#thecharge

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SUMMARY:

Are you stuck in analysis paralysis? Is there something you should be doing, but but you consistently find that you are not taking action? Here’s what to do:

Look Beyond Yourself and Serve. Stop worrying if you’re good enough,  ready enough, or getting everything perfect in order to start. Look beyond yourself and realize your taking action can help others - your family, your team, your business and community. Serve! The way to get out of your head is to get in motion serving other people. 

Clarify your vision and work backward. What does your ultimate outcome look like? What would you define as success? How will you know when you’ve reached your goal? Once you have that vision clear in your head, work backwards from that to define the process to accomplish it. You don’t have to know every step, just a step.

Accomplish 3 things every day. Just take three steps every day. If you don’t know where to start, try modeling others. What path did they follow? What are their habits? What do they seem to do every day or weekly?

Daily Practice. If something is important to you, it needs to become a constant in your life. You need discipline and the willingness to show up every day and work towards it. Put it in your calendar and do something every day. The momentum of that will teach you to stop stalling.   

Do that, and you’ll start to experience what we call The Charged Life!

Stream this episode below, listen on iTunes, or right-click here to download.

TRANSCRIPT

Analysis paralysis.

Why is it that sometimes you know what you should be doing but you just kind of keep reading about it or listening about it or going to seminars on it or reading books or blogs or posts or following people but you’re consuming all this information and not taking action?

And you keep thinking… “Why do I just I keep stewing on it, I keep thinking about it but I’m not doing anything towards it? What’s going on? Why am I spinning my wheels studying all the time and not taking real action?”

Let’s talk about that.

First and foremost, I’m going to say something that you’re not going to like but out of these four ideas I think this is the most important one, to kind of grab somebody and rattle them a little bit when they’ve been dreaming about something or thinking about something or studying it but not taking action.

And so, let me say it lightly but kind of directly, and that is: They’re selfish.

They’ve gotten into a place where all they’re thinking about is themselves in this process.

·      Do I know enough?

·      Am I good enough?

·      Am I ready?

·      What will people think of me?

·      Do I have the complete plan?

·      Have I taken out all the risks and all the unknowns?

·      Have I considered every angle from Sunday?

 They’ve done everything they could possibly do to control what is ultimately the uncontrollable.  But worse, they got their perspective too myopic. They’re just focused on themselves. 

To move someone forward, we have to have them have a greater connection with why they’re doing it. The reason a lot of people haven’t taken action is because they’re just so focused on themselves and they’re minimizing themselves… doubt, concern, fear, worry, hurt, they forgot to serve!

You wanna take more action? SERVE!

Think about: What is the outcome of when I do this, who is it gonna help?

How is it going to change their life? How is it going to shift society? How is it going to make that difference?

Connect with that again! 

You’ve got too much in your head and out of the outcome. You’ve gotta get your head back in the outcome because when you start attaching to the difference, to the real magic, and you know it’s going to help somebody, your brain goes “Hey dummy! Do something here, you gotta help some people.” 

And you’ll get off of that rotation of self concern. It is the self concern that is really fueling the analysis paralysis. 

We gotta get you back into service because you know what? Leaders do. You know what?

Those who are out there trying to serve the world, trying to make a difference, they do the difficult work even when they’re unsure, even when they’re unready, even when they don’t have all the information they need because it’s their job to help people. So they just get in the mix. Let me help you, I don’t know all the answers but let me try to help you over here.

They’re serving others and from that higher calling, that higher mission, that higher purpose, they’re ready to get in the game even if they don’t know exactly how the game works, even if they don’t know all the controllables. They just get in the game. Because they want to help.

So we gotta get that serving spirit back into your body and into your mind if you’re ever going to move beyond analysis paralysis. There’s a bigger game to play. There’s people waiting on you, who need your help. Get over your stuff and help them.

I think that will serve.

The second idea is to clarify: What is your vision and the process necessary for making that vision come true? Because sometimes analysis paralysis is that you just don’t feel competent or clear. It’s just like, you know you want to help people, but you aren’t exactly sure what you’re supposed to do or how to do it. So what I’d recommend is think about the ultimate outcome when someone’s life is changed, if that’s what you’re seeking to do, or a business is built or something is actually in motion happening. What’s that look like? I mean, in a detailed level, what is the ultimate outcome look like? In other words, how do you know when you’ve won? How do you know when you’re happy with it? It’s the success, it’s going well. How do you know? What conditions would have to be met? What would your day be like? What would the business be like? What would the impact be like? Really think about that and then work backwards from that.

Ok, If the outcome is “My business is running without me, but I find myself doing all this analysis paralysis, I don’t know what to do”, well the problem is there’s this disconnect. Business runs without you, you’re researching but there’s nothing happening in between because you’re not working backwards.

Let’s work backwards: Ok, business runs without me.

What does that mean? Well it means income is coming in.

Ok, where is the income coming from? Well it’s coming from automation and my team.

Ok, so I need to automate things and create a team.

Well, how do I do that? And you just keep working backwards to today.

