The race is won from the barn. Long before it’s time to take my horse to a competition, long before we load on a trailer and go to an event, long before we are before the fences. Success begins in the barns of our daily existence. Relationships for successful endeavors begin in trust. Trust that you yourself can learn. Trust that you can have your needs met. Trust that when you work hard, you’ll be rewarded. You see my horse knows that I am trustable. I’ve had over fifty years experience making sure my friends are fed, exercised, taught, rewarded, and can trust me. You see, when its time to compete, the exercise is simply the dressier public version of what we do consistently.
Are you ready to run your race? To change realms, create a second or third act? Success is not a destination its a series of decisions that involve taking actions. Just as there is a daily feed time in my barn, there needs to be a daily feed time of your learning and facilitating your dream. You will become more excited, more informed, and more comfortable with your identified dream as you daily spend time visualizing it, sharing it with your team, saying your next steps out loud. When we identify and know the steps of our race, we become better able to run it. Do you know what is needed? Do you know what your role is? Do you know why your clients or consumers need your product line or why your opportunity is an amazing one for them? Just as my horse knows what to expect, what is expected, and that it can depend on me, have you defined for yourself that you can depend on you? What we tell ourselves about what is new or unfamiliar is important. Do you allow yourself time to walk the course before you expect yourself to jump in and run? Do you spend time with others who are where you seek to be so that you have a dynamic understanding of the life you are creating? How are you preparing for your daily work at your space? Do you have a space? Do you plan for time to connect to others on the phone or computer? When do you connect to potential team members, customers, or cohorts?
Is it time to run your race? Are you doing the preparations to know you can cross the next finish line and the next and the next? My horse knows that long before I ask for us to ride and jump fences, we’ve so been in the habit of successful practice that event day is a celebration of our usual daily work. Our business begins in the barn with consistent expectations of each other. Our relationship is solid because we each know our roles. Our success is growing because we understand why we do each action we do with one another and we each have great pleasure in together running our field. Is it time to build your business in your own barn? Is it time to identify the daily actions that build trust of yourself and trust from others. Is it time to exercise and practice your abilities? Are you ready to walk your course and become familiar with your finish lines so that as you are ready to run your next race you’ll not only be familiar, but you’ll have already rehearsed the win so much that when you do win, it will be as though it was simply another day of practice. The practice of winning in life begins with deciding the events and the experiences that matter to you and living them daily….today!
What do you believe? Success is deeply affected by what we believe about ourselves, our abilities and our opportunities to engage, grow and succeed. Have you been in an environment where the morale is low? Where no one seems to believe that anything will succeed, change, or flourish? What about your favorite restaurant? What is different about that experience? What ambiance, service, or experience brings a pleasant thought to your mind? Time is the most valuable commodity in each of our lives. Are you spending your time with people who encourage you? Are you working in an environment where excellence is appreciated? Effort’s reward a daily experience? Do you believe that you are valuable? Do you find worth in your own needs being met? Do you reward yourself for work accomplished?
“What we think about we bring about” as Zig Ziglar shared so many times. The thought of that is often “Oh I need to think about being wealthy or successful” but too often the thoughts we think are more negatively grounded, more in tune with “this isn’t working…or I”ll never get this handled” which can truly stymie your daily experience. Are your goals set? Do you know the steps it takes to accomplish the desires you dream of? Are there people in your organization to support, teach, share, and mentor you? Do you see yourself in the vision you dream of, plan for, and identify as what “success” is for you?
One of the benefits of able strategic partners in your business and in your life is the environment and culture that focused entrepreneurs bring to the daily experience. My business partners are leading the pack in our area of business. They not only are building our company strong, but its clear that they want each of our businesses to flourish. The business plan and products are focused to support each of us gaining ground on the future we want tomorrow happening today.They seek to enlarge individuals skills as each of us approach tomorrow with understanding of the stages of success required. Are you in a tribe that seeks to be their best? Does your company include individuals who recognize excellence, celebrate achievements and seek to be consistent yet also expect to grow and excel in all areas of their success? Do you have leaders on your team who are focused on supporting your business and personal growth?
What do you need to be your best you? What encourages you? What transforms your daily “to do” list to one that you wake up ready to engage? What makes success worth the effort for you? How do you reward yourself and how do you prefer to be rewarded? Important questions to consider. We know that ultimate wealth is building a life you not only desire to embrace, but to also achieve the life vision you have for yourself? What does yours look like? We’re about to enter the fourth quarter of the physical business year, but more importantly, we’re entering a new season of this year. Are you ready to find a future you want to live today? I’ve made a transition, I’ve worked through what the above questions look like for me, I’d like to hear how they look for you.
It isn’t hard to become focused on a dismissive view of life called “realistic.” Have you succumbed to its charms? It begins with deciding that you’ll be a person who desires to live a good enough life. There’s thankfulness for what you have and the willingness to work hard for others for the benefit of creating a good income. It seems the usual doesn’t it? Sometimes the hours are trying and after a number of years it may seem that you’re less able to do the things you want to do. It’s the way of adulthood you tell yourself, and trodge on putting up with far more than you bargained for in long hours and difficult days. It’s easy to dismiss opportunities to own your own business, you may have even tried a few. So many times we’re lured into a process that supposedly “sells itself” and it isn’t long before we know whatever was said wasn’t connected to your experience of the truth. There is not a process or product on the face of the earth that sells itself. Only experience that engages an individual to experience benefits, improvement, ease, and repeatability encourages clients and customers to re-engage over and over again.
What is Realistic?
Realistic living is becoming aware of your own dreams and desires again. It’s visualizing what it is that you find meaningful. It’s learning how to create a work environment that encourages you, empowers you and you empower others. Maybe it is travel with your loved ones, maybe it is hours that allow you to be home or doing what you love when you desire to do it. Maybe its working with people who get you and you get them and together you share a world of work that you love. Realistic for me was thinking of a life that allowed horses in my life on a daily basis. A life that rewarded me for my efforts and encouraged me with words, money, and prizes like my Lexus. You see, owning a business wasn’t new to me, I have successfully launched and maintained four businesses throughout my adulthood. I’ve worked hard and I made an income most would appreciate. However, one day I realized that my “realistic” life wasn’t the one I imagined and I took time to explore possibilities. I saw owners like me choosing a different style of success, one that encourages self care, one that renumerates you at the level YOU determine not some pay scale. one that builds individuals to their own success not just a paycheck I hand out on Friday. Is it work? Of course it is, but personally I appreciate a business allows me to determine my success level and empowers my coworkers and team members. You see, you can be a consistent, solid person in business and the business you’re in may never fulfill your vision of success, but when you are an independent business that focuses on removing glass ceilings and providing the best products through cutting edge research and continual improvement… well, my friends who shared I needed to be “realistic” about work being work and play it safe in a 8 to 5…let’s just say it’s a great day for a ride….whether we’re talking my Lexus enroute to the barn or my girl in the field. Isn’t it time you changed your definition of “realistic”…for you get to live your future today any day you make the choice to create your best life. Ask me about my journey, I’ll be glad to share what it is about!
