I was just making my way through old blog posts and cleaning them up a bit and came across this one originally written in August of 2012. I’m not all business all the time but I make sure I am doing things that get me closer to my goals because I know deep down that working towards and accomplishing my goals makes me feel good from the inside out.
(Originally written August 2012) As I was getting ready to write my weekly blog post, I sat on my front porch here in Costa Rica scrolling through my phone checking out Facebook. When I saw that Kim Murgatroyd from Jet Set Life had put out another blog post, I was sooooo excited!!!
Rob and Kim have been a very big inspiration for me in my transition from my 9-5 cubicle-dwelling life to living out our dreams. I met Rob and Kim through our love of fitness and our competitive fitness team.
Rob and Kim’s blog posts, videos, email newsletters, and conversations, have contributed to our picture of my ideal life. Not a life designed by “should” and society or any other outside factor, but by truly living out our dreams. I just love their philosophies and outlook on life… “Ask why… don’t follow the path of least resistance and most conformity… be clear on what you REALLY want out of life… and DON’T make excuses,” which leads me back to my original point… Kim’s blog post this morning…
Kim hit on one of the phrases I hear a lot, “you are just lucky,” and shared this fantastic chart that we have seen floating around on Facebook this week:
“Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity,” and guess what… WE ALL MAKE OUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES. It is called TAKING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. If you want to spend your days in a fulfilling career free from location constraints, take action to make it happen. If you want to have the body of your dreams, don’t just sit around waiting for it to just happen… because it won’t.
Ok, so you understand that YOU have the power… how do you get there?
Step 1: Be ABSOLUTELY CLEAR on what you want. You don’t have to know how you are going to get there just yet, but if you don’t know where you are going, you will NEVER EVER get there.
Step 2: Take the time to think outside the box. Your traditional thoughts have brought you to your current situation/position. It is time to STOP and consider different courses of action.
Think you don’t have time to think outside the box? Think your day is too busy?
“I’m too busy is the grown up version of ‘the dog ate my homework’ excuse.”
I once heard an audio program (during my highway educational period… aka the YEARS spent commuting 2.5 hours each day):
E vs. E
or
Education versus Entertainment
How are you spending your time?
And then there were weekends… The goal-oriented person will take steps to accomplish their dreams on the weekends too. Down time and relaxation are important as well, but if you find yourself in the following cycle, re-evaluating how you choose to spend your weekends is a very valuable process.
If you have a long way to go in your E vs E equation, take it one day at a time. Before you know it, your mind will be BRIMMING with ideas. You will start to get a clearer picture of HOW, WHAT, and WHY. You will start to recognize excuses and see what used to be hidden opportunities. They will literally JUMP out at you!
If you are thinking, “wait a minute… I thought I was reading a fitness blog. How is this relevant to fitness?” Because when we are fulfilled emotionally, spiritually, and mentally, we have balance and love. We are not trying to “fill” a void with food and we are working with a goal-oriented mindset.
We can draw parallels in life and fitness. That old “all or nothing” mindset is pushed aside because we see the bigger picture… that each and every action and step we make either leads us closer or further away from our goals. Our mistakes and missteps are just a part of the process and that our trajectory is what REALLY matters. 
Photo Credits: This photo just happens to come from another VERY influential source of information, Success Magazine’s Editor, Darren Hardy. Darren wrote The Compound Effect, a book that literally changed the trajectory of my life. You can read about how I have applied this concept to the trajectory of my fitness here.
If you are looking for a place to start, check out Rob and Kim’s blog and podcasts and Success Magazine. Even if your picture of an ideal life doesn’t involve traveling and making money online, you WILL be inspired to live a more purposeful life and isn’t that want we are truly seeking?
