There are few things that are more annoying than catching yourself doing something you know you shouldn’t do. I was talking to a friend of mine about this, and he, being the coach that he is, said this:

Much of our angst and frustration in life and business is based on being stuck in that gap between what we know and how we act and behave.

We know we probably shouldn't have that jumbo piece of pie after that huge plate of nachos [when we're on a diet] but we do it anyway. We know that our office would feel and function much better if we organized it thoroughly, but we don't do it. We know we could charge more for our services, but we're afraid to raise prices. We know what it would feel like if we worked out every day, but we do it once a week, if that. and so on.

How do we change this? It requires two things: Getting honestly in touch with what you know and then acting on that knowledge.

There are a number of ways to get in touch with what you know. One I strongly recommend is a contemplative practice of some kind -- could be morning meditation, a walk on the beach, running 5 miles, journaling. Whatever it is, it must slow down your mind, put you in touch with that deeper place within you and allow you to explore from an open, honest place.

As you cultivate your own ability to KNOW, you will be able to access it quickly and clearly in multiple situations. In a meeting where you don't feel confortable with the discussion, pause. Take a deep breath. get in touch with what you KNOW and speak from there. This can be applied to deciding what movie to see, what food to order, what you need to say to your partner. Anything.

When you know what you KNOW it's time to act/speak/behave. It's about focus, discipline, training. It’s about praxis -- putting into practice the things you KNOW must be present in your life.

Tools for this?

• write out a strategy for change
• create a powerful vision
• go to the future, the place where the change has already occurred, and ask yourself how you got there
• hire a coach (I can't resist!)
• ask friends for help
• create a new paradigm/frame of mind/thoughtstream and bring your awareness to that new way of thinking as often as possible

The trick is constant application and exploration. What do I KNOW right now? How can I act/speak from that knowing? Boom. Next situation. All day, all the time. All relationships, all situations.

Now, I knew all that...