Deal or no Deal

HOLDING OUT TO THE END

It takes nerves of steel, but those that take the considered gamble and stay in control of their emotions, can get bigger payouts in the end. And we're not just talking about a TV show here. 

So many times in our lives, we've missed out on better results because we've not had the nerves, guts, determination or foresight to push on. That's because we naturally have a stronger aversion to loss when taking a risk. It's the reason why computers have taken the human factor out of decision making in the stock market. We fear the loss of what we could gain - and fail to press that button.

The way to get better results in the game of life, is to keep on top of how we've faired in the past - noticing when the right decisions have been taken over the wrong ones and remembering when a positive result has been won over a potentially bad one. Our memories cheat us, so we need to write things down. 

Today marks the end of a period when I've been saying 'No Deal'. It's been stressful and much sleep has been lost over these last 11 months. But, through being strong and patiently sitting this out to the end, when it's been so tough - I've now got the result I wanted and deserve. I've not only benefitted in monetary terms, which is of course great, but I've learned a lot about myself in the process too. It takes guts, determination and perseverance to get what we want out of life. 

Too many of us are quick to cave in for what is believed to be an easier life. Knowing what our limits are, will help us to make better decisions. We can't act on these decisions until we've gone through some painful situations. This is a fact of life and the earlier we learn this - the sooner we get better at dealing with the discomfort - and the bigger the payouts will be when we do.

Don't Ask - Don't Get

HANDS UP!

Just like back in school, to grab some attention, just put your hand up! Squashed into my seat on an early morning flight this morning, I witnessed first hand how best to get an advantage over everyone else (including business class travellers) ordering from the drinks trolley.

British Airways, along with other premium airlines, still offer complimentary drinks on their service, but alcohol is not usually featured on the breakfast flights.

However, the planes are stocked with booze for the later flights and some happy holiday makers will want a beer or Bloody Mary over a tea/coffee to get through the stress of getting to the airport and kick off the holiday good times. So, to keep their customers happy, attendants will make exceptions and the service crew will be traversing the length of the plane on these special trips to the galley. This takes time. Club class get priority and depending on your position on the plane, you could wait a long time for a drink and left with little time to relax and enjoy it.

Assistance Given

This is where the call button comes in handy. Pressing this attention grabbing button means you are suddenly 'numero uno priority' out of a full plane of 200+ people. It means your needs will be met first. You'll catch the stewardesses as they commence their duties, more happier and compliant to help, as opposed to jaded and resilient to giving their limited time to yet another budding British (functioning) alcoholic. The smiles will be more genuine and the question of 'can I get a beer?' answered and confirmed 'yes' by happy crew, making that first priority drink taste all the more sweeter.

Human Guinea Pig

TREATING YOURSELF AS SCIENCE PROJECT

Constantly making personal experiments on oneself - checking results, measuring the successes and making improvements to get the best out of our bodies & minds should be something taken every day. Many people never take a proper look at themselves and wonder why they are in the position they're in later on in life.

James Clear has just written another corker of a blog post on the subject of personal science which has now inspired me to make a daily check list of all the things I need to do. Regular assessments will be made to check if everything has been accomplished and tweaks to the programme will be made where improvements are required.

All of us are a work in progress and it takes constant hard work to ensure we are getting the best out of what we have been given. Without daily tests and evaluations - we can't accurately know how well we're performing or if we're heading on the right path. Keeping a daily diary/journal will be the beat way to keep tabs on all this.