How to Get From Here to There
Take a moment and focus on Here. Have you constructed a timeline for your goal? Is Here meant as a location and time for just yourself, or does it include a community as well? One of the mental barriers to progressing towards your goal, is choosing a direction for the first step. It's not as challenging as you'd think to put together a personal or business plan. It's easy to decide what you want now. I want more money now. I want less responsibility now. I want more freetime now. That's a great first step. Jot down a short list for what you want and take stock of your current status. The list can act as a filter to help guide you towards There. Once you have a clear goal in mind, the intermediate steps to getting There become much easier to fill in. Know your limits, there's no reason you or your family should suffer while you are pursuing a meaningful path. Hardships and challenges on the other hand will be coupled with progress. Each early mistake is a relatively inexpensive learning opportunity.
- Do you wish to move your organization or business towards greater profitability?
- Would you like to find a great paying job that suits your long term dreams?
- Do you wish to provide long term financial stability for your family?
- How about a lifestyle change, do you feel like your plans have been held up from a lack of free time and finances?
Determine how much capital you absolutely need to provide for yourself and loved ones. You may have to work at your original career while working towards your own goals at odd hours. This period of going through the trenches will serve you well later on in your path. Not only will you have an excellent concept of minimizing costs (overhead), but if you can create a product or forge a community with a shoestring budget and limited time, imagine how far you can take your concept when it provides you with a full time income.
You will encounter both positive and negative influences along your path. Don't pay heed to those who want to steal your attention, or sell you false promises. You'll quickly learn to spot these charlatans, they always want more than they are willing to give. They're in it for a quick buck, and beyond ripping people off they are devoid of their own dreams. You'll likely meet some wonderful people along the way. These folks will see that you are on a positive path, and go out of their way to give you support and aid. I recently experienced this with the generous and insightful critiques and approving reviews of my first ebook. Special thanks to Nate Berry, Dr. Signe A. Dayhoff (@drsigne), Chris Guillebeau (@chrisguillebeau), Maynas Eric Chua (@maynaseric), Rich Shamlian (@theFUMI), and longtime friend Eli Sacks amongst others.
Maintain balance going forward. As soon as you sacrifice time with the people most dear to you, the entire point of getting There has been sabotaged. Don't lose sight of your personal life while pursuing your goals. As far as businesses and communities go, people generally are looking for stability. They want your organization to survive with or without your presence. This is where delegation comes in handy as your organization grows. You'll have to fill in many expertise gaps, and work extra hard in the beginning.
Here's a generic guideline to moving forward, with emphasis on pushing hard in the beginning:
- take stock of where you're at (Here)
- balance your working and personal life
- explore & develop your options
- avoid the pitfalls of scam artists
- make connections with positive friends
- are you There yet?, iterate
So go ahead, take the first step.
I dare you.
[podcast]http://www.victusspiritus.com/audio/GettingFromHereToThere.mp3[/podcast]