How focused are you really?
Where you do want to be in five years? What do you want to have accomplished in the next ten years?
Are you thinking at all about the future, or are you stuck in the present? Are your wheels spinning, digging you into a deeper and deeper rut?
We need to stay engaged in the present with a focus on where we want to be in the future.
My ambitions are what keep me ticking. In five years I would like to be starting a family and that is one of the most important focuses in my life going forward. But in order to achieve that, I need to be engaged in what is happening now. I need to be working my tail off at my job to earn my way in the world and I can do so by providing value to my employer. I need to build a strong marriage with my new wife that will lay the foundational work for a healthy family. I need to be saving up for a down payment on a house that has enough room for a family and I am doing every single one of these things.
Step one to pushing myself is being focused on the future while staying completely locked in and engaged in the present.
Most of us spend far too much of our lives in our comfort zones. We spend every day waiting for things to happen to us and for us. Why?
Fear of the unknown.
We love what we can control. When we cannot control the outcomes, we are often crippled by fear. I know I am.
But when we push ourselves beyond that fear and beyond our bubble of comfort, that is often where we find the biggest rewards.
And here is one of the most important things to take away from those situations:
Failure can be just as rewarding as success.
Failure sets you up to succeed in the future. It offers a learning opportunity so you won’t do the exact same thing next time. But unless you are willing to push yourself, unless you are willing to fail, you may never succeed. You may spend the rest of your life in a bubble. Tired. Bored. Sad.
Step two is to get out of your bubble as fast as possible.
You get the picture.
We are called to more than that. We need to take more risks, fail more often and ultimately have more success.
What is it in your life that you have been watching from inside your bubble afraid to take the first step?
I wanted to stay in my bubble as well, but I pushed myself beyond my fears and since then I have started writing and I got engaged (and married).
Now, I am making a habit of pushing myself beyond my comfort zone on a daily basis.
Where are you going to start?
Great call to action Daniel. I am pushing myself to take my business to the next level. It’s a bit frightening but I have to do it!
Thanks for this post, Daniel. It is a great reminder to step out our comfort zones on a daily basis. It is so important to remember as we go after life with all we have. Great post!