What Does It Take...?

We did it, you and I; we did it!!! Now that The Significance Factor has launched and the contest I announced last week has passed, let’s look at what we did, how we did it, and what you need to know to get s**t done…

The Significance Factor became a Best Seller on Thursday, September 29th and I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present!

So what does it take to do something like that?  Funny enough, the answer to that can actually be found in The Significance Factor.

Over the next several weeks, I’ll walk us through the salient points from this new Best Seller (I don’t ever want to get over the feeling I get when I hear that: Best Seller… mmmmmmm).  For now, here are the essential steps and what they mean to you, even if you’re not writing a book:

First, know who you are and what you stand for.  Recognizing that your voice matters because you are clear about your vision and values is the first step in actively creating something you want.  You bring it rather than having “it” brought upon you.

Second, dare to desire.  Really, you can’t apologize for wanting to be first.  I’m okay with being first.  I don’t demand it and I’m not arrogant about it.  I’m pretty happy about it and I’ll wave the banner around, but I’m not going to give Jim Collins (whom I admire greatly) a “neener-neener” phone call.  I can expect to be first without expecting anyone specific to be second.  

Think about that for yourself right now.  It’s okay to want something.  It’s okay to work towards that something.  And it’s okay to be rewarded for working towards that thing.  The athletes that work their behinds off to get to the finals do so unapologetically.  If anything, the apology comes when they end up in second place.  “I’m sorry, I really tried my hardest.  I have to do better next time.”  

Desire isn’t the same as wishing.  It’s also not the same as entitlement.  I didn’t wish I could be in first place.  Nor did I show up with the belief that first place would be bestowed upon me just because I showed up.  No, seriously, a long series of events had to happen to get there.  

Desire must light the fuse to take action.

Third, I took action.  I broke the action down to manageable steps.  That means it can take a while to get the desired outcome.  I wrote in chunks, set plans in place, and stayed flexible when not everything lined up the way I thought it would.  

Fourth, I stayed the course.  The thing is, desire has to drive you.  The path will get hard.  And then, it’ll get harder.  And along the way, your task is to keep the mindset that the outcome is worth it and that the work is fun.

It’s a lot like running.  I’ve done a few half-marathons.  Training for them isn’t fun.  And then, at some point, recognizing the accomplishment involved in the training itself allows for a different reflection on the process.  Maybe it was fun.  May it was agonizing fun.  In running a half-marathon, that’s 13.1 miles, at about the third mile, I typically find my pace.  At about the ninth mile, I am really ready to be done.  By the ninth mile, I had run a lot already.  Nine miles is a long way and the voice in my head kicked in, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we….?”

The reframe of, “Oh, look, I’m all warmed up and I have just four miles to go,” creates a sense of do-able-ness (I just made that up).  

Being a guy, I don’t have an intimate perspective on pregnancy.  I can assume that running a half-marathon, writing a book, and being at the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy can feel similar in certain ways – “This is hard, I’m ready to be done.  Can someone do the next part for me?”

The answer to that internal monologue is, “Yep, it’s hard.  Keep going, you’re almost there.  And nope, no one can do this for you.”

Stay the course, even when it gets hard.

What if it looks so hard that you don’t want to get started?  You might feel like you don’t need to dare to desire.  Things are okay just the way they are.  In reality, “I’m fine,” is a death sentence.  You might be fine.  What you’re not doing at “fine” is daring to desire something better for yourself, for those around you, or for those you serve.  “I’m scared,” is different than “I’m fine.”  Be scared and dare to desire, then take the first step.  

Take that first step.  Then take a second step.  Then keep going.  You’ve got this!

To Your Significance!

~ W ~