Sign up and prove yourself wrong.

THE 'MAD SPANKERS' - RUNNING THE 2014 MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON IN HONOUR OF OUR BUDDY

As I celebrate 12 months on from pressing the 'launch' button on Marketing Energizers, I reflect on lots of things, but none more so than the one action I took that was by far the most pivotal. The one thing I did that allowed both the preceding actions,  and subsequent actions, to be fully realized and all bring me to where I am today, doing what I am doing today.

It's the one we often put off, we shy away from, we avoid at all costs. We take the easy route and look the other way. We stick to the certainty of what we know, instead of the uncertainty that doing this one thing will most likely result in...

And it’s SIGNING UP. Having the courage to start. Taking it on, no matter how things might play out…

There are no guarantees in life, but if there was one – it would be the guarantee of never knowing what ‘might have been’. I’d say that one is probably a pretty safe bet.

Sign up and you will find a way! If it's something you’re that passionate about, that motivated and driven by – you will find a way! You’ll work out how to get there. We’re all far more resourceful than we give ourselves credit for.

Sign up and prove yourself wrong...

Countless wonderful people have said how brave I was taking a leap into the unknown to do my own thing, quite literally having no idea how it would go, not one client, not even a real ‘concept’! (And it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea to do it that way;) But you know – it really wasn’t that hard, the hardest part was actually making the decision to give it a shot. I can honestly say that.

Don’t get me wrong it hasn't all been smooth sailing - nothing worth doing ever is, I've learnt that. But what I’ve also learnt is that every decision to ‘sign up’ or take something on – determines what we do, and that in turn defines who we become. And how much of our true selves we allow to be expressed.

‘Leap and the net will appear’ – could not be a truer words!  If you don’t make the decision to take that leap – the net of support, of opportunity and of un-resounding growth, will quite possibly remain one you never have the privilege of seeing, or experiencing.

It might be a physical event, a new business, a new job, a relationship, a course, a networking event, moving houses, moving countries! Whatever it is… signing up, deciding to take it on – I’d suggest will be one of the most important decisions you could make!

I’ve also learnt it’s those big decisions that are the ones we avoid making… makes sense – there’s more at stake. But it goes both ways – more to lose, more to win! We just seem to over complicate the big ones.

3 of the biggest decisions to ‘sign up’ I’ve made in recent times that have quite literally changed my life, and I’m confident will even more…

- Melbourne Ironman (I could write a book on this! And just might;)
- Launching my own business
- Investing in training with The Speakers Institute

It might not always go the way you hope… but at least going one way is better than standing still, or taking a step back.

If anyone is doing me the privilege of reading these words, I challenge you to think about that decision you’ve been ‘wondering’ about, just quietly 'contemplating', you know we all have one! Yep it’s that one you’ve sat on the back boiler just hoping it will go away and you won’t have to do anything with it…

Think about that for just a moment… and instead of thinking about all the reasons not to… just allow yourself for just a minute to think about all the reasons ‘to do it’, and ‘what might be’.

I’m all for no regrets – and I strongly believe the biggest one we could possibly make is to leave this on that back boiler, and let the opportunity slip by. They often have an expiry date you know!

A tip I was given from a wise friend...
- Think you decided ‘yes’, how does that feel?
- Then think you decided ‘no’, and how does that feel?

I’ve often found the ‘yes’ direction to be the one that 'feels right', but this just might be a little technique that helps give you the confidence you might be looking for.

So as I celebrate 12 months of 'signing up' to Marketing Energizers - I challenge you to take a little leap...

Go on... Sign up and prove yourself wrong!

(Originally published - 6th June, 2016)