BRIDGING THE GAP THAT KEEPS US TRAPPED

This week I’ve been struck by the huge gap between what we
know, and what we do. I was walking through the self-help,
how-to, and "recovery" sections of a local bookstore and
there must have been over a thousand titles, although I
didn’t count them all.
It hit me that we are far more willing to study "what to
do" or "how to do it" than to truly change the direction of
our own lives. Theory is so much easier than action.
Now don’t get me wrong! I love learning! In IMPACT, I constantly
encourage you to attend the seminars, hire the coaches, and
do whatever it takes to learn the skills you need.
But the fact remains that knowing "what" to do, and
actually doing it, are two very different things.
Sometimes I think there must be a million books and tapes
and classes for sale on the Internet that promise to teach
you the "secrets" or the "path" to riches or instant
success of one kind of another. And if you truly do not
know the skills or do not have the tools, you should make
the investment.
But. Most of us already either know, or at least have some
clues about what we need to do. The key question is, How
can we get ourselves to take action and do what we already
know?
As a first step, I recommend you get familiar with the
distinction between "Intelligent Choices" and "Automatic
Choices."
Intelligent Choices (IC’s) are the things you know you
should and ought to do. They are the steps and actions, the
decisions and practices that will take you toward your
goals. They might be the steps you wrote down on your goals
sheet, or the plans you made, or the new behaviors you
eagerly imagine. They are easy to think about; but they are
NOT habits. They are not part of your ordinary routine.
They may not be familiar or comfortable. They may be fairly
obvious, but they are new and different and therefore, they
are easy to avoid.
Automatic Choices (AC’s), on the other hand, are very easy.
They are familiar habits and you’ve been doing them for
years. Your family and friends "expect" them of you. They
don’t cause problems and they don’t upset anyone. They
involve no risk, except that they keep you trapped in your
familiar rut.
An IC is to save some of your income and invest for the
future. It’s "hard" and may seem uncomfortable. It may
involve sacrifice, but it’s a smart thing to do. In
contrast, a common AC is to whip out a credit card for an
impulse purchase, or to pick up take-out because you’re
"too tired" to cook.
High achievers routinely challenge themselves to make the
Intelligent Choice. They are willing to be uncomfortable.
They are willing to stretch or experiment with new things.
What they refuse to do is to keep doing the same old,
familiar thing, while expecting a different result!
So here’s a key suggestion: First thing every morning, take
ten minutes to decide on a few Intelligent Choices you will
do today. Write them down. Don’t make this hard. Rome
wasn’t built in a day. Jot down three or four smart things
you want to do each day. Then at the end of the day, calmly
review your actions to see if you did them. Be honest. If
you didn’t do them, do not beat yourself up! Just tell the
truth and re-commit to doing them tomorrow. If you did
them, congratulate yourself!
Remember, AC’s keep us trapped in the "same old, same old."
IC’s are the keys that unlock the future. IC’s are the
building blocks, the steps or path or recipe to everything
you want in life. Understand the distinction and use it to
your advantage.
Just for this week, commit to making (and doing!) two or
three Intelligent Choices every day. I think it will help
bridge the gap between your current reality and the dreams
you have for your future.