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

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"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

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Taking the Journey: How Will You Get There?

If you haven't done so, it is VERY IMPORTANT for you to go back and "catch up" on this series. It actually goes back to this article entitled, "What Do YOU Want?" and progresses each week from there.

So, in a nutshell, here is the whole process behind this current series. For one, I have stopped doing "New Year's Resolutions" because, like so many, I never really ever followed through with them and usually felt discouraged because of that repeated process. What about you?

However, this year I KNEW I had to take a different approach than I have ever taken before if there was going to be real, positive and powerful change in my life like I wanted - REALLY wanted like never before. As a matter of fact, I came up with what I have called my "Statement of Fact" about this very thing. Here is what I wrote down and committed to about this "journey" that I MUST take:

I took the time to get out my notebook and "brainstorm" about what I REALLY wanted to take place in and for my life in this coming year. I knew that it was time to stop TALKING about what I wanted to accomplish and start taking DEFINITE STEPS OF ACTION in order to bring this into reality.

Go back to last weeks article to get more specific information and details about this "map" that I have posted here in the graphic below. This is a "template" and you need to make it uniquely yours! But, bottom line, I KNEW where I wanted to be by the end of this year and I also knew where I was currently. 

NOW the part of the puzzle I had to figure out was HOW I was going to get from where I was to where I was going to be. The "gap" between these two things is what I am calling "the journey" and the "how" I was going to do so is what I am calling "my vehicle".

Again, go back and listen and read the previous entries on this to get the specifics about what this is for me and then work on what it means for you. But whatever you do, IF you are serious about making marked improvement in your life during the course of this year - DO IT and stop just talking about it. 

Again, this graphic above is what I call my "map" with the understanding that I must MAP OUT my patch on this "journey" that I am on for this year.

Why is it important to have a "map" or a plan for such a journey? Notice the next graphic and what Dave Ramsey says about that...

So, what VEHICLE will you use to take you from where you are to where you plan to be? How will you get there?

Well, it really depends on the journey, does it not? If you're just going up the street, your feet might be able to get you there. If you're going to the grocery store in town, just about any old car or truck might get you there. Maybe even a bicycle!

But, if you are traveling cross-country, will just any old car or truck do? Are you going to hop into a vehicle that you're not even sure would make it to the next county for such a journey? I HOPE NOT!

And what if you are traveling to another country in another part of the world? You will likely have to take more than just one type of vehicle, right? 

Here's a fact: The further the journey - the greater the distance of the journey - the more cost, time and effort will be involved.  

So, in relating to this "journey" between where we are and where we plan to be, the same thing applies. The "bigger the gap" between the two makes for a "journey" that will cost you more in money, time and effort. THAT IS A FACT!

So, what will you do? Will you decide that the destination is WORTH the extra costs in the areas of money, time and effort? Or will you decide to stay where you are?

Yes, as always, there is a CHOICE to be made and it's a choice that cannot be made by anyone but you. Notice the graphic below, "Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today." - Tim Fargo 

Here's another thought...maybe it's time that you quit trying to make a life-changing journey with a "old car or truck" mindset. Think about it.Maybe it's time for a "new vehicle" as in a "new mindset".

What will you do?

Until next time, 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 - Why Do I Need a Journey?

A little explanation before we get into today's blog article. As you can see from the above graphic, this topic is from a LIVE EVENT that I did on January 21, 2018 (the night before this article was published). There will, again, be a lot of graphics that I'm going to be sharing with you that I also used during this LIVE event. Be sure to check out the links at the end of this article so that you can also access the recording of this event as it took place on the fan page on Facebook as well as the recording on my YouTube channel. You will also find the link to listen to the podcast on this same topic.

BE A PART OF THIS SERIES OF LIVE EVENTS! For now these LIVE events are open to anyone that would like to join but, at some point, it will become a closed group for a select small number of people. This will be taking place each Sunday evening @ 6 pm CST on the fan page on Facebook.

Although this is starting a new "titled" series, this is still a continuation of what was started with the last topic of, "What Do YOU Want?" as we discussed the importance of knowing WHAT we want in order to pursue our goals and dreams.

Here's the thing: "Setting" a goal is not all that impressive. People do it every year at the start of every year, right? They call them "New Year's Resolutions" and, yet, very few people stick with them beyond a few weeks or maybe even a month or two. 

Instead, we should be determined to do MORE than just "setting" goals. Again, ANYONE can do that and just about anyone and everyone does! But, as the graphic above points out, let's pay more attention to goal "getting" - or achieving. Going back to the last article, it goes beyond just DREAMING and turns into DOING. 

So, once you decide what you actually want to achieve in your life, once you have not only SET those goals but you have also STEPPED OUT in order to achieve those goals, you are - of necessity - on a JOURNEY. That journey is going from where you are right now to where you will be a year from now (or ANY time period).

However, in order to take such a journey, in order to make any significant change in your life in ANY area, there are some things (pointed out in the graphic below by Jack Canfield) that tend to hold people back as they SET the goal. The question is, will they move PAST these 4 things listed to GET those goals?

For some people, one of those "limiting beliefs" is that they don't believe that they actually have the potential to reach those goals that they have set. They don't think that they "have what it takes" and, guess what? If they don't shed those limiting beliefs, they will NEVER reach their potential!

