What’s on your impossible list?
Maybe it’s reinventing yourself and your business.
Or writing that book that’s been sitting in your heart for years.
Learning a new skill.
Becoming debt-free.
Getting into the best shape of your life.
Whatever it is, these aren’t everyday tasks. They’re the projects that stretch you. But also, the ones that could genuinely change your life.
Something I’ve seen again, both in my own life and with clients, is this:
If we put half the energy we spend talking ourselves out of things into just doing them, our results would be astonishing.
Think about your impossible project.
Notice the energy you have around it. The way you speak about it to yourself. The level of enthusiasm you have. The action you’re taking or not taking.
You are only ever one thought away from taking action and making it happen.
The power of immediate action
About twenty years ago, I did some training with Paul McKenna. He started as a radio DJ, became a stage hypnotist, then one of the biggest names in personal development. At one point he was the best-selling non-fiction author in the UK.
Paul gets things done.
Richard Bandler, co-creator of NLP, once told a story about him.
He said that when he and Paul were out to dinner, they might come up with an idea for a new TV show.
And before dessert arrived, Paul would be on the phone pitching it to a producer.
No hesitation. No overthinking. Just action.
What I learned about failing forward
I also work with a client who’s built several successful businesses. His latest went from startup to being bought out by private equity within seven years (and making him a lot of money). His philosophy is:
“Fail fast.”
To him, not trying is far worse than trying and failing.
Taking the right action
Whilst, to me at least, the above two examples are inspiring, it also doesn’t mean thrashing around and taking any action just for the sake of it.
There are a lot of busy fools.
Imagine you have two aspects of your mind.
Your personal ego mind is there to keep you safe. Its philosophy is that if you don’t try anything then it minimises risk.
So, as soon as you begin to step into the unknown it ramps up the noise to talk you out of it.
You also have a universal mind. This is your source of inspiration, creativity, and almost limitless energy.
When you come from this energy almost anything is possible.
The difference that makes the difference is recognising these different energies in yourself.
When doubt kicks in (and it will), you stay in the game of creating what you want instead of allowing yourself to settle.
And when you get a wave of inspiration, you take full advantage and ride it.
I will leave you with the famous quote from William Hutchison Murray:
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
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