November 25, 2005
It's Time For YOU To Start Creating Your OWN Future!
I've had a couple of reminders this week that made me realize how even little decisions or circumstances can change the outcome of your entire life.
I was having a discussion with my parents about why I didn't go to University when I could have easily done so. The problem was - I didn't like school much, and wanted to learn 'on the job'.
And...if I hadn't left school at 16 to work in a bank - then I would have never have met my wife, Lesley - nor had my kids.
Bet you've got a story like that too, right?
Well...can you beat my mother's...?
"If it wasn't raining - I would never had met your father!"
You probably already know that if it wasn't for the birth (and subsequent loss) of my severely disabled son, Connor - that I wouldn't be writing this to you now. I would probably still working in a 9-5, dreaming of wanting to work for myself.
Well...if it wasn't for losing Connor - then we wouldn't have moved sixty miles to live near the coast (where my in-laws had moved to)...and a year later, MY parents would never have followed!
That little boy changed many peoples' lives - that's for sure.
Not only that - in a completely different conversation yesterday with my brother, Mark - I found out that, if it wasn't for Connor's funeral - he would never have met his now wife! (A long story!)
So...why am I sharing this with YOU?
Well...a few subjects like this have come up recently...
"If it hadn't been x then I would never had y"
And...perhaps surprisingly - some of the MAJOR life-changing outcomes in my business life, for example, have been the result of what, at the time, seemed very minor decisions or chance meetings.
The result of one of these chance meetings will undoubtedly contribute to my future wealth over the coming years, that's for sure.
Hindsight is, of course, a wonderful thing...but if you look hard enough, you'll usually find a serious lesson that you can apply to FUTURE decisions.
For example - in MANY of those past circumstances that turned out profitably in the future - I had need to get myself out of my comfort zone to be there in the first place.
Whether it was taking the chance on getting a job, putting myself forward to speak when I had never done so before, or by paying out a lot and flying thousands of miles to attend a seminar.
It comes down to the old Jim Rohn saying...that you may have heard elsewhere before...
"If you continue to do what you've always done - you're going to get what you've always got"
Simple, yes - but it makes SO much sense when you consider it for a moment.
YOUR life and future success is determined by the DECISIONS and the subsequent related IMPLEMENTATION of them.
Guess why most unsuccessful and unhappy people want other people to make the decisions for them - and do the work for them?
Every single decision you make will have an OUTCOME.
Sure - not all outcomes may turn out the way you want them to - but, you will have more information to make a BETTER and more informed decision next time.
All of the successful people I have ever met push themselves forward, challenge themselves, make themselves take action.
Some actually work 'harder' at this than others (myself I'm pretty lazy compared to most of them) - but nevertheless the simple ability to make a decision and act on it sets them apart from 99% of anyone else on this planet.
And...even YOU can make a decision and act on it - even if it is a little uncomfortable, can't you?
So - what are you waiting for?
Just one little circumstance that you get yourself into because of this WILL change your life in the future - no question.
I think that it's time for YOU to start creating your OWN future!
Are you ready?
November 17, 2005
Go On Then - Make That Decision...
Are you a decision maker?
Why am I asking?
Well...I've spent the last two days making some big decisions in relation the future direction of what I want to do with my business, and it go me thinking...
Isn't the ability to make quick decisions a trait of successful people?
I'd like to think so.
In fact, I KNOW so.
Why?
Well...a couple of weeks ago at a seminar I met a number of decision makers.
Sure, they had made a decision to be there, but they had also made the decision to take the opportunity to spend some time looking how they could apply their new knowledge.
The task-lists were flying!
One interesting thing I found was that, as I was out of my normal, sit-at-my-pc-all-day-in-my-study routine - it was easier for me to step outside of my business and think more long-term, instead of just dealing with the day-to-day.
The result?
Mr Lazy Entrepreneur has almost done a full working week this week - the first time in a fair few months, that's for sure!
Does that mean that I am succumbing to those people who tell you that you should be constantly working yourself into the ground?
Err - no.
What it means is that I am so full of ideas, action-plans, and focus on the future that all REAL inspiration should bring.
And, boy, am I having to make some serious decisions!
As you may have noticed - I released Self-Improvement Review this week, and next week I am finishing up on another project that relates to other things I do online.
In a sense - I'm also de-cluttering some of my long-term projects that have been started for some time (even years!) - yet haven't quite been finished.
Organizing the proper promotion of my Home Study Program - The Truth About Success is one of those items that has been on my agenda for some time.
It's a brilliant, and life-changing resource (not my words - just take a look at the testimonials on the site) - and I feel that it's about time that I gave it the attention it deserves.
I bet you've probably got a few things that you KNOW that you SHOULD have done by now but haven't, don't you?
It might be painting the house, clearing out the garage, making those phone calls, or working through that course you bought.
The thing is - and I've mentioned this a few times before - the very fact that something needs doing is taking your focus away from the GOOD stuff that challenges, inspires, and motivates you.
For example, I'm overdue on going through all my tax stuff - and it's constantly nagging away at me that I should have done it all a couple of months ago.
Guess what the first thing I'm going to do is when I finish the project I'm currently working on?
Not a nice decision to make - to do something that you can't be bothered to do - but, once it's out of the way, you'll be amazed at what opportunities and ideas will flood into your mind to replace it.
Perhaps that's why I let things build up - so that I can make the most of all that NEW space in my head?!
There's never a better time to make a decision when you don't want to.
The most successful people make the most difficult (but informed) decisions at various stages of their lives - so don't you think that YOU ought to try to think that way, too?
As always - it's up to you.
YOUR success is down to YOU - no one else.
