Have you ever counted how many times you make a decision in a day? From whether you're going to go for another snooze alarm, if you're going to linger on the bed for a while or not after you wake up? Should you read a book first or check your Facebook page or turn the coffee maker on right before you do all that so that the water is boiling already while you browse? How about the clothes you're going to wear? Are you going to work or ditch work? What time should you eat? What would you want to come first? Eat or shower? Are you shampooing your hair today or not, do you want to brush your teeth from there or eat first before you brush your teeth. I think what I've shared is just one to fifteen minutes upon waking up.
Let's scale it up.
Decision making when it comes to which doctor you'd prefer for general check up, which car to buy, which insurance company to go for, which business to put up, have a divorce or not, which country to go to for a vacation. Yes, you're already about to go on a vacation and yet you still have to work on deciding where. These things are just examples of the thousands and thousands of decision making we do. It is quite immeasurable and it does require a great deal of energy.
Most often than not, when the desired outcome is not achieved because of certain reasons, it gets to a point that it upsets us. But let me remind you that you are your only reason why you would not be achieving a goal, nothing and nobody else. So let me empower you with the 99/1 rule.
There are a couple of concepts that I learned reading about the 99/1 rule:
First, it is about the 1% that is composed of the extraordinary. It is considered so to give emphasis on the minority in number of people who chooses to be one. You see, not many people practice a distinct way of thinking different from the rest (the 99%). Out of comfort and familiarity, people tend to go with the flow and do a series of activities that preserve this (a routine). But there's always that 1% that is pro counter flow. They are the ones who use their minds that questions the flow, they are the ones that question the system and are curious why there is one in the first place and what is it for? Better yet, they are the ones who think of challenging an outcome into being extraordinary by outperforming the other 99%.
A good example of this would be in sports as explained in one of the articles of www.secretentourage.com. Nobody would ever think that running a 3minute 3mile marathon, which is extraordinary, could be done because nobody has ever done it yet. But once, somebody would actually aim his or her efforts into achieving that, it may be possible 'til its proven by getting it done. The impossible idealism now becomes possible. So, in applying this rule to your goals tapping on your decision making capabilities, the 99/1 rule would be a good help in making desired outcome happen.
Secondly, the 99/1 rule may be accounted for assigning your biggest why as the 1% and the 99% as "noise". Whatever difficulty you may encounter when it comes to decision making on a grand scale like, moving houses, shifting from one career to the other, giving up a bad habit, assign that big emotional why as your 1%. If it doesn't conform to your 1%, don't do it. If it puts your 1% into a compromise, don't do it. Simple as that. This will serve you good in keeping yourself sane and composed. This can be very helpful if you are torn into making a decision based on your emotions. Awareness is the key to identifying such a moment but as a matter of fact, we often do rash decisions when extreme emotions come at play like anger, sadness, despair and lust. And then we suffer from the outcome it gives in a form of consequence. For example, if you are on the verge of cheating, and with that little voice in your head that whispers to you don't do it and you are driven by a strong emotion (lust), you may apply this 99/1 rule and tap on that 1% (your family) of a big emotional why and the circumstance being treated as noise (the other 99%), I think it'll give you a clearer understanding of how you should decide on matters. Another example would be going against your boss. Take a step back and apply the 99/1 rule. Whatever the other people invokes you to do (99% noise), consider the outcome first and how it will affect your family (the only 1%). Yet again, interestingly, it satisfies the first concept explained earlier, making the extraordinary happen, which is not giving into your emotions. Instead, you come up with other forms of resolution which doesn't involve violence.
I was inspired to share this because a friend expressed jitters yesterday in joining the first Spartan Race here in Hong Kong.
A Spartan Race is an obstacle race that has a mission of empowering the human race in accepting transformation into being resilient to any kind of challenge, physical or mental. It involves cash price in the end to kick start it with a little motivation. But the achievement lies more on being able to push thru the limit. A little something about how it works was cited in their website:
"Reebok Spartan Race is innovating obstacle racing on a global scale. With more than 130 races around the world annually – we offer three core races each escalating in distance, obstacle count and challenge level. The Spartan Sprint (3+ miles/20+ obstacles), the Spartan Super (8+ miles/ 25+ obstacles) and Spartan Beast (12+ miles/ 30+ obstacles). Courses are riddled with signature obstacles: mud, barbed wire, walls, rope and fire. Challenge yourself to complete all three and become part of the TRIFECTA tribe."
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| This is how you do a burpee. Doing this after running 3 miles is hard! |
My friend mentioned about having to complete 600 burpees. I sensed self doubt so I encouraged her by using the 99/1 rule. The 1% which is her aim to finish successfully is the goal. Everything else is noise I reminded her. The muscle aches, the heat, the other contenders, all of them are noise (99%). "Focus on that 1%. You trained for this and your are bound to becoming extraordinary. You're the only one from this workforce that we're in (because I work with her) to be doing something out of the usual. Keep that fire burning!", I told her with a tap on the shoulder. She is an extraordinary mom who is bound to make extraordinary results today together with our friends since this is the first of its kind to be held here in Hong Kong. So, a shoutout to my girl, Lhelai Centeno, and to the rest of you: Danielle Gross, Keith Gross, Lady Dazha Dacanay, Bobby Manalang, Joanne Marie Baldonado, Steve Kimm and PJ Montemayor! Make the impossible happen today!
Related posts:
1. 9 MONTHS PREGNANT AND STILL DANCING - this extraordinary woman is committed to her craft that she starts introducing it to her baby at a very young age... while still in her tummy.2. MY CROSSFIT EXPERIENCE AT FITNESS ACADEMY HK - this is an extraordinary experience for me since I am a mom and I thought that would be limiting but it's the opposite. It's more of liberating.
3. 8TH INTERNATIONAL SIVA AFI COMPETITION: CHAMPION, HOGAN TOOMALATAI - Know about an extraordinary sport, the fire-knife dancing that used to be a Polynesian warrior's way of protecting their land from conquerors.
Credit to somebody who had commented about my burpee gif.:
I was told that this it was not the right way of doing a burpee. Thank you for such insight. But here's a website where it could elaborate it more since there's a 4-count burpee which is that one above and the one you pinpointed was the 6-point one.. http://blog.paleohacks.com/burpee/#
