If I could boil the way I think, and in turn the way I write, into a single thought, it's this: I try to demystify and simplify life's core principles and processes, so that we can all live a more fulfilling, happy, and intentional life.
I also happen to be vulnerable in my writing, which is what leads me to this topic I've been trying to "demystify and simplify" in my own life. More on that in a minute.
Have you ever been "frozen" in your life? It might be that you own a business and can't choose a direction for the company, or worse you choose too many. It might be that you're at work and can't seem to get any progress in motion. It might be that you have a dream or a goal to chase, but instead you let time pass with the dream or goal in the rearview. We've all been there, and we all seem to go in and out of this frozen state. Heck, a lot of us are probably in it right now. I know I am. This is where the simplification process comes in.
When we fail to be in motion, it's because we have failed to decide.
Enter the vulnerability comment from earlier. I suck terribly at deciding. Let's take my company, Bodeefit, for example. At our core, we simplify fitness by creating workouts you can do anywhere, at any time, without any equipment. Easy enough. But I fail terribly when trying to decide what exactly that means. That could be:
a workout app
a workout book
fitness retreats
paid workout programs
nutrition programs
a fitness and nutrition blog
custom coaching
certifications
partnerships with gyms
MeetUp groups
insert any freaking idea possible that involves equipment-free workouts
And you know what I do with it? I freeze. Like many of us do, when the tough decisions have to be made, I freeze, or worse - try to do them all. But like everything I've improved upon in my life, it starts with recognizing first, and then making the necessary changes to improve.
I think this failure at the DECIDE portion of DECIDE THEN ACT is what's holding a lot of us back from our true potential. We have any and everything we would ever need for wild success stored inside of us. What we're missing is an ability to decide, and I mean full-on 100% all-in decide, on what we want. Once we figure that out, the only piece left is to act. And acting is the easy part. But we have to be crystal clear about what we want first.
Matt Wilson, my good friend and founder of Under30Experiences, is the epitome of someone that has decided. His business is absolutely thriving, with a long road of growth ahead, and you know why? Because he has said from the beginning "I am going to run affordable, life-changing trips in the coolest places in the world", and he's stuck to it. Any and every opportunity that comes his way (which is a lot) must pass the test of "Does this support my mission of running affordable, life-changing trips in the coolest places in the world?" If the answer is no, or even a fuzzy yes, it doesn't fly. It's that hyper-focus on the decide factor that has driven his company's success.
So where are you frozen in your life? I know where I'm frozen. But I, and you, also know the solution to our problem. We must decide. We must decide what our company will do better than anyone else. We must decide exactly who we are and what we bring to the table in our jobs. We must decide what precisely our big, hairy, audacious goal is, and focus everything we have on achieving it.
We cannot do everything there is to do. We cannot be everything to everyone. We cannot be the Ace of all trades. If we try we will fail at them all. But what we can do is decide. What do you need to decide on in your life? Once you figure that out, all that's left to do is act.