How to change your life in one week…

A couple of days ago I’ve read the book “Hell week. Seven days to be your best self” by Erik Bertrand Larssen and I would like to share the ideas that I took from the book.

How to prepare for Hell Week?

— Before the hell week:

Make a map of your life where you identify your strengths and weaknesses, the opportunities that you have, and the threats that may arise.
Identify areas of life where you have the maximum potential for positive change, and select those that you plan to focus on.
Formulate the goal of hell week and the means to achieve it.

— During the hellish week we:

1. We adhere to the regime: get up at 5 in the morning, go to bed at 10 in the evening;
2. We increase the requirements for our appearance;
3. We work hard, focusing on every business. No empty talk;
4. We strictly adhere to our plan;
5. Active and energetic;
6. We only eat healthy food and do not drink any alcohol;
7. We are not distracted by social networks or TV;
8. We play sports for at least an hour a day;
9. We remain resolute and positive;

This week will change your life if you decide.

“When the time comes and a thousand different voices try to convince you that you are not ready, listen to that one quiet voice that says:“ You are ready. Do this””.

Eric Bertrand Larssen

Monday: working on habits

• Make a list of all your habits: good and bad;
• After this, ask friends, acquaintances, relatives. Think again: what habits would you like to have?
• Complete the list;
• Now decide what you will do to change these habits?

Imagine the situation: on Monday at 5 a.m. the alarm rings. What at this moment do you most want? Of course, to sleep.

To create a habit, you need a certain number of repetitions. Therefore, in the process of becoming a new habit, you need to be careful.

First, you need a reminder of a new habit. To do this, just remove the alarm away from the bed and change the melody on it.

Secondly, prepare a question that you will ask yourself when you wake up in the morning: “What exactly am I waiting for today?” Even if you do not know the answer to this question, the brain will still find it. And after 2 weeks it will become a habit.

Thirdly, prepare for the morning in advance: in the evening, choose clothes, collect everything you need, including for a tasty and healthy breakfast. Try to make the morning of the next day as easy as possible so that you can pack up quickly and easily.

So we made out one habit.

When you have a list of habits ready, using the example above, develop an action plan: how to reinforce good habits and eradicate bad ones.

Tuesday: working on mood and focus

Your internal state at a particular moment increases the chances of success in any business, whether it is negotiations, a public speech or meeting a girl. Therefore, the ability to create and maintain mood is extremely necessary.

• Remember the state when everything turns out right for you: you have completed a complex project, completed a major transaction or overcame your fear.
• Recreate these feelings and a positive attitude in your memory, try to be in this state for as long as possible. Each time you will do better.
• Plan your day and decide what and when you will do. When working, remember: only one thing at a time. Multitasking and pseudo-employment have nothing to do with productivity.
• Ask yourself: how to perform your tasks better, more efficiently and get the most out of them.
• The same concentration rules apply to the people you communicate with. During communication, switch all your attention to them. Be careful and thankful.

Wednesday: working on time management

If you have ever felt that a bunch of completely different tasks is closing around your throat, you are not alone in this: most people feel the same way.

The day has come to put things in order.

• Stop, look at the processes and evaluate the situation. Devote this day to building a vision and setting goals that resonate with you.
• Think about what you least want to do, and do it first. Right in the morning. As Mark Twain said, “eat the frog.” Other tasks seem simpler.
• Make a list and write out all the deeds, thoughts and ideas.
• Look at this list, find there 3 unimportant cases that have been postponed for a long time, and cross them out. If you have not done so, then they are not important to you.
• Find 3 cases that can be delegated to colleagues, relatives, acquaintances, or even special companies. If you need to fix the door handle, maybe it would be better if the service department deals with this?
• And select 3 things to do on that day.

So, on Wednesday you have already completed at least 10 tasks. Good bid to win!

Thursday: get out of your comfort zone

This is the most difficult day of hell week. You will get tremendous experience and realize that you can do much more than you think.

On Thursday, you will work all day and all night, and then all day on Friday. And no sleep! Your task is to understand how far you can go and what kind of load to withstand.

Then remember your greatest fear and meet with him during this day. It can do anything: meet the client you are most afraid of; invite the girl you are in love with on your first date; jump with a parachute.

“This is not advice — this is an order.”

You have 24 hours that day. Perform accumulated cases at work, at home. Do everything that has been put off for a long time. Be productive and focused.

Constantly remind yourself: “Everything comes to an end, and it will also end.”

After this day you will be completely satisfied and proud of yourself.

Friday: relax and recover

This is a day of rest. Having a rest, we become creative, productive and decisive. Easier to digest information and think wider.

• After a sleepless night, it’s time to have breakfast with something healthy.
• Cheer up with a contrast shower. Meditate — this is helpful.
• Take time for family and loved ones. Go to the cinema or the theater, to a master class or just for a walk.

Remember: to achieve more, you need to rest properly.

Saturday: working with an internal dialogue

Managing emotions is an extremely important skill in our lives. After all, emotions either help us move forward or push us to thoughtless actions.

The way we think affects emotions. Two different internal dialogs are two different states. Be careful what you say to yourself.

During the day, control the internal dialogue: block negative thoughts and focus on positive ones about yourself.

Sunday: look at your life from the side

On this day, set aside time to be alone with yourself. Evaluate the results of the past week. What has been achieved and what has not been achieved? What insights and what experience did you get? What did you learn about yourself? What turned out to be important for you and what is not?

Give yourself this day: you deserve it.

The main idea of the book

Hell Week is a way to reveal yourself, change your habits and get valuable insights. In just one week, you will purposefully work on yourself, seek and control yourself, fight your fears and laziness, and manage your internal dialogue and emotions.
And your life will change.

“I am convinced you must follow your dream. And you have only one chance. “ Eric Bertrand Larssen