Choosing your own Path – Picture above: Crawling through the path of the Tough Mudder Challenge (2014)

As humans, we naturally have a tendency to prefer the easier and simpler path and get a quick fix to feel better. We get tempted for a quick dessert or candy bar, a beer or wine, a cigarette, a shopping binge, a movie or TV show or any form of quick satisfaction to change the way we feel. The reality is these are all temporary satisfactions that are provided by an external source. This creates a false reality, a trance state for your mind to use for escaping reality and the stressful situations you are faced with.

All of these temptations of food indulgences and laziness keep you inside your comfort zone on the easy path. It feels familiar, safe and cosy. But at what cost? If the bird never leaves its nest, what kind of a life is that? That’s a path to nowhere!

Lets look at this another way. What did you do last Saturday? Have a quick think. Did you go out for a party, get wasted, hook up with someone? Ok now think what did you do a year ago this Saturday? Can you remember? Was it significant? What if instead you spent three months last year training for a marathon? You put in the time and effort, you made sacrifices, had work ethic, felt determination and gave it your all. A year ago this Saturday you crossed the finish line with pride in your eyes, sweat dripping everywhere, feeling that sense of accomplishment, new found confidence and you took a picture with your mates who all did it with you. You put that picture frame up on the wall for all to see. A memory and milestone in your life where you remember the good feelings, enjoyment and love for the experience. That finish line is the time you can celebrate and go partying.

Think about your goals in life when choosing your own path. The purpose of life is to have a purpose. We don’t get in a car without having first decided where we want to go to. Have a goal, an aiming point so you can get in your car and drive the road of life with a clear direction. Set youself a deadline so you know that each day passing is one less until that time, so you know you must use today wisely.

Think about a simple 3 month goal, what could you do in that time? Run a marathon, finally get that six pack for summer, write a book, learn something new, get something in your mind and go after it with passion. Finish that goal and look back on those last 90 days thinking “Wow that time went by so quickly and look how much I’ve done!” Feel the sense of drive, energy, new confidence and opportunities that you’ve opened up that lead you to new higher goals and greater achievements. Fall in love with this journey and enjoy making changes that develop and benefit you and those around you. Before long you’re living a rich, wholesome life. Maybe you’re a manager of a big company with a team working under you on your next project. Maybe you’ve created more opportunities for those around you and that in turn inspires them to follow on.

My clients use this exact technique by setting a 12 weeks goal and a deadline to achieve it. This along with the other motivation tools I provide gives them an unstoppable drive to succeed every morning they wake up. Here’s a recent message I got from one of my guys last Monday:

My strength continues to increase in my gym sessions and this has a carry over positive effect on my mood and motivation. Overall I am happier and so optimistic about the program and the results I’ll have. I’m certain that some of my muscles already appear more defined and fuller. I have never pushed myself so hard in the gym before whilst still keeping good form.  – Client.

Soon you love the experience to the point where you don’t even feel like it’s work at all. Your new temptation is to see how far you can go with it and where you can take it next. You could be a millionaire! That should be your temptation. We all know of those who started with nothing.

– Jan Koum, the CEO and cofounder of WhatsApp, once lived on food stamps before Facebook made him a billionaire.

– Starbucks’ Howard Schultz grew up in a housing complex for the poor.

– Ralph Lauren was a sales assistant at Brooks Brothers.

– J.K. Rowling came up with the idea for the Harry Potter series on a train.

Ten years from now, what will you think? Maybe you’re watching the olympics on TV and thinking, “Wow I’m the same age as that guy. Look how much he’s achieved in this time.”

What if you went back to your high school reunion? Would you be arriving in a taxi or a private jet?

It’s hard to put in the effort required for greatness, but it’s harder to look back, and accept the reality that you could have been great.

Sometimes you see an old 50 year old guy in a bar chasing girls, drinking, smoking and taking drugs. What happened in his life? Nothing worthwhile, nothing to be proud of. For me the best drug is the natural high I get when I step out of the gym after a great workout or finish a major project.

What many people need to hear is that there’s a substantial time and effort commitment that must be made if you want a better life. What you put into and invest in life is what is paid back to you ten fold. We love things done quicker and with less effort. We want it but we want it now. What most people want to hear is that you don’t have to work hard; all you need is XYZ diet, pill, machine, routine, steroids or some other magic formula. But you will never feel the pride, accomplishment and satisfaction if it’s just given to you. We value what we work hard for and the more we put in the more value it has.

Remember the easy path for what it is. It is an empty, hollow and worthless experience that is easily forgotten. When choosing your own path, choose to enjoy the path to a goal. Start each day with a goal just for today. That makes for a good day, then a good week, a good month, good year, great life.

Need some more help finding the path that’s right for you? Here is a follow up article on setting goals that are specific to your own personal situation.

Tell us about your path. Comment below.

[Tweet “Start each day with a goal just for today. A good day, then a good week, great life.”]