What Do You Need To Stop Doing Now?

You know what? It takes a lot of work to be outstanding. You gotta really want it, or you ain't gonna get it.

Sometimes it so much easier just to be good or great. Hardly any one notices any way. But when I do something outstanding I notice and that is all that really matters.

One of the greatest leadership lessons I have learned is to quit waiting for people to notice. They may never notice, but that doesn't diminish my outstanding behavior or my individual accomplishments.

We all have exerted ourselves in some direction or other in the hopes that somebody will notice and maybe even like us. Even when they do notice or do like us this type of exertion is difficult to sustain. We have to want to do it for ourselves and not for anybody else. If we do it for somebody else we will become tired and we will quit. The desire must come from within us and we must be willing to do whatever it takes to reach our goal.

Three Questions

When I wake up in the morning I ask myself three questions: Am I willing to do whatever it takes to reach my goals? What do I need to do today (now) in order to reach my goal? What do I need to stop doing today (now) in order to reach my goal? If I answer these questions truthfully then I have a great day. If I am not willing to do whatever it takes, but still go through the motions and say I am "trying" then the whole day stinks. I am not committed, so no matter what I do my efforts are half-hearted.

There are so many moments that we waste each day. That is why I ask myself the question, what do I need to stop doing?

There are so many ways to creatively avoid becoming my best. I have been lost in Lost. I have regularly visited General Hospital. I can tell you the names and batting averages of the Los Angeles Dodgers. While these activities are fun, they are time wasters. They gobble up huge amounts of energy and pay back very little on that investment. They are nothing more than creative avoidance. I am reclaiming these moments and finding myself more productive and energetic than I have been in a long time.

Wake Up!

Think about this for a moment - If you get up one hour earlier, you get 30 hours a month more of life. When you multiply that out over 12 months, you get 365 extra hours of time to do what you want to do. If you use this time wisely, you will grow in ways that you are unable to imagine. Your mind will open to ideas and opportunities that seem currently beyond your reach.

What do you need to stop doing? Are you willing to stop? What will you do with the time you will have when you stop doing what you need to stop doing?

I promise you it is worth finding out!

Live Today! Love Today!

Andrew Thorn

760-559-3548