I used to have a lot of excuses about why I didn't have the life I wanted. “There aren't enough hours in the day.” “I don't have enough money.” “My job sucks” (and later “my business sucks.”)
Over time, and with a lot of introspection, I came to realize that all my excuses didn't make my life any better, and they certainly didn't get me any closer to having a business or living I life I LOVED. My excuses kept me at the mercy of circumstances, of the external world, of other people's demands and agendas.
This all changed when I got this “crazy” idea to embark on a road trip around the country for a year. The problem was that my business was structured to keep me in one place, working with clients one-on-one and in person, and so I did not have the freedom to leave for months at a time. For the first time, however, instead of shrugging my shoulders and accepting my lot as fate, I did something drastic: I decided to change my business model and create my life around what I WANTED instead of settling for what WAS.
When I left, I actually predicted (and made peace with the idea) that my business wouldn't grow, and would actually contract (revenue-wise) while I was gone. Instead, 9 months after I left, when we closed our books for the year, my business had TRIPLED. 14 months after I left, my business hit 7 figures. No one was more surprised than me.
This story (and many more like it since) have shown me the difference between living from CIRCUMSTANCES (my old way) and living from VISION (my new way). I share this with you to inspire you to look at your work, your business, your life and ask: are you making decisions from “reality” — what's logical, expected, normal, acceptable, and realistic, or are you living from your VISION — what you desire deep down, hope for and dream about?
No one would ever blame you or ridicule you for being “realistic,” and yet, being “realistic” isn't what creates incredible experiences, movements, businesses or lives.
When we live from circumstances, it often sounds something like this:
“I would start my own business, but I don't have the money.”
“I would travel more, if only I didn't have children.”
“I can't change careers because I've already invested too much in this one.”
EVERYBODY has excuses at some point or another. But what successful people do differently (and when I say successful, I'm not talking about just money or status – I'm talking about fulfillment and contribution) is that they make decisions from where they want to be, rather than from where they are today.
So… what do you REALLY want? And what's stopping you from having it?
Food for thought.