Sadly, I could share all of the Rich Habits, success tips, wealth advice, health research, etc. with everyone in the world and still only a small percentage would take action.
Why are so few willing to take action and change their lives?
Because change is hard and only a small percentage will make the effort to change what needs to be changed in order for the circumstances of their lives to improve.
Why are so few unwilling to do the work in order to change the circumstances of their lives?
There are a number of reasons, actually.
Reason #1 Need to Hit Rock Bottom
Some people need to hit rock bottom before they will do what needs to be done. When you hit rock bottom, that usually means one of two things have happened:
- Those who love and care about you have given you an ultimatum. Ignore it and they will abandon you, leaving you all alone.
- Those who love and care about you have abandoned you. You’re on your own.
Reason #2 Need External Motivation
Some people need external motivation. This external source could be a person, a book, a movie, a seminar, a blog post or even a podcast. Tony Robbins butters his bread thanks to this group of people.
Reason #3 Need a Mentor
Some people need to be pushed into action by someone they highly respect and admire. This could be a parent, spouse, child, boss, grandparent, friend, etc.
If you choose to wait to hit rock bottom, or for some external influence to motivate you or for that influential someone to come along, you could be waiting a long time. If that internal or external motivation to change never manifests itself, change is impossible.
So, what can you do?
You need to become the CEO of your life. You need to take control over your life.
Here are some tools/ideas to help you take control of your life.
Dream-Setting
Dream-Setting is a fun activity. I get a lot of comments from readers/subscribers who have engaged in Dream-Setting, and all of them tell me how much they enjoyed Dream-Setting.
Dream-Setting is fun because it forces you to use your imagination, like you did when you were a kid. Dream-Setting is a four-step process that will light your imagination on fire and get you motivated to change your life. Here’s the process:
- Create a Script of Your Ideal Future Life – Pretend it is ten years into the future and you are writing in your journal. Describe in detail every amazing thing about this ideal, future life of yours. Also, describe your journey over the past ten years – Exactly what happened over the past ten years? Shoot for 500-1,000 words. This script must be two parts:
- Part I = Describe your amazing future life: house you live in, what you do for a living, how much you make, how much wealth you’ve accumulated, where you live, vacations you take, etc.
- Part II = Describe how you got there – what did you do over the past ten years that helped you create this ideal life. What dreams and goals did you realize/achieve. What successes and achievements did you have? How did you, as a person, change over the past ten years?
- Identify Each Dream – Define each specific dream that is a component of your ideal, future life.
- Create Goals Around Each Dream – Build individual goals around each dream. In order to realize a given dream, it may require that you accomplish numerous goals. Once you accomplish those goals, your dream will be realized. Think of each dream as a rung on a ladder. Every time you realize a dream, you climb that ladder, dream by dream, until you reach the top. At that top sits your ideal, future life.
- Create Habits Around Your Goals – The final step requires that you forge daily habits (goal habits) that, when accomplished each day, brings you closer to achieving each individual goal.
Experiment With New Activities
When you experiment with new activities, you will eventually stumble upon an activity you really enjoy; an activity that puts you in a State of Flow. The State of Flow is triggered when you are doing something you love. It is also triggered when any new activity comes easier to you than it does for others.
When you love doing something, the brain notifies you by releasing dopamine. That dopamine explosion is the brain’s neon sign that you may have found an innate talent.
When you are in a State of Flow, you are able to focus for many hours on something without taking a break. And when you do have to break from the activity, your find yourself constantly thinking about that activity. That State of Flow is another neon sign that you may have unearthed an innate talent.
We all have innate talents that are unique to each one of us. Your innate talents were hardwired into your DNA the moment you were conceived. Those who discover their innate talent, never have to work another day in their lives because they enjoy their “work” so much.
Find a Mentor
Mentors are individuals who actively steer you in the right direction. Mentors teach you what to do and what not to do. They are sounding boards for the decision you have to make. Mentor keep you motivated because they care about you. And because they care, they are the best accountability partners you can have.
Finding a mentor is not easy. For most, the only shot at having a mentor is a parent. When parents fail in the mentoring department, it’s up to you to find a mentor.
And mentors are everywhere. They are at work. They are on boards of local, community non-profits. They can be found in books, on podcasts, watching TEDx or YouTube videos.
Don’t wait for motivation in order to pursue change.
Make the pursuit of change a daily habit.
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