Lesson Two - Why

Things in nature are fascinating to watch. I was so tempted when I saw "Planet Earth" on DVD now at Costco - to buy the set, priced at $57, and treasure it in my collection. Why? Because critters, well, the wild variety, anyhow, are always working with a result in mind.

Animals, as my good friend Juvenal says, "just do it". They don't spend a lot of time analyzing. Remember that airline I mentioned yesterday? We had several floors of a large corporate building dedicated to "System Analysis." And even more space to "Yield Management." Number crunchers the bunch of 'em.

The wild kingdom is different. It's survival. They know exactly what they must do in order to make it through life. There's little time for R + R. God gave that to humans.

Knowing your end result is about having a vision, a mission statement that you are continuously working toward. It fascinates me how many started with nothing but a vision, and created greatness.

Ok, we don't need to have "greatness" as our destination, but, replacing your income, and having a home-based business is a nice starter point. It's freedom, friend. It empowers you with the choice to do what you will with your time and money. Start here.

The other day, while wakeboarding, I watched a fellow go through a routine that had him doing several extreme jumps and flips. In my mind, I wanted to do just that. But in my heart, I knew it would never happen unless I was specific about it.

What do I mean?

It's just like the person who wants to "go to Paris". It's a nice thought, but only that. You don't really want to go that bad. You haven't gotten specific about it. However, if you did - you'd probably do a little each day that would get you closer to your goal of Paris.

Zig Ziglar has a cool journal, where you write in it your to-do's, but also very specifically, you map out one thing you will do today that will get you closer to your goal. Remember, I talked about "action?" This is making it a reality.

So "specific" is being very clear about where you're going with the project, and what it will look like when you're done. For a trip to Paris, as example, a look at Hotwire, or other travel site, might give you an idea of how much tickets are. A look at an international apartment site will give you an idea of how much it's gonna cost you to live there. Get the idea?

But that's not all. We're not done here.

Denis Waitley who worked with Olympic athletes tells that they win the medal in their heads and in their hearts before they ever step out on the field. Wow - think of that! They mentally see themselves at the outcome - winners. So you must do the same in order for this to work at full efficiency.

Chris Widener, in his awesome book, The Angel Inside, tells how Michelangelo looked at the great slab of marble that was to become The David, and began chipping away at it. He saw that statue inside after many sculptors had rejected the stone as flawed and no good.

Just like Michelangelo, you need to know from the moment you start chipping away at this, what your outcome will be.

I love the GPS navigation in my car. I can punch in an address, and it gets plotted out for me. Wouldn't it be senseless for me to simply have the address on the dash and just start driving? So, the bottom line here, you must know your outcome and how you're going to get there.

Know why you are doing this. Why do you want to work? For the money? What will that bring? What will that replace?

The reason you need to know why is to keep you on track. Many a day will come when you don't want to do this tedious work. But when you know your why - it will help get you back on track.