Shift: Positioning for Your Next

Personally, I have just come through a really busy couple of weeks. My hope is that by now you have settled into the second quarter and that you are laser-focused on your goals and executing your vision. Now more than ever, it is important that you make adjustments and devise new strategies for advancement in your life. I hope these insights will inspire and empower you to position yourself for greater possibilities in your life.

1. Every life shift begins with a decision. While people often talk about shifting their lives, the reality is that you cannot shift your life without first making a decision. We live in a culture that confuses awareness with decision-making. Oftentimes, we are aware of things that need to change in our lives. However, we are unwilling to do anything to change our lives. Eventually, you have to get off the fence, stop tolerating excuses, and decide that progress is more important than any pain you might experience along the way. A decision is an inner-resolve and determination to reset your life and to move in a different direction. When you make a decision, it means that you are willing to terminate everything that stands in the way of your transformation. A decision is the courage to leave what is familiar to embrace an unknown future.

2. You cannot shift your life without deconstruction. Years ago, I found myself frustrated with my life. It was during that time that I decided to embark upon an extreme life makeover. Honestly, I think I underestimated just how much work it was going to be. Moreover, I have never been so uncomfortable in my life. I was challenged, stretched beyond my excuses, forced out of my comfort zone, and pushed beyond my limits. Ultimately, I discovered that you cannot shift your life without first being willing to deconstruct your life. In other words, some things will have to be unlearned if you want to upgrade your life. That season of my life forced me to unlearn everything that I thought I knew. Next, I had to be willing to relearn some things that I had learned incorrectly. In fact, that is when I had the epiphany that if you learn it wrong, then you are going to live it wrong. Most of all, I had to be willing to expand my mind to learn new things. In essence, you do not know what you do not know. The only way to close the gap is through a rigorous commitment to growth and development. During that season, my life felt messy, unorganized, and chaotic. However, it turned out to be one of the greatest decisions I ever made. I came out of that season stronger, better, wiser, and more empowered than I had ever been. Some things have to be deconstructed before development can happen in your life. When we build on a faulty foundation, everything that we attempt to construct will collapse. On the other hand, when we build on a firm foundation, everything that we construct will be strong and enduring. Deconstruction is a master key to unlocking a deeper life.

3. You will never shift your life without a compelling vision. Everything that I have shared with you up until this point has been important. However, I want to make it clear that you cannot shift your life without a compelling vision. In fact, it is the lack of clarity that has so many people living ruled by cycles of frustration, failure, and defeat. The world is filled with people who are miserable, lacking direction, and living unfulfilled. At some point, you will have to stop winging it and start living from a place of wisdom. You have to slow down, make time, define your priorities, and start to craft a vision for your life. Everywhere I go, I find individuals who are frustrated with their lives. They know that there is more and that they were made for more. However, they have settled for mediocrity and are content with the status quo. What I want you to understand is that it is not enough for you to desire more for your life. You must take the time to define what more looks like for you. Over the years, I have done countless interviews, and I have been asked many times about the keys to my success. While my answer often varies, I find it fascinating that people are shocked when I mention the power of having a compelling vision. I think the disconnect is the fact that so many people are living by chance and not creating the life that they want. My vision dictates my goals, guides my intentions, shapes my priorities, and orchestrates my actions. Vision is what anchors our lives and empowers us to activate our greatest potential. Vision is the foundation upon which success and prosperity are built.

4. You cannot shift your life without positioning for what is next for your life. In the final remarks of this piece, I want to take a moment and share with you how to position yourself for what is next in your life. The greatest travesty in the world is to spend your entire life at the address called today and never embrace the possibilities of tomorrow. As a visionary and revolutionary thinker, people around the world seek me out for advice, mentorship, wisdom, training, development, etc. The reason I am highly sought after is because I get results. I have empowered leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, maximize potential, and make a difference in the world. I can sit down with a person and take them from where they are to where they want to be. Those who heed my advice and counsel are succeeding at the highest level. On the other hand, those who ignore my advice remain stuck and stagnant. The point I am trying to make is that there is a next for your life. The challenge is that most people cannot perceive that there is more for their lives. If you cannot perceive that there is more for your life, then you will never position yourself for more in your life. Unless you position yourself for your next, you will never propel your life forward. In order to position for your next, you must be able to close the gaps in your life. Sometimes it is a learning gap, and other times it is a skill gap. Furthermore, it might be a development or growth gap. Unfortunately, most people are unaware that they have gaps in their lives. More importantly, they do not know how to close the gaps so that they can collide with greatness. Gaps grow through ignorance, avoidance, and irresponsibility. Gaps are closed through information, application, and capacity-building. You cannot position for your next without being willing to expand. The expansion of your life will require that you exchange the pleasures of comfort for the possibilities of change. Your next will demand that you say no to everything that does not move your life forward.