Everything we have, use, and enjoy in our lives at one time was someone’s idea. I mean everything, from the bed you slept in, to the shower you had, to the clothes you are wearing, to the house you live in, to the appliances in that house, to the phone you are scrolling, the car you are driving, the job you are going to, and everything else that helps make your life better, more enjoyable, and fulfilling. Logically, everything that is now in existence makes sense, however there was a time when none of them made any sense at all. So, the question I want to pose and explore this week is, where is the right place for logic?
This is a key question, and an important message that could change your experience of life, forever. That’s a big statement I know. I truly believe when you apply logic at the right time, in the right place, you are set for abundance, joy, and meaning in your life. Have you ever made a decision based solely on logic? If so, what was the decision you ultimately made? Please think very carefully about the answer to this question because it holds the key to my message in this blog. Did you, perchance, talk yourself out of making the decision to follow a certain path because it seemed illogical? Many people have. The biggest mistake they made, I have made, and you may have possibly made is using logic in the wrong place.
I am going to go back to two decisions I have made in my past, I speak about often, that really emphasise the point I am making here. You may know I call myself an unlikely athlete and accidental author. Why? Because in both cases, the decision I made to follow the path of becoming a professional athlete and then a published author both seemed illogical at the time of the decision. If they seemed illogical at the time, why did I make the decision? Great question. The answer is simple, I wanted the outcome, even though I didn’t know how I would get it.
As a young person, filled with insecurity and a belief that I wasn’t good enough, I was driven to prove myself and make it as a professional Australian footballer. The logical fact that I was skinny, sickly, and not that talented did not dissuade me from my path. I am grateful and proud that I played seven years as a professional athlete. Just over 20 years ago, as I write this, I decided to write a book to help others and transform my life which, at the time, was in the toilet. I made this illogical decision despite the fact I had no time, no experience, no skills, no qualifications, and no idea of the process or whether I could do it. I am proud, excited, and grateful for this crazy decision because, as a consequence, I live a life of joy and meaning today.
In both cases, logic played no part in the decisions I ultimately made. In fact, had logic played a part, I would not have done either. Why? Because from a logical pros and cons standpoint, the evidence was overwhelmingly against either eventuality. So, if logic doesn’t play a part in the decision-making process, where does it fit. Make no mistake, logic is a critical part of success, achievement, joy, fulfilment, and abundance, just not at the decision-making stage. Once the seemingly illogical decision was made, I used logic to help me create the outcome I was after.
Logically to be a professional athlete, I needed to get fitter, stronger, more skilled, and mentally tough. So, I started and adhered to a logical program to make that happen. To become a successful bestselling author, I needed to logically learn the process, plan effectively, and write consistently. Both of which I did, and so logically I got the results I wanted as an athlete and an author. That being the case, calling myself an unlikely athlete and accidental author is incorrect. I deliberately and logically did what was required to remove any doubt that the outcome would happen.
I hope you are getting my point. Logic is a critical component of success, but NOT in the decision-making process. If you try to apply logic to a decision to do something new, the chances are you will logically come up with all the reasons why it is not a good idea, then decide against it. Instead, you want to use intuition, emotion, and faith to help make the right decision. Once the decision is made, that’s the time to apply logic to develop a plan to get the result you are after. One definition of faith is; believing in advance, that which only makes sense in reverse. Make the crazy and illogical decision with faith, then once you have achieved it, you will see how logical it was.
In my podcast this week called Leap of faith, with Ilea Worsfold, we discuss this exact topic. The greatest things that have been achieved in this world, started with a crazy and illogical idea that was then acted upon with logic to create a successful reality. The incredible destiny that is waiting for you will rely on you making decisions and taking actions that seem illogical. Just know, after the intuitive and faith-filled decision is made, that is where the place for logic appears. Logic is there to help bring your crazy idea to reality.