I have now lived long enough, survived enough adventures, and observed enough other clueless people get a clue… that I can safely say everyone has a handful of moments in their life that shape who you are and how successful you will be.
Most of these life-changing moments involve some sort of crisis or problem. Finding true love is great… but it’s now you handle heartbreak, for example, that really defines you.
Nearly every super-successful entrepreneur I’ve met started out dead-broke, too. People raised with a silver spoon in their mouth seldom develop that fire-in-the-gut motivation necessary to achieve great things.
However, just being broke or desperate isn’t enough to trigger a life-changing moment.
Heck, some folks seem content to slog through their entire existence hand-to-mouth. Their idea of “thinking outside the box” is to dream about winning the lottery.
I doubt very many of these magical thinkers read this blog, though. So I think it’s safe to assume that you will understand what I’m about to share regarding “life changing moments”.
Here is what I’m talking about: There are certain decisions required of the person who yearns for more. The moment you realize that no one is gonna give you anything… and that wishing and hoping for success in life, love or business is futile… you are ripe for taking control of the “movie” of your life.
If you truly lust after wealth and opportunity and a menu of lifestyle choices beyond what you’re experiencing now… you’re gonna have to make some decisions.
Because the really good stuff will never just magically fall into your lap.
I had two major decisions to make when I finally busted out of my slacker lifestyle. First, I had to take that initial critical step — to decide that, on this day, I would quit my job with The Man, and pursue a new career as a freelance copywriter. That was a nerve-wracking moment… but necessary.
You can’t start any journey without opening the door and stepping outside. And even a simple action like opening a door requires a conscious decision.
My second major decision came about after I’d experienced a little initial success in that new career. I realized I could only go so far… and no further… completely on my own.
I needed some personal mentoring.
So I made the decision to seek out people who knew what I didn’t know yet… and learn from them.
Finding those people was difficult, because there weren’t any seminars on marketing at the time, and no one had declared themselves a “guru” yet. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack (and not even being clear on where the haystack was in the first place.)
However, finding mentors was not an actual “problem”. It was just a task.
The BIG moment… was making that decision to go after additional education.
You never forget moments like that. One second before your mind “clicks”, you are the same old person you’ve been for years. Then, a second AFTER that decision, you are someone new.
It’s like breathing deep after a lifetime of clenched, shallow breathing. Or like turning on a light after stumbling around in the dark for years.
The adventure starts the moment you DECIDE.
Mentoring was critical to my success. Ninety percent of the money I’ve earned in my career would NOT have come my way without mentoring. I would have had a nice little life as a low-level professional… but I would have never tasted the joys of over-the-top achievement.
This is true of every single colleague I know who has broken the code on huge success. They worked hard, yes… but they also eagerly sought out teachers who could shortcut the process for them.
Every… single… successful… person… I… know.
Mentoring is THAT important.
If you are hovering around your own “life changing” moment of decision… wondering where you should turn to start your own big damn adventure… then I want to be absolutely positive I’ve done all I can to alert you to the opportunity I’ve created here.
You may have seen a private email from my office about this, or read about it in the Rant newsletter, or heard about it from a friend.
There’s no harm in reminding you, though.
I now have a two-tiered coaching program available. One level is mega-exclusive, with attendance limited to just 8 people. But the second level is open to everyone.
The details are laid out at www.carltoncoaching.com. The exclusive program may be close to full by now (we’ve been accepting applications for several days).
However, the second level is very much ready for you to join.
If you’re ready to get serious about taking your life off “hold”, and starting the adventure that will define who you are and what you accomplish for the rest of your days… then you MUST check this opportunity out.
It’s okay not to “want” a better life. You may be content already. Or, like most folks, you may be too terrified of change, and have such a weak heart that new opportunities really would challenge your health. There are all kinds of very excellent reasons why you don’t want anything new to happen in your life.
Only you know if that itch deep inside is serious or not.
Personally, I can tell you that taking the path of honest adventure is a blast that never stops invigorating your life.
No matter how much you believe things suck now, the facts are these: We live in a world of plenty, in an economy crammed with opportunity, with the resources for success literally at your fingertips.
The world is a vast feast… and yet most people are starving for a clue.
A whole new, different, and more exciting life awaits your decision to pursue it.
And if you believe you can learn from me, the opportunity is here. I have no idea how long I’ll keep these coaching programs open. But they’re available right now… if you’re ready to make a decision.
I cherish those moments of change I’ve experienced. Once I realized I had to take what I wanted — because no one was going to offer me anything out of the blue — the choice to MAKE a decision was easy.
We only get one go-round in life. You’ll never get yesterday back to replay… and tomorrow is a blank reel of film, waiting for you to write the script.
And damn, but it’s FUN when you finally get moving forward.
Stay frosty…
John Carlton
www.carltoncoaching.com
"11 Really Stupid Blunders You're Making With Your Biz & Career Right Now."
Session expired
Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.
Yet another solid post John. I have to agree with you. Similar to the A-I-D-A principle in copywriting, at some point you have to DECIDE to take ACTION. Once you have decided there are still no guaratees, but your life will have diverged leading you on the “road less traveled”. One fork leads to another, then to another, then to another.
It’s like deciding to take a few minutes out of the day to read your Blog post and reply. You may be kind enough to share your thoughts and perspectives with the world, but we have to decide to read and take action on them.
Keeping cool in Arizona!
Bernie
How Luke and Lorelai Can Still Get Back Together, Even Get Married… This Season…
John Carlton in his blog recently summed up the answer to how Luke and Lorelai can make a relationship. He didn’t mean to. He wasn’t talking about Gilmore Girls. He was talking about life in general, about business, about focusing on your d…