Checklist increases excitement for life

If you want to be at the top of your game, you must close cycles. The principle applies whether your game is your career, your marriage or your life.

A cycle begins with an intention, is followed by action and is closed by the fulfillment of that intention. I intend to buy my wife flowers, for example, so I go to a florist, choose the flowers, pay, and finally, close the cycle by giving her the flowers.

We call a cycle “open” the moment the intention exists. It stays open until the intention is fulfilled. Obviously, each of us have many cycles open at any moment in time, including cycles within cycles.

Every part of our lives is comprised of cycles that stay open from seconds to a lifetime. And every open cycle takes energy, because we are hard-wired to need to fulfill our intentions.

A person who is feeling overwhelmed has too many open cycles sapping his or her energy. In contrast, those at the top of their game feel energized and excited about life, because they have far fewer open cycles.

To avoid feeling overwhelmed, or to overcome it if you are already feeling overwhelmed, you can take a few simple steps.

First, make a list of all the open cycles you can think of. Include little cycles as well as big ones. The first time I did this, I was amazed at how long the list was – no wonder I felt overwhelmed. Trying to keep a mental list is another huge energy-sucking open cycle, so construct your list on paper or computer.

Look over your list, pick an item, do it and check it off. Then do another one. You’ll be surprised at how many things you complete in a day, that is, how many cycles you close. Without your list, you might have ended your day with, “Another wasted day!”

A second way to close a cycle is to cancel the intention. I always intended to learn how to play the piano, but never did. I kept that cycle open for more than 15 years. Cancelling it released a lot of energy.

Third, postpone what you can’t handle soon. Postdate your intention to paint the house until September next year. Dating it closes the cycle for nearly a year, releasing more energy.

Finally, delegate it. You do not have to do everything yourself. I could have called the florist and ‘delegated’ delivery. People at the top of their game have become masters at delegating, postdating, cancelling and simply getting things done.

Are you at the top of your game, or is it on top of you?

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Dr. Neill Neill is a Nanaimo-area psychologist. Please contact him at 250-752-8684 or www.neillneill.com.

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