If you’ve got a goal, what’s the fastest way to reach that goal?
If you pay attention to any of the influencers, marketers, productivity gurus or hustle and grind content creators, you might think that the answer is…
“Work harder”
Makes sense I suppose. If you want a goal, work towards it.
I used to constantly read “I got where I am because I busted my ass for it!”
One of the great lies told to everyone who works, is that working hard yields the best results.
Which is an amazon coincidence because they happen to have a course, software, product and platform that will help you work harder!
Isn’t that a stroke of luck!
Now ask yourself, do you think that the level of work you do is equal to the results that you’re yielding?
Do you honestly think that I work harder than you?
How about the super rich, ultra successful people?
Do they have 10, or 100 or 1000 times more than you, because they work 10 times harder or 1000 longer than you?
I could bust my ass of 12 hours a day washing cars with my hands and never ever earn as much as I do now, working 2 to 3 hours a day.
And yes, the key is absolutely having a clear goal. That’s the best place to start.
Rule 1: Know what you want.
But the fastest, easiest and most pain free way to get what you want?
Rule 2.
Make sure they know what you want.
Rule 2 is: make sure they know what you want.
Anyone close to you – they need to know.
Anyone who works with you and for you – they need to know.
Your customers and your suppliers – they need to know.
Telling people what you want, and making sure that they can repeat back to you, what you want, is CRITICAL to getting what you want.
Now I’ve never met anyone who I’ve told this to, who doesn’t’ immediately feel a shudder of fear when I say that rule 2 is the next step.
- But what if they laugh at me?
- What if they judge me?
- What if they see me try and fail?
- I don’t want a team of people!
I wish your fears and objections were unique, but they’re not. We’ll cover that in another email.
But I want you to try something.
At the start of the year, I was feeling pretty down and depressed. Long nights, dark days, cold rain. And then you have to take down all the lovely Christmas decorations and lights.
Ugh.
And I realised that what I wanted (rule 1) was a) some fairy lights in the house for winter to make it slightly more bearable and 2) to drive to Italy.
No idea where the second idea came from. But after reading through my journal it was clear that I’d been contemplating it for a while.
And the scary part, was telling my wife. My wife Olivia is the most supportive and caring person in the world. She has never EVER given up on me.
Even when we’ve had late payment notices come through the door.
Even when I have given up on myself.
She never did.
But there was still a fear of judgement. Maybe she’d think I’m weird or childish or (stupidly) un-manly.
What if she thought it was a stupid idea or a waste of money.
Both the lights and the driving trip.
But I swallowed my fear (rule 3: don’t fear being vulnerable, failure, ridicule or judgement) and I told her.
She was not only supportive. She thought it was a good idea.
There might have to be compromises of course.
But we moved one step closer that day, and that’s all that matters.So who needs to know what you want?