How often do you really push yourself to new levels? I am constantly trying to elevate my life and get uncomfortable. Whether this is in my relationships and pushing people to get better, in my health with being more fit, or even in business and doing things daily that scare me.
I think if we are all honest with ourselves, everything we’ve ever wanted, literally everything, is on the other side of something we fear, something that makes us uncomfortable.
Let me outline 3 specific times in my life when I was scared of that road I could go down. Gary Vaynerchuck talks this a lot where we “live in the grey” or maybe you have two roads you can go down. One, in which you know the outcome at least generally. The other, you have NO idea what will happen.
When I was 19 years old and at Iowa State University originally studying Dietetics I truly had no idea what I wanted to do. I knew a couple of key things about myself. I knew that I was a self-learner often times reading a book a week. I knew I wanted to transition to business as well. After my Freshman year, I felt like I had no purpose outside of appeasing my parents and society of getting a degree so I dropped out. Still to this day may be the hardest decision I’ve made. It just not what most of society does. Funny though, because looking back it was so hard but I wouldn’t change it for a second.
Pain makes you grow in ways you can’t be prepared for.
When I was 20 years old having been fresh out of school for 4-6 months I applied to an insurance broker in my hometown of Dubuque. I had no idea what would happen or what would come of it. I got a 6 month trial period to see what I could do. I knocked it out of the park and the rest is history there with getting into sales and developing a large book of business and having a ton of personal success.
Now, the next really hard decision outside of dropping out of school and then applying to a job I had no idea what the outcome would be.
When I was 25 years old I had the idea and desire to start my own companies. But, I had no idea of what it would be. I knew I had ambition and knew I had to take the leap or forever regret it. Listen…
We only regret the things we don’t do. So, I knew what I had to do.
I left a job paying my 6 figures to pursue something I had NO idea if it would work. Now, 2 years later everything is going great and the companies are very defined and clear goals and objectives.
So, what do you need to do so you end up with no regrets? Get after it.
