If you could write a book about the person you have become today, would it have a happy ending?
A good portion of my day is interacting with clients around the world. They are usually upbeat, open to problem-solving, and seeking my advice to help them. Or, as they would say, “help me get out of my way and get my act together. That’s where writing a book comes to mind and a good question from me -
“Okay. Before we begin, if you were to write a book about yourself in the future, would it have a happy ending?”
Their answer is always, ”Yes! That’s why I’m here today.”
My next question is, “If you were to write your book today, what would the answer be?”
“Hmm… I would say average. Not great. Not bad. Certainly not a book anybody would read.”
As the conversation continues, I make these points:
1) All of us get in our own way. That’s how we learn. And we all have our act together until we recognize that we want another act. That’s called growth.
2) People who live an averagely life almost always spend more time chasing squirrels and shiny objects than focusing on actions that create the consistent results they want. It's an exhausting way to live.
3) People who live successfully think more like a business person. They implement actions the get results, are sustainable, and grow the economics of the business. In other words, they figure out what works and keep doing it. There is no drifting in the wind.
Make your own way, figure out what works, do it again. Simple.
Speaking of simple…
If the book you would write about yourself isn’t who you are, you can start making changes today. That’s how you get a happy ending.
