Far too many years ago, I attended a workshop focused around self-development. The workshop taught me how to take myself past the limits of what I believed possible. I loved the lesson and the experience of that workshop. It was the first time I was exposed to the notion that anything is possible if I do not allow myself to put limits on the quest or outcome.
As I reflect back on that experience, I am certain that one of my favorite quotes sums up one of the lessons best:
You don’t know what you are capable of until you put yourself in a position to do something you have never done before.
How many times have we shared an idea or a big dream with someone and their first response is, “that is so cool, how are you going to do that?”
Far too many hopes, dreams, and ideas have been killed by that question — whether someone asked us or we asked that ourselves.
You do not need to know that answer. If your quest is beyond the scope of what you have already accomplished, it is impossible for you to know how to get there. Discovering how to get there is part of the process!
There only three things that you need to know in order for you to start and maintain an accomplished path on your journey — vision, commitment and awareness. If you are doing something you have never done before, how can you possibly know what it will take to get there. How other people did something similar is not important — for it was their vision, their quest, and their commitment that drove them.
Instead of looking for answers as to how to get where you desire to go, that this approach:
1. Clearly define your vision: Understand, embrace, and internalize why you are pursuing your dream. Be clear as to what your finish line looks like.
2. Make a commitment: Once you know what your vision is, all you need is that first step. From there, it is a matter of commitment and awareness. Inspired, driven, and supported by your desire to cross that finish line, do something every single day, without exception to push yourself forward in the direction of your dream.
3. Be aware: Pay attention on your journey. The next steps, actions, and opportunities present themselves as you go provided you are focused on your vision and committed to your dream. You will discover the answers as you go and learn as you move forward.
Remember, until you know how to accomplish something, you have to learn how to do it in the first place. You can only learn how to do something or to succeed at something is to put yourself in a position to accomplish it. Get started, get busy, and enjoy the journey!!
