For many people, a lot of what you’d like to do doesn’t fit in with the life you currently lead. You have lots of reasons (excuses) why you shouldn’t attempt to make your life extraordinary, but most of them are simply not good enough to really stop you.
How many times have you found yourself thinking, “I’d do that if I didn’t have a mortgage, a good job, a family to look after, a safe life to protect…” fill in your own reasons as appropriate! Many people in this position wish they’d spent more time following their dreams and living a life that fitted them better, a life to be truly proud of.
The good news is that you can. As a leadership development consultant, I’ve worked with thousands of people in this territory and I believe that everyone has the ability to create and live a life that is truly extraordinary. The following five questions are a great way for you to get started:
- What would it be like if your life was extraordinary? Start to describe the life that you would be proud to live. Imagine that in years to come you’re asked the question, “Why are you proud of the life you’ve lived?” How do you want to answer that question?
- What do you wish was different in your life today? Think about your life last week, last month or even last year. What are you tolerating now that you know or wish could be better? Where have you settled for less because it felt too difficult or unsafe to go for your dreams?
- What are you proud of in your life today? Over the years I’ve asked lots of people this question. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t have many things to be proud of in their life. What have you done that makes you feel proud? This may be a tough question to answer – if so, go and ask a few people who know you well.
- How do you behave when you are being extraordinary? Think of yourself at your best; that version of you, which comes out when the sun is shining, when you are relaxed, when you and the world seem to fit together. How do you behave and what do you believe?
- Where are you going to start practising being extraordinary in your life? Nothing changes without action. Start now, and ask yourself what’s the one action you could take, the one conversation you could have, the one thing you are going to stop tolerating that will take you forward into the life you want to lead? What are you going to do today to start being extraordinary in your life?
Write down your answers to these questions and read them every day for the next month. I’d be very surprised if things aren’t already feeling extraordinary for you by then.