I had a “Magic 8 Ball” when I was a kid. Did you? You would ask a yes or no question, turn the ball over, and the answer would float to the top in a little glass window.
There were answers such as, “Signs point to yes.” “Outlook doubtful.” And just plain “No.” I remember it keeping my friends and I enraptured for hours.
Of course, no one would determine their life choices based on this toy, right? But the truth is, many people approach their future in just that way – by chance.
They really don’t have a plan, they don’t have concrete goals, and they have no structure for having these things come to be.
They adopt a “wait and see” kind of attitude when it comes to their hopes, wishes, and dreams.
“I wish ____________.”
“I hope ____________.”
“My dream is _______.”
No matter what you fill into those blanks, the likelihood of those things coming to pass is almost nil. You might get lucky. Some of these things might happen. But most won’t.
As professional curmudgeon Larry Winget says, “Dreams don’t come true, plans do.”
“I hope it works out!” is no way to run a business or plan a life. You might as well shake the 8 Ball and see what it says.
By all means, start with a dream or a vision or an intention. But then you must do 3 more things:
Make a Decision
This is where you say in no uncertain terms, This Shall Be. You may not know how yet, but you know you are going to make it happen one way or another. This is when you set you Success Mindset.
Make a Plan
Create the roadmap that will get you there. Strategy, tactics, goals, milestones. Don’t spend too much time on this. You will undoubtedly adjust and improve on these plans as you progress. Remember that there are things you don’t know and that you don’t even realize you don’t know. So get help. Mentorship and Community are essential as you move forward.
Make a Move
Last, but most importantly, start taking action. What can you do right now, today, that will move you toward your goal? Evaluate the choices you have on that basis: does this move me toward or away from where I want to go? Then keep taking powerful action everyday. This is where persistence comes in. There will be obstacles between you and anything worth attaining. Just remember that the most formidable hurdles are the ones inside you – they ones you put in your own way.
I challenge you to put down the 8 Ball and begin living your life by choice, not by chance.
