Define What Stands in Your Way
Imagine yourself at your greatest potential, 5 years into the future. The best version of you possible and the pathway to that 'greatest self' will be determined by the decisions you make from now until then.
This future 'you' may have written a book, traveled, started a business, lost 30 lbs or ran a marathon. Perhaps all the above! Remember, it’s your GREATEST version...
The path to these results is clear. You can imagine what actions it takes quite easily right?
Everyday presents the opportunity to act out this greatest version of you.
The challenge is, it’s not easy to stay on the path. There’s a force that will resist your every step and try to persuade you to STOP.
We’re all familiar with this force as we're all familiar with the voice in our head that convinces us “it can wait until tomorrow”.
What’s more challenging is this force is a master of disguise. It will disguise itself as fear, anxiety, self-doubt, greed and much, much more.
It’s also resourceful. It uses EVERY tool and strategy imaginable (Lack of sleep, procrastination, emotions, cravings, impulses, etc.).
All the above make it difficult to pinpoint the extent of its’ efforts but they’re massive no doubt. Give it an inch and it will attempt to steal miles from you.
Reaching the greatest version of you takes making all the right decisions DESPITE this resisting force. So how can you overcome it?
The best way is by DEFINING IT.
Stephen Pressfield, in his fantastic book The War on Art, coined this term (Resistance) and implored us to define it for our self. Name it, characterize it, and understand it so you improve your odds of overcoming it.
Only you can understand the nature of your own Resistance because it’s a part of you. It is you!
The greatest challenges you’ll ever know take place on this internal battlefield with this force. You may lose often but if you pay close enough attention, you can learn from the losses and better understand what you’re up against.
The call to action is to pay attention to Resistance. Understand its tactics, motives and strategies for keeping you off the path of your 'greatest self' and DEFINE IT.
Literally write down and reflect on your losses as well as your successes to Resistance. Measure it all! Get to know what exactly stands in your way and then embrace it...
Without Resistance, life would be to easy and quite boring. You are privileged to have it challenging your level of greatness because without it, there would be no ‘greatest self’ to pursue and definitely no fulfillment in reaching it.
Define what stands in your way. How you do against it each day dictates the level of potential you’ll reach in your life.
WM