Life is full of lots of opportunities, but the older we get the quicker things seem to fly past us. Think about the last time you said, “I’m going to get to that someday” or “This isn’t great timing for me, but the next time I have some free time I’m going to pursue that.” Did you ever actually end up pursuing it? If you did, was it right away or was it years later?
To avoid the regret of waiting too long to pursue your passions, or worse, never going after your dreams at all, you need to be intentional with your time. Muster up the courage to make your aspirations a priority, and intentionally set aside time to pursue the true calling you feel.
Don’t let upper limit challenges hold you back from achieving greatness. I often talk about pushing through obstacles and being intentional about what you want to accomplish. In my book View From the Top I puts it this way: “There’s always a way—If you want to do it. Quit taking no as the answer and find a way. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it.”
There are lots of excuses for not trying something new or not starting something you’ve always dreamed of doing. Three common examples are lack of knowledge and resources, lack of confidence and support, and fear. If you’re afraid to fail, you will always find an excuse to push something aside until the next day. Eventually, you’ll be looking back with regret wondering what would have happened if you had just given it a try.
Paulo Coelho wrote about this in his book The Alchemist, saying, “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
I always encourage my mastermind groups and the entrepreneurs that I coach to overcome fear and charge forward down the path that leads to success and significance.
Michael Jordan wasn’t afraid of failure. In fact, he openly admits that he was trusted to take the game winning shot 26 times—and missed. He attributes those failures to his overall success, and his willingness to push through the fear of failure and take those shots that led him to six NBA championships. Michael’s example of hard work, of countless hours practicing fundamentals and intensely preparing for every game, served as motivation to another NBA legend. Kobe Bryant mimicked the fearlessness and dedication that Michael Jordan exhibited and was so intentional with the time he spent training, he would purposely work out while everyone else was sleeping so that he could get twice as much practice in.
No one is ever going to come up to you and offer you the lifestyle of your dreams. Only your hard work and consistency are going to make those dreams come true. Being in the right place at the right time counts for something, but to truly live a life of success and significance you have to be intentional with your time and you have to be consistent in your actions.
Michael Jordan didn’t become an overnight success, and neither did Paulo Coelho, or Kobe Bryant. They each achieved an amazing view from the top through hard work, dedication, consistency, and being intentional with their time.
As I said in a recent video, “Someday is never going to come. There is no better day to start than today. Just get in the game.”
Now that View From the Top is on the shelves and available for purchase today, you can dive into my story and soak in my words of encouragement and advice for practical use in your life.
Why wait till tomorrow? Get started today!
