Choosing the right path for you

All roads lead somewhere, but not all lead where you want

 

Are you trying to get a promotion, but to where?

Building a brand - personal / biz, but for what purpose?

Are you trying to create cash flow or build audience to launch in future?

Do you want to be a mother to raise kids to better the world or for your own selfish desires?

 

The world is full of roads

 

No matter where you are in the world or what you do today, there are innumerable roads / paths laid out in front of you. Every decision provides you with a unique step down a particular path.

 

Think of it this way - you live where you live today, that provides some paths (in Colorado mountains vs NYC vs Rwanda) and is a conscous choice. You can move today. You can change your household. You can change who you surround yourself with every day. This single choice creates unique paths that serve you or stymie you towards what you want to achieve.

 

Another consideration, subconscious/no-decision decisions that lay a set of roads at your feet. Wasting your time watching screens - social media, movies, binging shows, etc.. On average people are watching 5 HOURS a day. Consumption should just be thought of as putting your hopes and dreams in timeout. When you "check out", you are stopping forward momentum. Do the math - if you took that 5 hours a day (average) x7 days you get 35 hours of WORKing time towards your goal. That is equivalent to another full work week, and it is spent solely on your goal. Incredible opportunity when you see it and embrace it.

 

Conscious and subconscious highlight the opportunities exist, and how we make decisions impact our progression. That said, there is another insight I want to share about these paths.

 

Switching between paths can harm you or help you. If you continuously change the road you are on, don't expect becoming an expert or winner soon. That doesn't mean you shouldn't experiment and try new things, you absolutely must. That said, As you carry on new roads, be patient and consistent. It is ok to switch when the time is right, but ideally you can branch off the current road - therefore leveraging what you've built. If not, embrace the journey. It will need your hard work.

 

Where are you going

 

Imagine a hiker standing in a beautiful valley full of green fields and wildflowers. Beyond you see mountains to your left and to your right is a path following the river in the center of this valley. You can choose any direction and experience massive success and joy, but do you go up the mountain or along the river?

 

There is no wrong answer here, only what you want. The mountain may contain gold. The river may contain gems. Both may include new friends, your future spouse and kids. Both will include challenge and celebrations. The only choice is the one you make, that is the right one. We know this because you'll never know what you would have achieved on the other path - only you would know it.

 

You must decide. You must know.

 

The way to decide is try things - try hiking small mountains (love or hate will give you important insight), and walk in valleys. Try and then decide if you love it. You cannot know by reading books or watching people do it, only through hands on experience can you really know if that is the path for you.

 

Sometimes we just want to go UP. Go to the next grade in school. Get the next laddered up role at your job. At some point though, you escape these rat races. These factories aiming to give education. Then what - there are no more grades to get. You can delay the inevitable and do more more school (but this won't really deliver any meaningful life improvement). You can reach the zenith of your "job", then what? Well here is where you break out. Where you start creating your next job.

 

To decide means we achieve outside the bands of jobs and grade school progressions. You can do anything - the only question is where is that journey going to bring you.

 

What you want to do can emerge at any company, or in your extra 35 hours a week. You could merge these lives together and bring your love and work world together. You can do anything, but the key is simple.

 

Do. Try. Create. Experience.

 

NONE of these are passive activities. None of these can be outsourced, analyzed, or planned. You must DO the work to see if you like it. You must TRY lots of things to learn what you actually want to do. You must CREATE the job you seek. You must EXPERIENCE different places / activities / worlds to keep discovering what you want to do and be.

 

That last one is super important. You are not a ship arriving in a harbor forever meant to stay there. Forever to do one job, one way. You will continue to grow. You will put more steps forward as you travel down your own road. That is awesome, so accept and appreciate you are always free to grow further. Nothing is permanent or forever in this area.

 

Now go on - be selfish and authentic, decide what you WANT and put yourself in a place to achieve it. Surround yourself with those who want to achieve the same. Learn and do the work, and in time you will achieve all you seek. Promise.