If you're not asking yourself this question, you need to start today.

I want to share a question that I first heard in August 2012. I was attending a certification event with my mentor, John C. Maxwell. I remember sitting on the front row of a training class when Paul Martinelli challenged us to ask ourselves a question. It’s a question I will be asking myself regularly for the rest of my life.

There are some things I hear only once and never forget. This was one of those times. Since I first heard the question, I have never stopped asking it, answering it, acting on it, or sharing it with others. It’s the guiding force behind my personal growth. This question has allowed me to move from wondering and wishing to being and doing. It has shaped, and continues to shape, my life.

Every one of us is someplace. However, most of us aspire to be in a different place.

We come pre-loaded with an unlimited supply of aspiration. We all aspire to do more, be more, have more, and help more. But, most of us are uncertain about what to do to get from where we are to where we want to be.

The question I’m going to share assumes you know where you’re going. If you don’t know, you first need to nail down the answers to the following set of questions.

Who am I, and where am I? These two establish your starting point.

Who do I want to become, and where do I want to be? These two establish a destination. They also reveal a gap. I call this the “Aspiration Gap.” The gap between where you are and where you aspire to be. The question that Paul shared with me in 2012 can help us close this gap. Here’s the question:

Will what I’m about to do move me in the right direction?

This question is packed full of potential just like me and you! The question is important. The answer is more important. But, our action is most important.

It’s a simple concept actually. If the answer is yes, we do it. If the answer is no, we don’t do it. It says easy, but it does hard.

“When we do what’s easy, life will be hard. But, when we do what’s hard, life will be easy.” ~ Les Brown

When the answer is yes and we follow through, we close the gap. When the answer is no, but we do it any way, we widen the gap.

Will what I’m about to do move me in the right direction? I use this question for big life changing events and small every day decisions. I actually used this question when I decided to write and share this blog. Obviously, I felt the answer was yes. Why? I want to help more people. I want to network. I want to add value to others. I want a bigger audience. I want more exposure.

As we grow and change, our values are also defined and refined. As a result, what would have been a “yes” in the past may become a “no” in the future. Or, what was a solid “no” in the past may become a burning “yes” in the future. Things we once valued may simply fall away without much sacrifice as we embrace and make more mature decisions that are in alignment with our why and our where which allow us to reap the rewards of doing the right things at the right time for the right reasons.

Growth doesn’t just happen. We have to become intentional and make it happen. The most important person you will ever talk to is yourself. Be careful what you say to yourself. Likewise, always be intentional about what you ask yourself because you're the only one listening to the question.

Will what you’re about to do move you in the right direction? If so, make it happen!

FREE downloads available:

Click here now for a FREE download of the entire leadership principle-packed Chapter 11, "Get Out of the Way and Lead" from the first book in my Demystifying Leadership Series: Defining Influence. In this nearly 20 page chapter, I share about:

• Managing vs Leading
• Scarcity vs Abundance
• Formal Authority vs Moral Authority
• The 5 Types of Leaders
• Compare/Contrast 17 Manager vs Leader Perspectives

Click here to access the first 5 chapters of “Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines.”

• 1: I’m one of you.
• 2: I believe in you.
• 3: You’re in the perfect place.
• 4: Common sense is never enough.
• 5: There is an “I” in Team.

Note: I encourage you to be a river, not a reservoir. Please share my blogs with others if you find value in them. I believe in abundance and write them to help others become more effective, successful, and significant.

Make an impact!

Mack Story

My passion is to help you live with abundance, achieve success, choose significance, and leave a legacy. In other words, I want to help you make a High Impact !

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Mack’s story is an amazing journey of personal and professional growth. He began his career in manufacturing on the front lines of a machine shop. He grew himself into upper management and found his niche in lean manufacturing and along with it, developed his passion for leadership. He understands that everything rises and falls on leadership.

Mack is the author of Blue-Collar Leadership Series, Defining Influence, & 10 Values of High Impact Leaders. He's an inspiration for people everywhere as an example of achievement, growth, and personal development. His passion inspires people all over the world! Order signed copies here.

Mack’s experience as a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Coach, Trainer, and Speaker includes an international training event in Guatemala with John as part of the Cultural Transformation in Guatemala where more than 20,000 Guatemalan leaders were trained.

Contact Mack at 334-728-4143 or [email protected] for Keynote Speaking, Corporate Training, Professional Leadership Development, Cultural Enhancement/Transformation, and Process Improvement.