What are YOU waiting for?

Earlier this week during one of my offseason training sessions with the NFL Carolina Panthers, I asked one of the new players to the team what he expected from himself and the organization regarding the upcoming season.

His answer immediately challenged me in my pursuit of my own vision and life purpose:

"J, I've been waiting for my chance now for the past two seasons. I just wasn't ready last year and I knew it so I gave everything I had to developing all of those areas of my game that I felt needed attention...I wanted to make my strengths really stand out in my performance but at the same time wanted to make sure that my weaknesses were only potential weaknesses."

Is that a great personal philosophy or what! While this showed me he had tremendous patience and a strong self-belief, it was what he said next that impacted me the most.

"I am out here training just as hard if not harder than everyone else. Each of these guys are getting theirs, IT'S MY TURN NOW!"

Without a doubt he now has a mindset of taking initiative and is ready to step up to the plate. So how about you? What are you waiting on? Take a few minutes and answer the following:

• What have you really wanted to do lately but have just been overly skeptical , cautious, or hesitant about in your life? You know deep down inside that you have the talent and the desire.
  
  



• What do you feel is missing that is keeping you from taking action? Usually it is either lack of experience, missing a particular skill set, or blaming lack of opportunity.
  
  



• How do you respond when you hear stories of someone else who has just accomplished the same thing? Deep down you believe that you have a greater ability and are more talented than the other individual.

Whatever it is that you have been putting off, realize that you deserve what it is that you want to achieve. Like the player for the Carolina Panthers, IT'S YOUR TURN NOW!!

The KEY to making clear decisions

If you have not already done so, I would like to challenge you to take the time to identify your values that are important to you.

Why? Because the pattern of taking action looks like the diagram above. Most people start at the Thoughts/Beliefs/Feelings part of the cycle but remain frustrated with the outcome of not achieving their full potential or getting their desired results.

At the end of the day, what we value directly influences what we do and the choices that we make. So how do you identify yourself? What is it that you personally value in life? What are the three or four life changing moments for you that helped to shape your personal values?

Starting to build clarity around your personal values will directly affect your ability to make clear decisions in your life. Most people can intuitively guess what their natural strengths are as they relate to others.

However, take a little more time and dig a little deeper when reflecting on how you value yourself. If you are like me, it is more likely that our self identity is based on what we do in life and the roles that we play rather than just who we are.

The goal is to identify with both of these areas (the DOING and the BEING). The ulitmate outcome for you will be adding more meaning to your life and making key decisions much easier.

Daily Cost or Daily Investment?

It's just way too easy to caught up in the daily grind of life only to look back a few weeks later and ask yourself 'where did that time go'?

We each only have a limited availability of time, money, attention, and energy. Therefore, make sure that the daily choices that you make are worthwhile, productive, and leading you towards your goals.

Below are two simple questions to ask yourself at the end of each day:

Which of my choices that I made today cost me something? (prevented me or slowed me down from reaching my goals)

Which of my choices that I made today were investments towards reaching my goals?

In fact, asking yourself these two question throughout your day will help to ensure that you are being productive and are giving yourself the best chance of success!