You Are What You Do Every Day
What you do consistently on a day-to-day basis is what ultimately defines who you are. That is to say that the behaviour you display over an extended period of time generates associations that others will categorize you as.
A large problem with attribution, though, is that scattered time frame samples are used in developing these labels. In many instances, labels are slapped on us within seconds of interaction. This causes snap judgements, which consequently overlooks all other characteristics of that human being. What’s more is the fact that attributions are highly subjective and draw from very little information resulting in a mismatch of perceived vs. actual traits.
Unfortunately, these associations cannot be prevented as it’s in our nature to always infer characteristics regarding people, places and things. Even as you read now, your mind involuntarily searches for ways to label this article by comparing the level of writing and content to other works you are familiar with. After all, we are information-seeking organisms that use thousands of mental algorithms to interpret information — all of which boil down to a few labels (e.g. charming, thoughtful, off-putting, intimidating). This technique comes at a price: the final result is not always accurate.
Regardless of how wrong these attributed traits may be or how little time it took to make them, I believe that they strongly correlate with the lifestyle we live; that the traits we give off are a reflection of the actions we commit ourselves to day after day.
I think most people know this implicitly but don’t do anything about it — we all want to be viewed positively despite spending time on self-improvement. Honing the traits we wish to give off to others requires refinement and I believe that good daily habits maximize your chances of getting the impressions we desire — the one’s we want to be proud of.
Now, why does this matter? It matters because realizing this allows you to review what you do daily and make changes in your lifestyle to give off those great characteristics. As an activity, I encourage you to take 30 seconds right now and review your routine over the past few months and decide if you are at the point where you can say you are fully proud of the behaviour you displayed. What would others label you as? Would you like to change it?
While some may be operating at their ideal state, I certainly am not. In fact, I find myself so far away from the person I want to be that it disheartens me. Now the intention is not to make anyone feel like a failure or underachiever, but act as a reminder that if you realize you are still a work-in-progress, with the right attitude you (and anyone else) can reach their ideal state by modifying what you do day after day. I find that we get so comfortable living the same lifestyle that we never achieve what we really set out to do despite having the ability to do so. Sometimes all you need is a life changing experience to give you the wake-up call.
That is why I have made the decision to go on a 4-month study exchange to Marseille, France to gain a fresh perspective on the world and rediscover who I am and who I want to be. Hopefully, this will allow me to be aware of the traits I wish to exemplify and in turn, know the types of activities I should add to my daily routine to make me the person I want to become. And while going on a 4-month trip to a foreign country may seem a bit drastic, I think it’s just what I need to open my eyes to a realm of new possibilities.
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This blog entry is part of the publication Robert Cekan Travels & was originally written 36,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean on August 24, 2012.
Robert Cekan is a young entrepreneur and proud Hamiltonian. He is the founder of the Hamilton discovery website True Resident, as well as Cekan Group, a property management group. He is also a Hamilton REALTOR® with Ambitious Realty Advisors Inc., Brokerage and an active blogger.
For all of Robert’s projects, please visit robertcekan.com
