This is the BIGGEST obstacle in your life

Earlier this week we spoke about pivoting your life ship, the analogy inspired by?Albert Einstein's quote:

"A?ship is safe at the shore, but that is not what it's built for."

We spoke about listening to your OWN voice and figuring out what YOU need to be doing with your life.

Not something that your parents wanted for you.

Not something that you wanted because you have seen it offers financial stability.

But the work that?YOU love, that makes YOU feel alive.

Just because you are a strategist and understand complex problem solving does not mean you have to be an advisor forever. Why not use these powerful skills where you have passion? In everything you choose to do you will need to plan and develop a strategy to be the best in the world. Keep those skills, continue building those skills, and use them.

What is that one thing that will demand the absolute best of you, and for which you are willing to give your absolute best? What is that one thing you would do EVEN if you had more money than you ever will need?

What is one thing you would PAY?someone so THAT you could do it?

Here are some questions that I found helpful to ask yourself?as you are redesigning your future.?

The first one is:?

What would you feel you would need to have accomplished, to feel you did what you came here to do?

Be bold here. What is that thing you will regret on your death bed you did not do?

Only you know it. No one can tell you what it is.

Do you want to write?

Do you want to start your own business? If so, what kind of business, and why? Whom do you want to help? Who needs you? Why do you want to do this? Why do you need to do this?

Do you want to change careers? Do you want to stand up and lead your firm because you think no one else can do a better job or no one cares as much as you do?

You may say, "I don't know, Kris. I never thought about it."?

But what would be your answer IF you did know?

Because DEEP down you DO... at least to some degree.

If you don’t know the answer, answer as if you knew what to say.

Your best guess.

Don’t go forward until you get to some kind of?answer. You can change it later.

Then ask yourself... WHY.

Ask yourself why at least 7-11?times to get to the core reason why you want to do something.

Michael and Kenichi Ohmae do this a lot. They keep asking why multiple times until they get to the route answer. I have seen this approach work on complex strategy studies and we use it with our executive coaching clients. It works.

I have a complimentary?video?on this process as it relates specifically to understanding what drives you (at 5.06-10.18?I share my answers from this exercise). This exercise is incredibly powerful. Don't miss out on it. If you do this exercise you will likely uncover important information about yourself and why you do what you do.

As you are well aware, we don’t know how long we have on this planet. It can all end tomorrow morning or in an hour, or in 40 years.

What are we afraid of? Ask the tough questions today.

Don’t be shy. Don’t be afraid. View it as a game. Steve Job’s quote comes to mind.

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

Our days are numbered. We are not here forever. So let’s leave a mark. Let’s be brave.

If you are in your 40's you likely have about 30 summers where you will be in the prime of your life to enjoy it.

Just 30 summers. That is not a lot.

In fact, when we develop?our training programs we always, on purpose, focus not only on teaching you hard and soft skills, but we are guiding you?to help you realize your potential and encourage you, and support you to take action to design and build a life and career you can be proud of without waiting for life to "smack you on the head."?

Our intention is not only to equip you with the necessary skills, insights, and strategies to succeed in your career,?business, and life but to be a wake-up call, a pivot point in your life to nudge you to the right path.

The kind of guidance?I wish I had before I almost lost everything.

Our intention is to guide you to make a change that you deep down already KNOW is necessary.

Because after all, if not now – when??

This is true leadership. It is about knowing yourself and knowing how to unlock your full potential so you can lead others. Knowing strategy skills is important, but you also need to know how to unleash your full potential.

Another day I got a message from one of our wonderful Insiders saying that if he had Michael as a coach when he was a teenager he would be a president by now.

I love seeing this message not only because it warms my heart when people recognize?our coaches and our work, but also because it is CLEAR that this particular client already started adjusting their "thermostat" of what is POSSIBLE for them. And that is the BIGGEST change I am seeking when we develop Insider programs or?when we work with clients in our coaching programs. Because you will never make a CONTRIBUTION at a level?bigger than you think you can make, you will never have FINANCIAL STABILITY at a level that is bigger than what you think is possible for you.?

Your vision of what is possible for YOU is the BIGGEST obstacle in your life. It places boundaries on what is possible for you. It's like a thermostat being set at 72. Every time you go a little over, it adjusts back to 72. "Hold on. You are making too much money, you are making too much progress, this is not aligned with what is possible for us, let's sabotage it."

I will wrap this up here. Please take a hard look at your career and life?goals. I know you have already written them by now. We have a community of overachievers. And that is a good thing. I wanted you to write your goals before I send this series of emails. So you can make the necessary adjustments.

The best Insiders master all the technical skills. But they go further and master their ability to set bold, inspiring, and challenging visions that force them to reinvent themselves.

Take a hard look at your life. Do you feel joy as you go through your days? Or do you feel something is rattling you inside,?that you are wasting your precious time on earth??

Take action now, while you still have time.?

How many Christmases do you have left? How many birthdays? Life goes very fast.

You owe it to yourself.

You owe it to your family.

You owe it to the world.

The world NEEDS your leadership. It needs you to demand the best of yourself...

Why not have a big life.

Kris

CEO, FIRMSconsulting.com