Wow. I spent the last couple days dealing with technical computer issues. It’s so easy to get distracted by unimportant things. That leads in perfectly to what I wanted to talk with you about today.
Have you noticed how easy it is to get distracted from doing important things…or is it just me? Social media is one of my big distractions lately. There are so many good thoughts and ideas being shared on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr and other media sharing services. It can take the whole day just reading posts.
…and then there’s YouTube. Have you ever spent hours watching funny or insightful videos…distracted from your “real work”? For many, social media, including YouTube is their real work.
Sometimes we get together and find ourselves talking to people who aren’t even there…
Still, how often do you, like me, find yourself distracted from what you know is important and necessary? Solving Big problems at work or at home; making important decisions that move you from where you are, to where you need to be. For some of us, just getting out of bed is our Next Big Step. For others, getting out for a healthy walk, bicycle ride or swim is the thing we most need to do. Falling short on the healthy exercise scale makes that other scale we don’t like to step on do unpleasant things.
Some of us need to get off the bad food we’ve treated ourselves to and eat much healthier. Getting the exercise, food and rest we need starts a good foundation we can build on as we Take The Next Big Step in our life.
Let’s be honest, distractions are one of our excuses for avoiding the important things we need to do. We can pretend to be too busy doing other “important” things to soothe the nagging feeling in our gut, that something Really Important isn’t getting our attention.
- Developing or improving a skill so we can contribute more value in our work.
- Learning a new language so we can communicate better with a co-worker or relocate to another country.
- Investing time and energy growing in struggling relationship.
- Starting a hobby to spend time with your kids.
- Taking responsibility for everything in your life and owning your future.
- Getting beyond blame and excuses.
- Making the commitment to invest in yourself and your success.
- Being the top salesperson or value creator in your industry.
Here’s the thing: No matter what The Next Big Step is for you, there will always be obstacles and distractions getting in your way. Excuses to settle for less than you know you want.
Why is it that we long for something better than we have experienced so far?
The reason we’re not always satisfied with what we already have is because we know there is something better out there. We yearn for something more, we yearn to do what we were made to do. That sensation of something missing is there because far too often you and I have settled for far less than we know we can do. We settled for mediocre in our life.
If it were only about “stuff” we want, we could excuse that as just being greedy or unsatisfied with what we have…spoiled even. It’s more than that. It’s not just things we want for ourself. The thing missing in most of our lives is our significant contribution to others. You can’t give what you don’t have…especially if the credit cards are already maxed out. That’s why it is so important that you and I make an investment in our own health, growth and development. We need to get to Bigger and Better in our life so we can share and help others…especially our family and close friends…get to Bigger and Better too. We grow making a significant investment in ourself so we can make a more significant investment in the lives of those we love. The most significant contribution you can make in your life is helping others to succeed. I develop my skills and abilities to help you develop your skills and abilities so you can change the life of someone else. In a very real sense, you and I can Change The World! But we can’t do it alone. I need you. You need others. We together can do some pretty amazing things, when we understand how important it is to work together and with our team.
Obstacles in your life can knock you down if you let them…or they can be building blocks that bring you to new levels of amazing success. The choice is fairly simple. At each roadblock or obstacles you and I must make a choice. Will we choose at this moment to be Bitter – complaining and blaming and excusing ourself? Or will we at the same moment choose instead to be Better – Growing through the experience brought to us by the obstacle?
Everyone – you and I – we all have this fundamental choice.
Why is it important to choose Better instead of Bitter?
Every new opportunity we have, every new experience in our life requires that we become a new person to experience it fully. We need to grow to a new level to reach a new plateau. From that new level, the new experience can be fully enjoyed and appreciated.
The problem is, many people stop being curious. They stop being open to new experiences. Stop enjoying anything outside their comfort zone. Stop growing.
It’s a shame.
Life can only be truly enjoyed when we choose to live it.
If you settle for doing the same things today that you did yesterday…settle for the same week as last week…same year as last year…. Do you see a pattern?
What if…life were an adventure?
What if today was more exciting than yesterday? What if next week there were something exciting to look forward to?
So many people think life will improve someday…but take not steps to make life improve.
And then we discover that our economy is declining.
Another obstacle.
If what you’re currently doing depends on a stable or improving economy, this could be a problem.
What if your future didn’t depend on an improving economy? What if you could create your own economy?
Do you know anyone who makes more money in a month than you have ever made in a year? Do you believe it’s possible for someone to show you how to create your own economy, your own income?
Has anyone ever given you permission to play Big?
- Imagine what it will be like creating value and helping others live a better life than they ever imagined possible.
- Finding like-minded people who have similar goals, outlook and focus.
- Building a team to encourage, support and challenge you to be better than you can ever be by yourself.
The importance of a mentor can never be overstated. Someone who experienced things you’re going through who brings their perspectives and experience to your situation. Someone who can see things you don’t see yet. And experienced mentor or coach can help you make progress at least ten times faster than trying to do everything by yourself.
When I began my journey through some significant struggles, my first response was panic; sheer terror at the prospect of loss. I spent months reading and looking for the right information to make the proper investment in myself. I found a support group that helped me very significantly. But all these steps took me a long time. I was limited by the expertise of the support group that met only once each week. I could only read so many books as I struggled to find the right information to help me make progress.
An experienced mentor who went through struggles and helped me focus my efforts would have saved significant time and made my journey much less traumatic…but I didn’t understand that yet. I kept trying to do everything by myself.
I strongly recommend that you find someone who has experience dealing with real struggles. Don’t settle for one of those coaches who learned everything in college or one who reads everything from a script.
If you hesitate to join a local support group…and many people feel uncomfortable joining a local face-to-face group, I developed a solution that can help!
Every successful person has coaches, mentors and support groups to lead and inspire them to new levels of success.
Take a minute and do the following steps:
- Sign up for the Free Action Guide I wrote specially for you.
- Like www.Facebook.com/takethenextbigstep so you get updates on my posts
- Give me some feedback about where you are in your journey: TakeTheNextBigStep@gmail.com Include your biggest question when you write.
- If you’d like to get in touch, contact me at our International Office: 832-592-7853
Whatever you do. Start making investments in yourself that get you to the Bigger and Better you deserve.
Bigger and Better. We Can Do It Together™.
