DSD-031 Direction Determines Outcome

Today is the HABIT OF PERSONAL DIRECTION…the second of 20 “Habits of Success” and I’m sharing my honest journey through each of them.   

I know what it’s like for someone to feel they have no direction in life. I was there, and I stayed there too long. I had to learn to aim at something and become laser-focused on that target.

The habit of personal direction will help set you on a course that is more pavement than gravel, has less early morning fog and the view from the top as well as the journey itself is breathtaking. 

Every PERSONcan KNOW WHERE THEY’RE GOING IN LIFEby CULTIVATING THE HABIT OF PERSONAL DIRECTION.

My wife and I were with friends and together decided to drive to the top of Mount Evans, one of few 14,000 ft. mountains you can drive to. We paid our fare and started up the paved road, but the weather was not very good at all. Within two miles we were in dense fog. We couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of the vehicle. My wife started to freak out because she has a very real fear of heights and this road has no guard rails. Just road and cliff. I’m not kidding. Her panic became so bad we had to turn around. Couldn’t see anything anyway due to the fog. No gorgeous vistas to take in. No “I can see for miles” comments. Just fog. All we could do was wait for another day for that drive.

Most people don’t know where they’re headed in life. They find themselves in a fog that’s so thick all they can do is follow the road in front of them and hope it’s going in the direction they want to go. 

Several years ago, I found myself in such a fog, curled up in the corner of my living room crying uncontrollably for at least half an hour. I had slowly digressed from just living to realizing my own lack of purpose and direction in my life. My purpose and direction were wrapped up in a career so when the career path changed, I was left clueless and directionless.

Too many people have a Monday target that is clearly focused no further than Friday night. I’m sorry but that’s kind of sad.

Why is Personal Directiona habit? Because every day you need to wake up and know you have a clear direction in your life. Every day you need to wake up knowing and having something important to do. You have a clear direction and a target that’s way out ahead of you and today, you are heading in the direction of that target.

With personal direction the fog clears. You can see the path ahead of you, leading you to your intended goal. Not only that, you get to enjoy the view the entire way.

I’m just three months into my 60th year here on earth. I took some time last week to plot out a 10-year plan for my life. I’m now looking 10 years down the road. I know exactly where I’m going to be when I reach the age of 70.

I will be breaking those 10-year goals down into yearly and even quarterly goals. All of it has a direction that I remind myself of everyday.

Here’s three things you can do right now to begin discovering your own direction.

Think beyond the weekend or even the month. Think at least 1 year down the road. Where do you want to be in one area of your life, one year from today? Write it down as a clear, precise goal. (Weigh less is too vague) Make simple plans that will get you there. Big & elaborate plans can be intimidating and may overwhelm you. Overwhelm can lead to quitting and quitting is unacceptable. Start with a simple plan and elaborate as you get started. Many times, starting can open up areas where more planning needs to take place. Take one step today. Just one step. Take another one tomorrow. Slowly, a plan will take shape. Just keep moving in the direction of your goal. If it’s weight loss, one step today is getting rid of all the Twinkies in your house. Hey, it’s one step in the right direction.

 The payoff for a one-year goal comes in one year. It could be earlier but if it’s too early your goal wasn’t as challenging as it could have been. Most people want quick payoffs. Those payoffs are usually far short of your goal, a compromise at best. Don’t settle for a compromise. Keep moving one step at a time, one day at a time, toward your goal. The payoff is reaching the goal. Once you conquer a goal in your life on purpose, you’ll want to do it again.

“Without direction, you’ll end up in the wrong section. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up some place else. Successful people know where they’re going. They have big, clear meaningful goals and they fight for them.”

[from Fearless Motivation video]

Content based on the book "Conquer What's Next" available now. Bill McConnell is the content creator and author of the book.  amzn.to/2HBZ6s8    Websites:https://DoingStuffDaily.com  https://BillMcConnell.me  Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/wmcmcconnell  Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/DoingStuffDaily  Twitter:https://twitter.com/DoingStuffDaily  Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/billmcconnell  Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+WilliamMcConnellDSD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-mcconnell-speaker