I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to hear Jim Rohn speak in person before he passed from this life. Of the many quotes that he is known for, this may be one that I see quoted more often than others: "For things to change, you have to change."

Think about that - doesn't that just make sense? You would think so but, yet, too many people think that they can achieve results (that REQUIRE something to change) without making any changes! Sounds a bit crazy, doesn't it? A very simple example can be found with the many people that set a "resolution" that they are going to lose weight. The main problem with this? Too many people want the RESULT of having lost weight but are unwilling to CHANGE their eating habits. And, guess what? They never reach their "goal". I wonder, is it really a goal when no real and serious effort is put into it's achievement? The truth is, not only do they not reach their goal, they usually end up GAINING weight. Why? Because NOTHING changed!

So, for me, as I have prepared for this journey - a very SERIOUS, thought out and DETERMINED journey - I have made a "Statement of Fact" concerning the necessary change in my life that MUST take place. You can read it in the graphic found below. 

Hey, if you're willing and if you want to be a part of taking your journey along with me, I invite you to help hold me accountable to these words. And I'm serious about that invitation.

mike@FutureYouUniversity.com

Yes, to be honest, it IS a little "scary" because I will be stepping out into new territory. I am going to allow myself to be CHALLENGED and pushed OUT of my comfort zone in a way unlike I have ever done before. But, as John Maxwell points out, "Everything worthwhile is uphill."

It all begins with a DECISION and a COMMITMENT.  Doing so can actually change your DIRECTION overnight.

I don't have the graphic up with the quote but, Jim Rohn also would talk about how it's just as easy to NOT do something as it is to actually DO it and reach success. What's YOUR excuse? Don't tell me "reasons" because, quite honestly, most excuses are disguised (by us) as "reasons".  So, let's get real and get past that thought. 

The fact is - you see it referred to as "The Law of Diminishing Intent" in the below graphic - the longer you put it off and the longer you wait to "get started" the more likely it is that you NEVER will even begin the actual process. And then nothing changes.

DON'T MISS THIS POINT! James Allen said it in such a way that SHOULD get our attention - but will it? Does it? He says that we will "remain bound". BOUND! Chained. Tied down. Frozen. Paralyzed. 

Friend, if THAT doesn't get your attention then I don't that there is anything that I can say that will. Bottom line is simply this: What WILL it take for you to "wake up" and get "laser-focused" on beginning this journey?

Notice what John Mayer said in the graphic below about time. Even a SHORT period of time. STOP TALKING and START TRAVELING!

Again, I really want to encourage to take the time to watch one of the videos - either the recording of the LIVE event on my Facebook page OR by going straight to my YouTube channel. It would be particularly helpful on this next part that I will share with you in this article. I do think that you would benefit more by watching me talk about "My Journey Map" that I have posted below. I think hearing me talk about it would help make it come more "alive" for you as you, hopefully, prepare for your own journey.

This "map" is a very "easy" layout. At first glance you might even think that there is not much to it. It actually depends on YOU and what YOU put into it!

For those that approach this with the importance that it deserves, it is a very DEEP and THOUGHT PROVOKING exercise. You can start either with where you are going in order to "get what you want" OR you can start with where you are now and work your way up.

For me, I clearly came to a knowledge of what I REALLY want and set my goals accordingly. Honestly, for me, this goes way beyond past attempts at so-called "New Year's Resolutions" that have come and gone without any fulfillment. I spent the time to formulate in my mind - and on paper - what I truly, ultimately want in and for my life (and for my wife and I as a couple). 

Yes, I had to do a little research to find out how much time and money that this might "cost" me and then I had to figure out "how" I was going to do that and what was needed in order for me to accomplish this part of the "map". This "how" is what I call my "vehicle" in this illustration. (By the way, our next LIVE EVENT next week will focus completely on this topic: "What Is Your Vehicle?").

Before you can adequately figure out what your "vehicle" will be for this journey you will need to actually take a look at WHERE YOU ARE right now. This part might hurt a little but it is imperative that you be 100% totally honest on this part. No one else has to see this but you must be honest as far as where you actually are. This is your "starting point" for your journey.

On this part, make it personal for YOU. The things that I listed were things that I used on my own "map" so that I could see "where I was" compared to "where I am going to be" at the end of this year. I got personal and wrote down the amount of my current debt and how much money I had in my bank account. Again, you do what you need to do to make it personal for you!

But, for me, I knew that I needed to address something more than just the financial factor. I knew I needed to address my attitude and my past excuses! Again, make it personal for you. I'd love to hear some of the things that YOU decided to put on your "map".

Hey listen, when I took a long look at where I was currently I KNEW, beyond a shadow of any doubt, that I MUST leave where I was and get moving on this journey to where I KNOW I will be a year from now.

A lot of stuff to look over, I know. But I hope that you will get out a piece of paper and draw out your own personal "map" for YOUR journey. There is just something about physically writing down on paper things such as this, so please, take the time and spend the time to jot these things down. YES, you can go back and add to what you start with - that's great! That means that you have continued to think about where you are going on your journey and, maybe what more may be possible when you get where it is that you really want to go.

Feel free to connect with me on this with any questions or some of your own thoughts and experiences in this area. I'd love to hear from you.

Once again, next week, I will be focusing my thoughts for the LIVE EVENT as well as the next podcast and blog article on "What Is Your 'Vehicle'?"

Until then, whatever you do, 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