And that’s what’s really important. Is if you feel like you’re just spinning your wheels it’s because you don’t have a clear plan and outcome. So sit down today, create that plan, create that outcome and start working it. All the way back to today.

What’s step one? A simple thing to do that, to help you with that is this next point. And that is just accomplish 3 things every single day to move forward to that outcome and plan. 3 things every day. That’s it.

It’s like, you say

-       “You know what? I’m still uncertain, I still don’t have all the variables.”

-       Great! What’s the 3 things you did today?

-       Uhhhh…

That’s where you get people. Just take 3 actions every single day and things will be great. A lot of people say “I don’t know what to do”, well that comes into now once you have the service in mind, you have the outcome and the process, sometimes you need to model other people.

What else is other people doing? And if you’re uninformed with that, it’s hard to know the path. Sometimes what you need to do, you need to go to a seminar or conference from somebody or a group of people who are doing the same thing you want to be doing. Sometimes that means getting a coach or a consultant who already has the path figured out and can serve you in that process. Sometimes that means as simple as just networking around town to figure out who else is kind of doing this who I can take out to lunch and ask them about their process. Sometimes just modeling others will give you that motivation because you’ll have more clarity and perspective to begin.

Then last piece… It has to become a daily practice for you. If there’s something that is important to you, a lot of the analysis paralysis is…. Stop blaming analysis ‘cause it’s really your brain is not the problem… it’s the discipline, it’s the willingness to show up every day and work towards something. That’s why I say those 3 goals, or accomplishing 3 things every day is really important, but I really want to fine tune this year for you and make sure you’re hearing me.

Every day.

That the problem with analysis paralysis is that it happens more often for us the less often we do things. Does that make sense? You get stuck more often when you’re not moving more often. I know it’s almost like you have to kind of think about that ‘cause there’s a little irony there, but the reality is that if you find yourself stopping and thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking it’s because you’re not in motion enough and we need to get you in motion again and the only way to get you in motion again is to make sure you have a daily habit that is keeping you moving forward to that thing you want to make happen. 

Look, the analysis paralysis, if it’s a mind game then I get it, then maybe you just have this problem that you’re constantly always in your head. The way to get out of your head is to get in motion serving other people.

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SUMMARY:

Few people report having one, singular life purpose. That’s a myth that grew out of the time in which we were trapped in the jobs of the tribe or village; you had to choose to be a baker or a blacksmith, and because you died young, in your 20s or 30s, you had to choose quickly. 

Today, there’s more opportunity, no borders, and longer life-spans. So you’ll have multiple purposes and missions throughout life. Here’s how to narrow them down to what matters:

Live the best quality of life that you can. This should be one of the main missions for us all, don’t you think? Make it a priority to grow and excel in your health, relationships, career, finances, spirituality, hobbies. Improve each of these areas and you’ll start to feel on purpose.

Follow your interests. Whatever you are deeply curious about is worth exploring. So, whether it’s design, photography, fashion, food, or coding, go down the wormhole. Explore your passions with enough verve and you will find what is right for you. 

Allow yourself to transition from one thing to another. To find your most meaningful mission, you’ll have to try a few out. Give yourself permission to move between jobs, careers, companies, and passionate pursuits. The only boundaries are boundaries of belief.

Serve! You can travel the world looking for some magnificent purpose, but after all the belly gazing the truth that always emerges is this: by serving others we feel more purposeful. So just look around you and ask, “How can I help?” In the spirit of service we will soar to our full potential.

Be bold, bounce around, try new things, discover what is important to you, and suddenly you’ll start to feel what we call The Charged Life!

Stream this episode below, listen on iTunes, or right-click here to download.

   Transcription

Let’s talk about your life’s mission, your life’s purpose. What you’re here to do.

If you know what that is, phenomenal. That’s incredible and congratulations because so few people will ever find that but I also want to rattle it a little bit if you think you know what it is and also make it okay if you don’t know what it is.

There is this big myth that all of us have to have this one narrowly defined mission on the planet. And I’m not sure that that’s so true. And if you track it back into the times of philosophy or you track it back into times of the more of the modern era, you start to see: It really started to emerge as a big conversation really around that time when people were supposed to be apprentices in little villages.

That time they’re really animated in the popular culture was when it was all about the industrial revolution. Figure out your niche, your skills, the thing that you were supposed to do and I don’t see that as relevant today where you have so many people who are doing multiple passion projects that they are:

·       Deeply engaged with,

·       They find meaningful,

·       They find fulfilling, and

·       They’re difficult to put on a business card as one thing.

I actually believe that as cultures continue to become more developed. As the worldwide global sort-of phenomenon happens of freelancers, of very flexible workplaces and work ideas that we will start to see more and more people getting away from this idea that they have to be one thing. You don’t have to be or do just one thing.

A lot of the great leaders, scientists, thought leaders of the past, they did lots of things; they had lots of goofy passions. Einstein didn’t just do one thing. He actually had an incredible diversity of interests. So did Leonardo da Vinci and so did Michelangelo, so does Bill Gates. Come on, it’s like very few people have just this one thing.

