For me, some of my fondest memories from those years revolve around the game of football. I loved every minute of it. I loved the off season and staying in shape. I loved lifting weights, running, sprints. I loved "hell week" and the comaraderie with the other players. I loved practices. I even loved the sprints we had to run for punishment sometimes. I loved watching the other guys who were just going through the motions and learning about character. I loved the guys who always gave it their all and learning about work ethic and the value of hard work. Most of all, I loved Friday nights and the games played under the lights. I even played a couple years of college ball. I can honestly say that although I never reached the NFL like I dreamed of I have no regrets around the game, because I left it all on the field.
As we have already moved in to 2011, we are 33% of the way through the first month, I'd like to ask you and myself this question...Are we leaving it all on the field? Are we playing to win...with reckless abandon? or are we playing just to survive and get to half time? Are we even in the game?
On January 1, 2011 at 6am, I led a workshop at the Riverside office of PHP (People Helping People - www.myphpdream.com) one of the companies I've aligned myself with. I wasn't sure what the response would be, after all we were asking people to give themselves the morning of the first day of the year. Would people even show up? If so, how many? I was very surprised that over 40 people showed up. Isn't that amazing? That tells me that people are hungry to win, and some people are actually willing to get up and do something about it. Think about the prices some of those people paid to be there that morning. Going to bed early on New Years eve. One couple even brought their very little children. Are you willing to pay those kinds of prices to win this game called life?
Going back to the football memories, as I was running this morning, I remembered one of the cheers that the cheerleaders used to do. I don't remember everything, but there was this section where they would yell, "GO! FIGHT! WIN!" I think there's a formula for success there, so let's break this down.
1. GO! If you think about it this really is the first step, isn't it? Yes you should do some goal setting and figuring out what you want, but after all of that you must simply...GO! As Andy Andrews says, "The purpose of planning and analysis is not to do more planning and analyzing. The pupose of planning and analysis is to take action." I don't know what the correct amount of time for planning and analysis is, but I do know that the quicker you get in to implementation and action, the quicker you will learn through experience. Think about it...if you keep planning and changing directions right where you're standing, you may be looking in a different direction, but you're still standing on the same spot...you haven't gone anywhere. Gathering more information and knowledge is fine, but it doesn't necessarily lead to action. I know a lot of people with plenty of knowledge that never do anything. So knowledge doesn't lead to action, but action always leads to knowledge...even if that knowledge is, "I'll never do that again!" So just GO! Get after it, whatever it is. Getting moving before the fear has time to set in. JUST GO!
2. FIGHT! Now that you're going, now that you're actually in the game, what now? Well, FIGHT DAMN IT! Give it everything you've got. Life has a way of testing our commitments by throwing obstacles in front of us. These obstacles were given to us not to stop us but to help us become the man or woman we will need to become so that we can achieve the things we want to achieve. Consider this...when you start off from afar to reach the highest peak, it is clear in your sights. As you get closer, you will encounter a smaller hill that when you reach the bottom of that hill it will obscure your view of the peak. You have a choice at this point, to complain about this hill or get to the top of it. If you decide to take on this hill, when you get to the top two things will happen. The peak will come in to view again, first of all. The second thing is that you will have gained the experienced of climbing this hill, and become that much stronger. This experience and strength will prepare you for the next bigger hill, and that one will prepare you for the next one still. Your job is simply to keep taking the next hill, but you got to fight for it.
3. WIN! Finally if you do the first two you will win. Just win, baby! I think if you do the first two, you will always win. No regrets.
You know, Vince Lombardi once said, "The harder you work, the harder it becomes to give up." I think most of us have never gotten to that point, and that is why so many of us give up so easily. You see, at some point if you go far enough in the journey towards your dreams, you will eventually cross that line. That line is the point where you are closer to the dream than from where you started, and it makes no sense to turn around or stop. There is only one thing left to do, and that is to keep going. Think of the explorers who came to the "New World". Think of Christpher Columbus and his crew. At some point they were so far from home that it made no sense to go back...they'd die on their way back. The only choice they had once they crossed that line was to either get to the other side or die trying. Are you with me? Have you crossed that line? Well, what are you waiting for? Get busy! Get to that line as quickly as possible! Then get over that line! Then go all the way!
I wish for you the greatest of success in 2011, but mostly I wish for you the bigger hills to climb, because that let's me know that you're getting closer to your dreams. If you'd like, send me an email of your biggest goal for this year, and perhaps we can create a dialogue so that I can support you in reaching it. God bless, and until next time...
Live FREE!
