The GOYA method for personal development
We’re heading towards the end of 2008 and some of you will be looking over this year and thinking about what you have achieved so far. For some nothing much will have happened for others their whole life will have changed. Personal development begins in your head and GOYA method will help a lot for those who still want to do something with the rest of 2008.
Get off your ass!
To do something, anything, you have to take action, to take action you have to get off your ass first and make a start. That’s what this article is about.
I don’t want to hear whines, excuses, or anything else just read this through and then GOYA.
Getting to the stage of SOYA
A lot of us will have gotten to the stage of SOYA (Sitting On Your Ass) at some point in our lives. Indeed it’s good to have a bit SOYA time but too much can lead to a permanent state of SOYA and your ass gets flatter with all the sitting, the only exercise you get is flicking the remote and eating those packets of cheese and onion crisps.
For those of you who don’t think you’re at the SOYA stage of life answer these questions:
- Is your Ass permanently flat?
- Does it take you about half an hour before you can walk properly getting off your couch?
- Do you make old man noises when you get off the couch?
- Do you make old man noises when you go to sit on the couch?
- Do you have some goals that involve GOYA?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above it’s time for some GOYA.
GOYA in action
There are at least two voices inside you at any one time. One voice saying ‘take the easy option just turn the TV on and SOYA’ and the other, less dominant voice, saying ‘come on, I need some GOYA time’.
The trick to getting off your ass is making the GOYA voice more dominant than the SOYA voice.
Quick exercise
I want you to think back to a time, recently, where you were in two minds to go and do something but instead elected to stay in bed or sit on the couch and watch TV. For example, you need to get up and tidy the house but instead you stayed in bed or watched TV or read your book. What did the little GOYA voice sound like inside your head, if you can’t remember listen for it next time. The SOYA voice sounds like MR T ‘Sit on your ass fool, ain’t nobody gonna clean the house’ and the GOYA voice sounds like Mickey Mouse on Helium ‘Oh shucks, that’s a shame coz the house needs a good clean’.
Listening for the SOYA and GOYA voice
You will soon begin to hear the little voices whenever you have to do something. Recognizing them is the first stage and when you hear them, it will be a revelation. Now when I say hear them you don’t literally hear them you hear them in your head. You might not think they are there but they definitely are. Any time you have to do something they are there.
The next stage is switching the voices around. This can be tricky at first but when you do it once it becomes very easy all the other times and you will see a dramatic difference in your life. Now I know I am being a bit tongue in cheek here but I do mean this. When you switch the voices and use the SOYA voice for the GOYA voice i.e. MR T voice is now the GOYA voice and Mickey Mouse on Helium is the SOYA voice you will see an amazing difference in your productivity, you exercise routine, everything you need the GOYA voice for.
Another exercise for today. To try this method out try hearing the new GOYA voice telling you what to do whenever you are procrastinating about something. Obviously, it doesn’t have to be MR T’s voice but you want a commanding voice, have a little fun with it. Eventually the voice will be your own voice and you begin to do things you have been putting off.
List a few things you could do today and listen to the voice and GOYA and do them.
