Vision First
Where am I headed with this notion of inspiring sacrifice? It starts with each of us as individuals. More specifically, it comes from those times in our lives when the world seems to be closing in around us.
Whether it's a personal issue, a complex professional challenge, or your desire to change your life for the better, two things (at least) are in play:
1. The pressure of getting through whatever "it" is
2. Finding the strength to make the necessary changes to "get there"
For me, it starts with a vision. What do I want my professional life to look like? How do I want my life to be outside the world of work (remember, work is not your life, it's just an important part.) How do I want to feel from a health and fitness perspective. All of these pieces are linked together. We literally can not separate them into convenient little buckets.
Trust me on this one...I've tried many, many times.
Finding Strength
Moving our grand visions from concept to reality requires much more than wishing them to be true. How exactly does one move past pain, challenges, frustration, disappointment, anxiety all the while staying fired up and believing they will achieve their goals?
How do you inspire this kind of sacrifice?
Where do you draw the strength necessary, when you have run out of resources, but still need to push harder?
How do you continue to challenge yourself to excel when you are exhausted?
How do you push beyond every boundary when you are ready to collapse physically, emotionally and mentally?
When it must be done...how do you get there?
Go Deeper
There is more to draw upon actually, but there is a powerful barrier in the way.
It is our mind. It tells us we can't continue. It tells us we will get hurt, physically, emotionally and mentally. It never stops telling us to take the easy path.
- No need to push for that organizational change...it will be too political
- No need to do any more reps, you've worked hard enough in the gym today
- No need to have the tough conversations in your life, just shut down and it will pass
Well my friends, our minds are wrong. We can withstand so much more. Our minds are in fact constantly searching for the easiest path forward. However, the easiest path produces zero results, physically, mentally and emotionally.
The easiest path is paved with familiar, and sadly, comfortable excuses for you to remain mediocre.
It is only when we reject our soft self-talk that we achieve breakthroughs. It is only when we decide to push through the pain and stress and fear that we achieve greatness. It is only when we decide to be something much better than we are today, that we take our entire lives to a completely new place.
How About You
So, what is the secret source of the necessary focus to "get there?" For me it is a combination of faith, self-reflection, and a bold commitment to turn off the noise (my own, and from everyone else) to achieve things I never thought possible.
Who's with me?
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
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