In life, most people instead of living the life they want, live the life they are given because most of the time, we react to situations by following the path of least resistance because we are only human.
For example, when a job opportunity opens up, we take the job without really considering the long term effect because we “need the money”. The problem is, if this behavior cycle repeats enough times, one day you wake up wondering how you “got here” and “whose life is this that you are living?”
The antidote is to interrupt that pattern of behavior by asking yourself the following three questions every single day of your life. The answers to them will serve as your road map and with it; you are less likely to be distracted or take a wrong turn by opportunities that doesn’t move you closer to your goals.
Question 1: What do I want?
Have you ever honestly asked yourself that question?
The truth is most people from all over the world cannot confidently and honestly answer that question. So, ask yourself these critical questions:
- What do I want from life?
- What do I want it to look like?
- Where do I want to live?
- Who do I want to be with?
- What do I want to be doing every day?
- Do I want to build a legacy?
- Do I want to be creative?
Here’s the secret:
You won’t figure this out today, tomorrow, or next week, or even by the end of this year and that is FINE. It’s not even the answer that’s important as much as the active practice of asking yourself these question. That way, the next time a bright shiny opportunity comes your way that will require a great deal of your time, you can ask yourself, “Is this really what I want”? If it isn’t, you move on. If it is, then you take it by the horns and make the most of it. You’ll be armed with the most powerful tool of all: the ability to say no. This question offers unparalleled clarity and direction.
Question 2: Who can I serve?
Here’s the secret to getting everything you want in life: “Find people who are hurting, and help them”. In the world of business it’s called “adding value.” Every successful business, every successful career and every successful organization exists only because it serves others.
Here’s how to figure out who to serve: Look at the people you love to be around, people who energize you and fulfill you. Ask them what keeps them up at night. Ask them what hurts in their life. Ask them how you could help. If you make a practice of doing this, asking people how you can help, you’ll discover an endless supply of opportunity to add value to others and it really will be endless. If you can take action on even a small portion of this unlimited supply of opportunity, you’ll give yourself the leverage to live whatever life you desire.
Question 3: Why not now?
Don’t ignore asking yourself this question every single day because when your brain sees a long list of “to do” items, it is asking the question “Why not tomorrow?” And because you are only human, you respond with, “Yeah, why not tomorrow?” Some people label this procrastination.
You’ve spent the past few moments thinking about the life you want to live and the people you might be able to serve that will allow you to live that life.
So, why not now?
If your brain spits back a list of reasons, write them down. Stick that paper on your desk and revisit it tomorrow. When you wake up in the morning, look at that piece of paper. It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do to show you how silly and hurtful and useless your excuses are. Seeing them on paper, disconnected from the chatter in your brain, will prove to you that you can and should pursue your dreams.
Do this activity every single day – Monday through Sunday.
At first, your actions will be small. Maybe you’ll send an email to a friend to find out how you can serve them, or maybe you’ll find some online training that will show you how to achieve more. But over time, this simple exercise will etch away the stone and reveal the singular road map for your success. It’s the simplest way to strategically design your dream lifestyle.
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