CONCLUSI0N: "Taking the Journey: Detours, Delays and Delusions"

Right off I want to encourage you to be sure and listen to the podcast (RSS feed  - iTunes) and/or watch the video on this important conclusion of this series.

There will be MORE information shared in those avenues than will be shared in this short blog article (be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel).

We have really already talked about the DETOURS. I actually thought about concluding this series by talking about how we can actually AVOID IN ADVANCE some of the detours.

Is it possible to avoid some of these in advance? Yes, it is! For example, before heading out to work one might turn on a local news channel to see if they have any traffic reports so that they can plan their route accordingly. Even after they have gotten in their automobile, one might turn to a radio station that has regular traffic updates so that they can continue to be aware of potential detours in advance.

In our personal journey to a better and brighter future it is also possible to know - in advance - of possible situations or people that might cause a detour in that journey. People, places and "things" may cause a detour. People: There may be some people (or groups of people) that you know in advance that you need to AVOID so that their negativity does not slow you down or take you off of your course. Places: Perhaps there are even some places that you need to avoid knowing, in advance, that they may cause a detour. One may even be sitting in front of the television set. Things: Sometimes we can cause our own detours by getting distracted with "things" or "stuff" that we THINK is part of our progress that, in reality, may be nothing more than busy work.

DELAYS 

For this discussion, I consider "detours" as something that we are not necessarily responsible for...something that is pretty much out of our control. However, when I think about DELAYS, I consider these more as something that WE DO have control over. In other words, in this discussion, when it comes to DELAYS, we have no one to "blame" but ourselves. 

These type of delays may come due to over planning or finding all kinds of reasons NOT to get started on this journey... at least not yet. Many times these delays (even the ones I just mentioned) are due to FEAR. This has to do with our mindset in this area. We can literally "scare ourselves into inactivity" and cause unending delays. Yes, it is true, the best way to get rid of this type of fear is to face it and attack it head on.

DILUSIONS 

Example: If you think that you are going to get in your car and drive from Los Angeles to New York City on one tank of gas...you are delusional. If you think that you are going to make the same trip without ANY detours and/or delays, you are also delusional. 

In like manner, if you think that, on your journey to a better and brighter future you will no longer need to "study" and absorb information to keep your positive energy tank filled and fueled, you are being delusional.  

Maybe you are still "early on" in this journey and you haven't really had any delays and/or detours as of yet. BEWARE! To think that you will NOT have any delays and/or detours along your path is a DELUSION! You are kidding yourself and, to be more blunt, you are lying to yourself! Don't listen to and don't believe such a lie.

And, finally, if you think, after listening to a bunch of hype, that (for example) you are going to make a million dollars in six months...you got it, you are delusional! I'm not sure where I first read or heard this but I have always tried to remember it and, yes, I do have to remind myself of this fact from time to time: We often OVER estimate what we can accomplish over the short term and UNDER estimate what we can accomplish over the long term.  

You are in control! Be aware of the possible detours, delays and delusions that may be before you that could cause you to get "off track".

Thanks for joining me and, until next time, whatever you do... 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

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"Taking the Journey - What About the Detours?"

Here's a fact: The longer the journey the greater the possibility of one or more detours along the way.

What then?

Be sure to listen to the podcast and/or watch the video of this topic and pay close attention to the recording of John Maxwell and what he says about "getting from here to there". To paraphrase, he stated that the BEST way to reach your destination is to make sure that you have STRATEGIES and a SYSTEM in place. He stated that having a SYSTEM was the MOST EFFICIENT way to progress along your journey. 

You see, the time to plan on what to do when you come across those detours - or roadblocks - is NOT when you come across them. Now, sure, sometimes you can't avoid such a thing but, there ARE ways to plan ahead. One way is to have a "strategy" as to what to do in such a situation as well as a "system" in place to carry out those plans. 

Like I said at the start of this article...detours WILL come. That, my friend, is a fact.

But, how determined are YOU to reach your "destination"? How important is it to you?

Do you remember the first "Vacation" movie? Chevy Chase took his family all the way across the country to go to "Wally World" only to find it closed once they arrived. BIG DETOUR! He wasn't about to turn around and go back home after all they had been through along the way and, even though it was not exactly the smartest way to approach it, he did exactly what he came to do - treat his family to some fun at "Wall World".

Again, how determined are you to reach your destination? 

That - your determination - will greatly determine what you will do when you come to one of those detours. You MUST be determined to NOT allow ANY detour to set you back and stop you from accomplishing what you have set out to accomplish.

Until next time, always be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

YouTube

"Taking the Journey - What Route Will You Take?"

Whatever you do, be sure to check out the video cast (Vlog) as well as the podcast of this topic  by clicking on the appropriate links at the end of this article.  

As we continue our analogy of "taking a journey" with what it is that you want to accomplish during this year, we now look at which "route" you will take in order to reach your destination. 

Again, if you don't know where it is you want to go, how will you know when you get there?

Last time, we talked about which VEHICLE you would use for your journey and we talked about how it depended on the destination. You could walk, ride a bicycle, drive, ride a train, fly in an airplane and/or ride on a boat. And, you could actually do ALL of these on one journey!  

Is there only ONE ROUTE to take in order to reach your destination? Not likely!

You may decide to take a leisurely approach to your journey so that you can stop and "see the sites" along the way. Your goal may not be so much "getting there" but, instead, enjoying the journey along the way to "getting there".

Or, for whatever reason, you may want to get to your destination as quickly as possible, even if it means driving all night!

Your reason for the trip (your "WHY") will greatly determine what route you take and at what pace/speed, right?  

Just don't get the two confused! Here's what I mean - if you have told your family that you are going to take a leisurely trip so that all of you can enjoy some special sites and adventure and then, along the way, you decide you want to just "zoom" right past all of that so that you can save time, you will likely have a very unhappy family with you! Why? Because you said you were going to take one kind of journey and then actually took a very different kind of journey. What you SAID and what you DID were two different things.

On the other hand, if a family member calls you and tells you that another family member is deathly ill and that you need to get there as quickly as possible, what would you do? You would likely tell them that you would leave as soon as possible and get there as quickly as possible, right? But, what if along the way a sign for the world's BIGGEST ball of yarn caught your eye and you took a 50 mile round trip detour to go see it and then decided to stop off at a souvenir shop to commemorate that amazing sight? Would there be disappointment in you shown by your family members when you showed up many hours later than you could have and should have? OF COURSE!

 When planning out your "route" it is important do make a decision as to what type of journey you wish this to be. Don't whine and complain about it taking too long to arrive at your destination if you have ended up having a leisurely attitude and approach toward reaching your destination.

Make sense?

But what if you got "off track" and didn't even realize it for quite a while? Is it too late to still reach your destination? 

Yes...and no.

Join me next time as we discuss that important factor in reaching your destination.

Until then...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

YouTube