A few of my friends thought I went off the deep end.
I’d always been the kind of guy who wanted to get things done quickly so he could enjoy doing what he wanted but a few years ago I took a step back and had a good look at my future and I must say I didn’t like what I saw.
Sure, I had a lovely wife and a job I loved but…was that enough for me?
Would my life get me where I wanted to go?
I had to say, “No,” to both questions
So I made a decision to make some changes.
It all started with reading. I learned some new business skills. I decided to keep notes. I decided to write a book. I started a book club. I started collecting material in the form of books, audio and DVD lectures. I even hired a coach to hold me accountable for my actions (that floored one of my friends).
I also made other changes. I stopped listening to music in the car (for the most part). I cut down my TV entertainment time dramatically. I stopped spending time with people who were wasting mine.
I turned down any offers not related to three things
- My family
- My business
- My information products (including this blog and my book)
I was a changed man.
Now, did all of those things work? Well, most yes. I found that anything that required the help of others was trickier than those that simply required will power.
My book club fizzled but I learned a valuable lesson in the process.
I wasted time dealing with a few people and again learned some valuable lessons.
Despite those few hiccups I can honestly say I’m glad everything has happened the way it did.
But I’m not here to tell you about WHAT I did but a much more important issue – WHY I DID IT?!
Earl Shoaff once said, “If you have enough reasons, you can do the most incredible things.” And I don’t think truer words have ever been spoken.
The WHYs push us to stay up late, study hard, and never give up.
So what were my WHYs?
- Influence
- Time
- Success
Now let me explain – I was a teacher for about half my adult life and loved what I did. No problem there. My students inspired me to be better and they are one of the reasons I decided to write iSucceed: secrets for the average joe and jane.
So if I loved my job why did I want to do something more?
First, I loved being able to influence my students lives in a positive way. But at the same time I found that most people didn’t have the mindset needed to achieve their goals.
Many started strong but soon packed their bags. I wanted to be able to help them learn faster and better.
I knew there had to be a better way.
Second, time. I knew that as a teacher I was exchanging my time for money. Even if I had a larger school with more students I would be limited by location and how many hours I could work. But what if I could create something that had the potential to make money 24/7.
The more money I made, the more I would be able to help others so to me this was a key point.
Third, success. While many people become successful running a physical business, it is hard work. With the Internet and all its powers at our disposal, shouldn’t we take advantage of all it has to offer and share our skills and knowledge with people the world over.
I learnt a long time ago that it requires no more energy to think a big dream than a small one, so I created a big dream.
One where I help people all over the world live better lives by getting a handle on their finances, their relationships, their time, their fears and their minds.
And it was all thanks to a few people who made me sit down and rethink the direction I was headed.
So if you’re reading this blog, I encourage you to take the time and evaluate just where you’re headed, and if you don’t like what you find, change it.
Change it today.
Change it now.
Adrian Shepherd