They might become known for one thing but as you see the more wealth someone gets, or the more influence they get, the more they tend to diverge out into multiple areas of interests that draw their passion, and it’s hard to just define what’s their one mission.

Today, with so many opportunities, I think it’s not about just one mission because you’re going to have lots of missions that you go on in your life. But rather, it’s about finding messages that are important to you. Things that you say, “I believe in that message and I’m going to support it in every way I can. And I believe in this over here too. I’m going to support it in every way that I can. And I believe in this project. And I’m going to support it in every way I can.”

It’s important to have a diversity of interest and missions in life, I believe. But to those who say, “No, you got to have this one thing. Brendon, I feel so lost and confused, I got to have a thing. What’s my thing?”

Well, here’s some ideas for you:

First and foremost, if you’re looking for one defined mission in your life, make it this: To live the best quality of life that you can. And what that means is it’s going to be not just focusing on one thing, it’s going to look at your overall life.

What do I mean by that?

- Well, when you think about your life, there’s so many areas of your life, right?

·       You’ve got your health.

·       You’ve got your relationships.

·       You’ve got your intimate relationships, if you have one.

·       You’ve got your finances.

·       You’ve got your spirituality and your practices.

·       You’ve got your hobbies.

·       You’ve got your ability to do something, to have a job or a career or a mission or a purpose.

·       You’ve got all these 7 or 8 major areas of your life.

I think that everyone’s missions should be, “How can I grow in each of those areas and live each of those areas by my own standards, by my own ambitions; contributing what I really desire in this area?”

·       How can I optimize my health?

·       How can I optimize what I do during the day?

·       How can I optimize my relationships?

It’s that idea that we can all grow and develop a greater level of self-mastery in all areas of our life. And I often tell people, if you start optimizing all the different areas of your life, the mission begins to emerge. Because what you’ll have to go through to improve each of those areas of your life will start connecting you with

·       New learning,

·       New ideas,

·       New mentors,

·       New role models.

And in that process, you’ll start to see more things because it’s hard to have a mission in life if you’ve never seen anything. So, what I always tell to high schoolers or college graduates or something, “Go out and see stuff. See that world. Go explore a little bit.”

It’s hard to say, “Well, here’s what I’m supposed to do if you’ve never seen anything.”

So, go try a bunch of different things.

I would say, “Also, follow your interests.”

If you’re deeply curious in your off-hours; you’re paying attention to photography or you find yourself always so fascinated by this one topic—whether it’s fashion or music or the arts, or whether it’s geeking out and coding on cool stuff. It’s like whatever it is that you’re just passionately interested in,

·       That interest might develop into a calling.

·       That interest might be worth exploring.

That interest … like go down the wormhole. Don’t be scared of it. You’ll be like, “Oh wow, I’m really, I’m interested in this for some reason. I wonder if I can do an internship on that. I wonder if I can get a job in that.” And really or do something to earn some revenue doing something like that.

Like really get passionate about your interests and as you do that, you’ll start to find out what’s really right for you. And sometimes, after doing something right for you long enough and being rewarded for it, you say, “This is my thing. This is what I’m supposed to do.”

I’m sure the last idea is that: If you can free yourself at this point in your life to allow yourself to transition from one thing to another, you’re more likely to find the mission. A lot of people never find the mission if that really exists because what ends up happening is they get stopped and blocked and stuck into doing one thing. And they’re scared to transition.

Those who tend to find their real mission; if you talk to them, they transition to a lot of different things. They had a lot of different interests and they weren’t scared to bounce from:

·       One job to another,

·       One career or company to another.

·       One passionate pursuit to another.

In other words, they tried a lot of things; they had a lot of resilience and a lot of self-reliance in trying new things and bouncing back from those things that didn’t work.

And so, if you just feel totally stuck in, “I just have no idea what I’m supposed to do”, then what you’re supposed to do is change.

If you’re at that place where you’re just like, “I am so confused about what I’m supposed to do”, you need to shift. You need to get into your heart, into your head, into your spirit and say, “What would be something that would draw my passion right now? What can I be really interested in?” And bounce. Go to that thing. Try that thing. Really get into it because, if you’re stuck, you’re never going to find it.

Oh, and bonus idea for you. If you don’t know what your mission is, you’ve pursued all your passions, you’ve gone down the wormhole of your interests, you’ve seen the world and you still don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing—a simple thing: Ask how you can help.

Sometimes we think we’re going to figure it out in some esoteric, amazing moment of “Woaaaa!  I found my calling or my passion.” You’re like a certain day, you’re going to walk out the door and the piano of purpose lands on you. It might not happen that way. You might not actually be able to figure out your mission or your purpose until you serve, until you help people.

So, on your personal journey, to try and figure out what you’re supposed to do, don’t forget to stop and ask others, “How can I help? Do you need anything?” Sometimes, in those moments of service and helping other people, we get our greatest levels of transformation and clarity.