2nd Career

HOW TO REDESIGN YOUR LIFE WITH JUST 3 QUESTIONS

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Question 1: What do I want?

Have you ever honestly asked yourself that question?

I work with CEOs from all over the world, and I can tell you with confidence that less than 10 percent of them know the honest answer to that question.

What do you want from life?

This is YOUR life for crying out loud! What do you want it to look like? Where do you want to live? Who do you want to be with? What do you want to be doing every day? Do you want to build a legacy? Do you want to be creative?

Figure this out. It’s critical.

Here’s the secret: You won’t figure this out today. You might not figure it out tomorrow, or next week, or even by the end of this year. That’s OK. It isn’t even the answer that’s important, as much as the active practice of asking yourself this question.

That way, the next time a bright shiny opportunity comes your way that will require a great deal of your time, you can ask yourself, Is this really what I want? If it isn’t, you move on. If it is, then you take it by the horns and make the most of it. You’ll be armed with the most powerful tool of all: the ability to say no.

This question offers unparalleled clarity and direction.

Question 2: Who can I serve?

Here’s the secret to getting everything you want in life: Find people who are hurting, and help them. In the world of business we call this “adding value.”

I call it common sense and being a decent human being. Every successful business, every successful career and every successful organization exists only because it serves others.

Here’s how to figure out who to serve: Look at the people you love to be around. The people who energize you and fulfill you. Ask them what keeps them up at night. Ask them what hurts in their life. Ask them how you could help.

If you make a practice of doing this, asking people how you can help, you’ll discover an endless supply of opportunity to add value. It really will be limitless.

If you can take action on even a small portion of this unlimited supply of opportunity, you’ll give yourself the leverage to live whatever life you desire.

That’s a sincere and honest promise from me to you. I’ve seen it happen in the lives of countless successful individuals. I know it works.

Question 3: Why not now?

Don’t ignore asking yourself this question every single day.

Here’s why: When your brain sees a long list of “to do” items, it is asking the opposite of this question. It wants to know, “Why not tomorrow?” And because you are only human, you respond with, “Yeah, why not tomorrow?”

Some people label this procrastination.

I’ve worked with enough high-level CEOs, high achievers, and the ultra-successful to know that it’s really just your brain asking the wrong question.

Try it out for yourself right now.

You’ve just spent the past few moments thinking about the life you want to live. Then you thought about the people you might be able to serve that will allow you to live that life.

So, why not now?

If your brain spits back a list of reasons, write them down. Stick that paper on your desk and revisit it tomorrow. When you wake up in the morning, look at that piece of paper and laugh.

It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do to show you how silly and hurtful and useless your excuses are. Seeing them on paper, disconnected from the chatter in your brain, will prove to you that you can and should pursue your dreams.

Tony Jeary     April 2016    www.success.com