“If you don’t change your direction, you’re likely to end up where you’re heading”.
Sounds pretty obvious doesn’t it? When we start to break it down though, there is a bit more to it:
1. Look at where you’re actually headed - When was the last time you zoomed out enough to look at the trajectory you’re on? Is this destination still relevant and desirable?
2. Check your actions - By continuing to do what you have been doing, are you likely to get to the place that you want to get to?
We are what we continually do. To stay on track, you need to regularly check that your actions are aligned with your desired outcomes.
Consider the difference in behaviour you’d be likely to exhibit in these two situations - you’re 45 and want to retire in 5 years vs you want to retire in 20 years.
Further to this, it’s worth checking in from time to time to make sure that your desired destination remains unchanged. Just because you wanted to be an astronaut when you were five doesn’t mean you should go to space camp at 45.
At different ages and stages of life, we want different things. Desires change. Without a way to check-in, recognise where we currently are and where we are going, we risk heading in the wrong direction for long periods of time. The longer we stay on the wrong course, the harder it is to correct it.
Imagine you set off to drive to Perth from Melbourne. About 12 hours into the trip, you decide that you’d rather go to Sydney. In this situation, you wouldn’t keep driving West just because you’d been driving West for 12 hours. You’d stop, check the map and head off in a different direction. You’d change your action (driving West) for a new action that supports your desired outcome.
If you keep doing the same things, you will keep getting the same results. If your actions are taking you in the direction you want, this is great news. If your actions point you in the wrong direction though, the sooner you wake up and calibrate with new action, the better.
Just because you’ve been doing it this way until now and heading in this direction doesn’t mean that you have to keep doing it. It’s never too late to make a change for the better.
Thank you for taking the time to read and for investing in better thinking.
If you would like to discuss any of the concepts further you can do so by emailing think@upperlimit.club or by clicking here to book a call.
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Until then, Onward & upward, Jake