results from being overwhelmed and underappreciated—by celebrating accomplishments and giving yourself positive feedback. Every night for 21 days, reflect on your day, then write down three to five events for which you are grateful. You may find this so inspiring you don’t want to stop. (Tip: Celebration is the essence for building optimism, the catalyst for ever-greater positive accomplishment.)
Liberate your esprit d’core by listening deeply to yourself. This means connecting with your core wisdom (the spirit at your core, your essential purpose). Explore the focus of your 2% project, play with how you would word and then implement your project. Let this be a creative, brainstorming, even whimsical time. (Tip: Fill in the blank - “If I could do even a little bit of what’s deeply calling me, I would like to ______.”)
Discover what truly brings you happiness. For three weeks, write down those events that make you happy, start charting patterns, then expand upon happiness-generating activities. (Tip: If what you’ve got—such as money—doesn’t make you happy today, it likely won’t make you happy tomorrow.)
Get to know who you are – really. Gain a sense of internally defined identity, so the blows of the world won’t knock you off your feet. Write down the top five assets you bring to the table in your work and use these to measure how you’re doing. (Tip: Much of what drives external feedback in today’s workplace is political or motivated by something other than honest evaluation. “Getting called on the carpet” may have less to do with your performance than someone else’s desire to exert power. Your success will only come from being centered and honest.)
Reflect – take time to get quiet and gain perspective on your purpose, motivation, why you do what you do. Triple T – Think Things Through by writing, meditating, walking, talking with your coach or leadership group. (Tip: No set of externally imposed rules will cause the same level of ethical behavior as deep internal accountability.)
Balance your life with Passionate Equilibrium – combine zest and rest so that you truly feel in sync and refreshed. Strive for passionate equilibrium at least 80% of the time. (Tip: When you feel happy, productive and balanced, you’ve got it. When you feel frustrated, unproductive and overwhelmed, you’ve lost it.)
Start celebrating authentic success by leading with your strengths. These are your natural gifts, your lead assets, just like leadership is to Jim Collins, author of Good to Great. (Tip: Find your values for people, purpose, power, productivity and planet and use your strengths to implement your values.)
Connect meaning and action – Our hunger in this post -9-11 world is for our work to matter – to make a real contribution, however small. Note what makes your life meaningful, where you are making a difference. (Tip: Give yourself credit for the value of your engagements; this is a part of actualizing your potential and it’s a life long journey.)
Become a whole mind thinker – brain, heart and gut. We have neuro transmitters all over our body; there is a second brain around our heart. When we pay attention to our heart and gut feelings, our hunches and our reason, we’re using our whole mind. (Tip: If something doesn’t feel right, it’s actually a whole mind reaction. Don’t leave that intelligence on the table!)
Let your dragons out of the closet – or the fear will close your doors. Practice confronting one fear at a time (e.g., public speaking) by looking it straight in the “eye,” then slowly working through it by speaking first to two people at a time, then three, and so forth. (Tip: If something really scares you, don’t take it on first. Start small and build from success.)
Develop your spiritual or religious path – exploring the deep mystery of life will bring the growth you long for. Meditate, read inspirational materials, check out new spiritual or religious organizations that interest you, research the Internet. (Tip: Watch for a “glow,” a feeling of harmony that lets you know you have found a nourishing resonance with a particular approach.)
Tune in your mind; tune out the noise. Using your whole mind on a regular basis provides resilience for dealing with our fast-paced world. Blocking out the distractions lets you build and enjoy what’s right. (Tip: Conscious awareness takes time and commitment. The benefit is commensurate with what you put in.)