This year is all about new beginnings. 2020 threw everything it had at us — and yet we overcame all of its challenges. Better yet, we grew stronger, found new opportunities, built new habits and learned more about ourselves in 2020 than we ever knew prior.
To honor those new beginnings, we should all be striving to become better versions of ourselves in 2021. It’s time to shed those quarantine pounds, budget out your dream home, and pursue your highest aspirations.
One formula that I have found to be a good resource in helping people reach their full potential is the Full Life Framework developed by Leon Ho, the founder and CEO of Lifehack. This framework is built on five steps that enable you to live your life to the absolute fullest. Let’s break them down:
Life Missions
What do you hope to get out of life? This is the question to answer in the first step of the Full Life Framework. You need to have a mission, and a specific goal to work toward. Without these two vital pieces in your life — you’ll end up wandering aimlessly without purpose or direction.
Some people’s mission in life is to work hard and retire with the house on the hill. For others, it’s to help people through service or a meaningful career. Others still want to pursue their passions in art, music, or travel. Any of these goals are a wonderful representation of a life well-lived and are okay, as long as your mission is deeply personal and worth dedicating your time toward.
Compromise the Method, Not the Mission
Once you’ve honed in on your life’s mission, don’t let go of your dream. Too many people let the obstacles they face in life derail them from pursuing their life’s mission. One twist in the road and some will let their entire mission be compromised. But twists and turns are a part of life — and life is difficult. Don’t put your heart and life in the rearview mirror to be left behind forever — pick yourself up — over and over again until it’s a habit.
Let’s say your dream job is to work for NASA (SpaceX might be more likely at this point), but you get offered a comfortable desk job right out of college. While the pay and benefits are nice, you know that taking this job might dash all hopes you have of getting your dream occupation. Is anything worth the sacrifice to leave your dream behind — or should you take a new approach that keeps your vision intact?
Adopt a Progress Mindset
There’s one thing that stands in the way of your full potential; failure. Not only failure itself but the constant fear of failure that stops you from stretching your limits and challenging yourself. In order to adopt a mindset of progress, you’ll want to create a habit to cast off such fears and thoughts.
Instead of beating yourself up when you make a mistake, think to yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Learning from each error you commit makes you stronger and smarter. You’ll rarely make mistakes twice if you use each of them as a stepping stone to move forward.
Self-Control Systems
True progress doesn’t come overnight. Nothing worth doing comes easy — all proficiency requires hours upon hours of diligent practice to get from where you are now to where you want to be. The learning curve kind of dedication requires a lot of work and self-control.
The truth is, few people are capable of self-control based on sheer willpower alone. Recognizing and understanding the value of this step is important because it teaches you to develop a system that makes self-control become an automatic habit.
Managing your time and efforts to develop habits will pave the way for you to reach your full potential, rather than climbing a metaphorical mountain every single day.
Life Multipliers
Last but certainly not least are the life multipliers. These multipliers are exactly how they sound; skills and attributes that when self-applied will greatly add upon the value and experience you get out of life. Especially when they become habits.
There are eight life multipliers, each of which can be deeply expounded upon. For the sake of brevity here’s an outline of each multiplier and its importance.
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- Self-Empowerment: Your goals are as far away as you make them. If you don’t take the initiative, you won’t get any closer.
- Self-Control: As was just discussed, you need to show some self-control so that procrastination doesn’t take hold of your life.
- Renewable Vitality: Your health is incredibly important. If you’re not physically and mentally caring for yourself, you won’t be as well equipped for life as you’d like.
- Emotion Mastery: Life is full of trial and error, which can get frustrating at times. Don’t let your negative emotions get the best of you.
- Conscious Communication: Rarely will anyone make it through life by themselves. Communicating with your family, friends, and colleagues will make the journey much easier and a lot more enjoyable.
- Smart Focus: Work smarter, not harder. Definitely work hard, but try to put an emphasis on efficiency whenever possible.
- Learning and Adaptability: Constant learning is how you will be able to reach your full potential. Applying what you learn and even relearning some topics keeps you in the driver’s seat.
- Constructive Thinking: Brush up on your problem-solving skills. You’ll need them quite frequently on your journey to the top.
The Full Life Framework
Fulling your life, your passions, and your dreams through The Full Life Framework is a lot to take in — but don’t sweat it.
You have a lot of life left to live; give yourself a few years to get the hang of The Full Life Framework system. It is worth every effort you determine to put into your plan.
Start working on living your life to the fullest today and you’ll always look back with no regrets.