Did you know that there are two main reasons we do things? We do things for pleasing methods. In other words, things that we enjoy and are comfortable. Or we do things for pleasing results. By that I mean, comfort and enjoyment are not the priority, getting the result you want is. I want to encourage you this week, to really think about what you want, and then assess the real options available to you. Whether you like those options, they are comfortable or not.

Many years ago, after I had published my first book, I had a dream to be a full-time author, speaker and influencer. I had a vision to love my life. I was not loving my life at that time, that’s for sure. I was working over 80 hours per week as a personal trainer and had been for fifteen years. I was in serious debt after a failed café and I was desperately relying on my active income to not just pay off the debt, but to live my life. Here was my dilemma, whilst working those 80 hours, I didn’t have the time I needed to create the life as an author I wanted. But, I couldn’t leave my PT business because I needed that income to survive. I was trapped. It was torture, because I could see what I wanted, I just didn’t know how to get there.

I was what I come to know as unconsciously incompetent. In other words, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I started reading and researching and finally came to the conclusion that I needed to set up a passive or ongoing income that world allow me to walk away from PT, invest time to build my new life, without stressing about money. I am going to be very transparent right now, because this is a message I believe we all need to hear. After some reading and investigation, I discovered the popular options were building a property or share portfolio, having a superannuation or building a traditional business. All which would take many years and a large capital investment, one that I did not have.

After reading some of Robert Kiyosaki’s books, specifically, The business of the 21^st century, another option was introduced into the mix. Network marketing. Yuck! I resisted it for quite a while, but eventually made a decision to give it a go. Why? Because, when I was honest with myself, there was NO other option that could predictably transition me from personal training to authoring, with a predictable ongoing income, within two years. I am happy to say, within two years I retired from personal training and became a full-time author. That was over 15 years ago, and I couldn’t be more grateful. It happened because I decided to become more focussed on pleasing results than pleasing methods, and I was honest with myself about my real options.

Are you doing something that is comfortable, or at least familiar, yet is keeping you stuck where you are? Are you resisting what you really need to do because you are holding out for a better maybe easier option? I once heard a very challenging saying, don’t wish it were easier, wish that you were better. Ouch! We are often far too concerned with comfort and so we resist change. We are often far too quick to justify our position and find excuses as to why we can’t change. I want to encourage you this week to laser-focus in on what you want and to really explore the options that will enable you to make it happen. Please don’t look at the pleasing method options, look for those that will deliver pleasing results.

If you want to improve your health, many options will present themselves. From: tablets, to diets, to gimmicky equipment, to other seemingly easy and quick-fix options. Be real with yourself and get resigned to the fact that you will need to change your thinking, change your eating habits and move your body. Not always fun, but I promise, you will be glad you did. Want to get out of debt? There are lots of easier looking options, right? The only option that is guaranteed is probably the one you will resist because it will take, time, work and some compromise.  I encourage you to do it anyway. Your relationship will not improve by ignoring the issues. Trust me on this one. It will take getting uncomfortable and doing things that may seem difficult. Of all the options you can choose, please go for the one that will improve you as a person, and a partner, boss, leader, parent or friend, even if it is the more challenging option.

I have a new vision for my life, to buy an apartment in Budapest, Hungary. I was there in 1990, as you can see by the photo. I am now a dual citizen and want to spend three months every year, based in Hungary, travelling in Europe. Let me tell you, that will take work, and I will need to choose the right options to be in the financial position to do it. In my podcast with Pavel Verbnyak this week called Hour of power, we discuss some empowering options you can choose each  morning that will propel you towards your best life.

I think I have made my point. I have long been a person who wanted to find an option that was comfortable and that I always liked. There is no such thing, if permanent and positive change is what you are after. As you sit here, after reading this blog, and are thinking about what you want for your life, for sure, weigh up all the options. However, please be honest with yourself about what are really options and what are not. I am sure you don’t want to be in the same position in 12 months from now. If that is you, choose the option that will give you pleasing results, even if the method is not as pleasing. When you know in your heart that what you are doing will lead you to the life you want, the method will become far more enjoyable. Trust me!