How we do anything is how we do everything
Again, How we do anything is how we do everything.

If you google this phrase, there are multiple motivational speakers taking credit for it.  Regardless of who said it, take a moment to read this sentence again and really think about what it means. It’s pretty dead on.

How you do anything is how you do everything.

How you handle and manage any situation, challenge or experience in your work is how you likely handle all of them.

How you handle and manage any situation, challenge or experience in your personal life is how you likely handle all of them.

This phrase has always struck me.  I heard it in Driven’s BOLD: Advanced Leadership, as well as, sitting here today in FORGE: Team Execution. Upon first hearing it, I took some time to fully absorb it as it speaks so completely into how we all live our lives.

I know for a fact that I didn’t understand this for most of my life. I can easily relate this to both the personal and the professional areas of my life.

How we do anything is how we do everything.

My mother used to say, “If your life feels out of control, fix one thing (i.e. Do one thing different.) Her philosophy was if one thing was out of control (your diet/weight, your finances, your household, your work – then generally all things were out of control.) Get one thing in control and the rest will begin to shift.

How we do anything is how we do everything.

This statement is not to be taken lightly, in its simplest form, it means how we do one thing is how we’ll do the next thing. No matter what area in life, it will carry over… it will merge.

As I think about my life, the first place I go is my first marriage which failed. I didn’t know how to be a wife. He was an alcoholic “justified” by the phrase “functioning alcoholic.” The marriage was a mess. During the 8 years, I gained 150 lbs., my finances became messy, communication was shallow, my business was running but as I reflect back it was tangled and confused. How I did one thing was how I did everything.

As I entered my second marriage, I knew my goals. Communication was key, respect was present and trust was essential. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t immediate.

After an early implode, the crooked path became straight. I lost 150lbs., finances became stable, communication was ever-present and business goals changed and became clear and committed. How I did one thing was how I did everything.

A few keys that I believe help effect that change:

Our routines or habits make or break us

As with most things, the first step was to recognize the habits, routines and roadblocks that consistently show up in our life. For example, making excuses. I made excuses for my husband’s alcohol, my eating, my spending, and my business practices.

I had reasons for doing what I did. What applied to others didn’t apply to me. My circumstances were … different. Yeah, we know how that works. Hmmmm…where’d I put that tub of ice cream.

Locked in habits cause a lack of growth and keep us in the same routine. We can only succeed through growth, through breaking through limitations. We MUST break these habits to move forward, to straighten the path.

For me I had to replace the excuses with trust, communication and the willingness to readjust and change – to grow. This new direction became my North Star to follow. I wasn’t content with the failure in my life. I chose to push beyond my limits in order to get what I wanted in life. I still choose that every day.

I choose…

To live life with passion

I choose to be passionate about everything I do. Making a decision to live life on purpose and put effort into everything I do.

To live motivated

I have learned to understand that every day of our life, every single day, is an opportunity to get closer to our goals, our dreams. It is crucial to stay motivated through each and every situation, even with the mundane day-to-day tasks. Life has to be approached all in, with enthusiasm, with purpose.

To live with purpose

Intentional living is a necessity to move forward in life. For me, I have to establish strong goals, create accountability and keep the goals in the forefront.

A question: do you fully understand how you do “anything”?

How “everything” gets created in your life?

And the BIG question, if you aren’t fully satisfied with your “anything”, maybe now is the time to break old habits, create new paths and own that …

How we do anything is how we do everything

Change your anything to change your everything. Someday is now.

Deb Bostwick
Staff Blogger
Champion and Warrior