The Butterfly Effect

Today you paid a compliment to the barista who served your morning coffee. She was depressed, suffering in silence This 'butterfly effect' demonstrates the chaotic world we live in and the connectedness of each living creature on the planet where one seemingly unrelated event could impact the lives of many.

and beginning to contemplate suicide. Your compliment inspired her to seek help, to enrol in that course, to call a family member or friend, to apologise to their partner, to give up drugs or a toxic relationship . Whatever it is, you helped her and all you did was pay a genuine compliment that made her feel valued as a human, you made her feel like she mattered. She went on to become a photographer or a dental nurse or a mother. She took better care of herself, started a business, employed people, had kids of her own and her effect on the world and touched many lives.

The butterfly effect shows that we are connected in a chaotic and complex web of events, sometimes cruel, sometimes beautiful but in all cases perfect in its equilibrium. It scares some into action and others into inaction because it can make you feel incredibly hopeful that chaos can work in your favour if you take action or it can make you feel like nothing you do matters. One is positive, the other negative, glass half full or half empty.

The butterfly effect means that even just one change in your life can have far-reaching effects on you and the people around you.

Many people live thinking that there is a myriad of obstacles standing between them and the life that they want, consequently they take no action and make no changes in their daily rituals. "It's just too hard."

What if I told you that in my 20+ years of success coaching it almost always comes down to just one obstacle.

All you have to do is go searching for that one thing that's holding you back, sometimes the search is within you and sometimes it is external. It could be a food you need to eliminate, it could be a fear you need to face or it could be as simple as making that phone call.

A client of mine eliminated coffee and alcohol. He stopped feeling anxious during the day and depressed at night, he looked better, smelled better, felt better and smiled more. His energy shifted so much that his sales performance at work went up by over 200%! He started working out, changed his hairstyle and started buying nicer clothes. By week 8 I barely recognised him.

Another client swapped out some of his exercise routine from weight training to yoga and meditation. He was more relaxed, energetic, enthusiastic and confident and it showed in his performance at work. At home he was happier and it changed his life.

Another client merely changed the time of day she worked out, it made all the difference. She eliminated her headaches and no longer had an energy slump in the afternoon.

Another started working from home one day a week and improved his relationship with his partner by making it their 'date night'. They were more intimate, life was better and everyone at work the next day noticed the change in his attitude.

Another started waking at 6am instead of 7am, she was in control for the rest of her day. Her kids were happier, she was more organised in her business, she gained confidence because she had more time to present herself the way she wanted to. Consequently she started winning more clients.

In all these examples the transformation was significant and immediate and it came down to the butterfly effect of that one thing. What's the one thing that's holding you back from greatness?

How do you discover your one thing?

By micro-managing every aspect of your life and every minute of your day. In Part 2 of my book A Higher Branch, I call this The Circle of Conscious Living, in this section I outline a five step system for living by design where you become your own 'Life Architect'. When you live every day with planned actions, you become completely aware of your strengths and your weaknesses. Only when you live with self-awareness can you examine your life with clarity and critical analysis.

Some of my clients feel that planning every minute of their day kills spontaneity and fun, but the reality is that there is no freedom and excitement in spontaneity, it's a trap. The common idea of spontaneity leads to most people drifting aimlessly in the direction of their greatest weaknesses.

If you waste two hours of each day, this adds up to 14 hours in a week, 728 hours in a year, 45 full days per year which is over 6 weeks! Imagine what you can achieve in that time.

The more you are in control of your daily schedule, the more the butterfly effect will work in your favour. Every dawn and dusk is in reality a birth and death experience. We wake, we go about our day and then we sleep. So, every day is a chance for each of us to start fresh. You can literally change your life overnight by deciding to do only one thing differently.

To learn more about getting the most out of your 24 hour day, join us at Upgrade Your Life 2019.