365 Days to Change your life - A small amount of time for a lifetime of learning

More and more people are now starting to ask "what is The 365 Effect"?

How did you come up with it? What has it done for you? Why are you doing this? How does it work? All good questions so I thought I would answer a few of them.

Let's start with the WHAT? "The 365 Effect" is a customizable blueprint that YOU create, follow and honor over 365 days. It focuses on an area of your life that you want to change and consists of 4 commitments that you make to yourself and want to focus your life on. These commitments can be in relation to your job, your finances, your health, your relationships, your golf game, whatever? It's the CHANGE that you want to make.  It's your Life and your "The 365 Effect"......  Let's expand on this a bit.

"The 365 Effect" is a framework which individuals adapt and custom design based on their own specific goals and objectives. It's a self directed blueprint for achieving personal success on your own terms. "The 365 Effect" is easily adaptable for businesses, couples, families or  groups wanting to achieve some sort of change in their lives. "The 365 Effect" at its core is an individual committing to 4 things that they will follow through with for 365 days. 

My "accidental" first "The 365 Effect" back in 2009 was this:
 
My Change Goal - Get in the best shape of my life (mentally, physically and emotionally) for when I turned 40yrs old (July of 2009)

My 4 commitments:
1) Not drinking any alcohol
2) Not eating any junk food
3) Not eating after 8:30pm
4) Exercising with high intensity 5 times a week.

Like any other "program, training system, course etc", "The 365 Effect" is a process and it consists of steps and strategies that guide you to its completion. What is singularly unique about "The 365 Effect" however is its time commitment. It is 365 days. No more, no less. The commitment is fixed, the variables are not. It is up to you to craft your own specific "The 365 Effect" plan and adapt it to your life challenges, goals and directions. I can help anyone do this and the viral and community aspect of "The 365 Effect" also helps in this process.

So what the heck does this mean?

OK, you have a basic understanding of what "The 365" is but what does this mean to you? Chances are that if you are reading this blog you either know me, have been referred to it by someone or even better yet, the word is spreading and Viola...viral success has been achieved. 

Also, if you are reading this, then it is most likely because the thought of making some changes in your life is appealing to you. You're probably in a place in your life where you NEED some type of change. You may not know what that change is yet , but you're "feeling" like it has to happen or at least you're "open" to exploring what this change could be.

This is what "The 365 Effect" can mean to you. This is the "So What". Here is your chance to explore, question and pinpoint areas in your life that you are willing to direct a years worth of time into. 

Simple right?  

It is all good and easy to say all this stuff, but without some sort of plan, support system, knowledge base and guidance, it is all for naught. So here's the "Now What".

First off pat yourself of the back for getting this far. I am serious. We all spend way to much time recognizing the achievements of others rather than giving props to ourselves now and then. So when I say give yourself a pat on the back I mean acknowledge yourself for getting this far. Look at your life a little bit and instead of looking at all the negatives, take a little while to look at the positives. You may have not won a Nobel Peace Prize but I am 100% sure that somewhere in your past you have inspired, delighted or made another persons life better by the way you have interacted with them. 

You've achieved "Greatness" in one way, shape or form. It's the degrees in which we measure these successes where people get all messed up. I want you to acknowledge the fact that a simple act of kindness can mean more to someone that any global or financial achievement that the "Media" may deem noteworthy. So once you have stopped patting yourself on the back the next step will be to start figuring out what 4 commitments you might entertain honoring for an entire year. 

The Big Question - "What is it about my life that I want to change"?  
  
If your 4 commitments aren't immediately clear to you I suggest you try out this method.  

Step 1: Start by first asking yourself this question - "What is it about my life that I want to change".   

Here is the key though - ask that question in this specific way - For 7 Days and at "5 ceremonial times a day" (a ceremonial time is one that you do everyday - brush teeth, get into your car, eat lunch etc) simply ask yourself the question and write down immediately what comes into your head.  Don't judge, question or react to the answer, simply write it down and move on with your day.  

Step 2: After 7 days of doing this, then take some serious time to look at your 35 answers to the "What is it about my life that I want to change" question.  The data you collect is unbiased, honest and current with who you are and up to date with really what it is you want to change.

Step 3: The answers you get from the data become the foundation for your 4 Commitments that you choose to honor for the year.  Start working out your commitments while keeping in mind the S.A.M. principle and then 3...2...1... GO. start your "The 365 Effect".

Lots to think about... If you get stuck, have any thoughts or just want to share this with others Tweet the link, post to your Facebook and as always comment below. 

If you are finding "The 365 Effect" interesting say hi to me on Twitter @the365effect and share the effect with others.