In the previous post, "Knowing When to Quit" , I brought up the importance of commitment throughout the entire post. Whatever you decide to improve requires consistent action over the long haul.
We are all given 24 hours a day and we have 80 years at max to work on our craft. So many things to do but not so much time to work on and deliver. Therefore, it's essential to filter out what we are going to focus on and spend less time that are not as much meaningful.
Today, I would like to share how we can decide where to pour our time, effort, and dedication. I'm super excited because the drill is going to be super easy. It requires only two steps!
Let's get on to it.
Step 1: Answering One Question
Everything starts with a single question.
What is the one thing that you want to accomplish before you die? In other words, what are you passionate about to make continuous improvement?
Notice, I'm not asking you what your passion is. Because many times, this ends with answers like money, car, beautiful house, jewelry, clubbing, sex with hot partner, and etc. Most likely, these materialistic stuff will never give you fulfillment.
Again, going back to the first question, what is the one thing you are obsessed to improve on? What gives you the most fulfillment?
Your answer can be vague in a sense that it might be too broad. It's completely ok! For example, mine is physical fitness and mental strength. I would like to continuously work on this realm of life until I die. I will be a happy man if I've been constantly stepping up my game with respect to physical and mental soundness.
Step 2: Vehicle for Realization
Once you have the answers, we need to look at what vehicle we are going to use in order to realize the one thing. As mine was physical fitness and mental strength, I've decided to open a clothing line for bjj practitioners where I'm one of the models of my brand, which keeps me in check to stay fit. I'm in the area where there is a fair amount of competition, I need to constantly sharpen my business acumen to win. This practice automatically requires disciplining my mental attitude and honing it continuously. I can achieve physical fitness and mental strength by running bjj sports apparel business.
Understanding the mechanics of Step 1 & Step 2
Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, was once a wrestler. Initially his dream was to become a NFL player. Unfortunately, he got injured. But he was able to push through and became an 8 time WWE champion, and not to mention the highest paid actor in this era. His first dream of becoming a great football player was a vehicle. He just had to switch to another one once he was forced to get off because of his injury. His consistent work, honing physical capability as a wrestler, put him in the spotlight of entertainment industry. Again, smooth vehicle transition occurred: from a wrestler to an actor. For him, his one thing he wanted to work on was unlocking his potential.
For some of you, your step 1 can be very concrete and precise such as gold medalist in swimming. Then, you don't have to worry about step 2 as it's already embedded in Step 1. But most of the time, you'll find yourself having another layer or real motive for Step 2.
Let me illustrate this briefly, your dream might be becoming a famous rapper like Eminem (Step 2). But the real reason you want to become a rapper is to accumulate a fortune. And the real reason why you wish to accrue wealth is to support your mom and sister. In this case, your Step 1 is supporting your family. That's what you want to constantly work on.
Final Words
I remember the time when I was reading numerous articles and listening to podcasts and interviews just trying hard to figure where to commit for the rest of my life. Finding my life's calling was super difficult. Hope you find this post useful to find yours.
On to the next one.