What I’ve Learned In One Minute…

Hi Friends,

What is it that inspires us to change, to go after something even when we're miles away from actually achieving it? This question laid on my head all week as I wondered why I decided to go after my dreams and ambitions.

But also, if I had to speak to a younger version of myself, someone who wasn't in the best place, overweight, sleep deprived and incredibly insecure, what would I say to them? What would actually break them out of that spiral and get them to go after it?

After sitting with that for a while, I realised that younger person was me at 18 years old.

If someone had told me then, bro just go on a diet, go to the gym, go for a run, I would have probably made a passing joke because I was too timid to respond any other way. But deep down I would have known they were right. And that's the thing. Someone in that position isn't blind to their own solutions. They know the problem. They know what needs to happen. They're just not doing anything about it.

So why did I change? And what does that mean for you if you're in a similar place, knowing you don't like where you are but not moving, maybe having tried a few times and given up because the progress wasn't showing fast enough?

What is there to do then?

Before every significant change or decision I've made in my life, two questions always came to mind before I took the leap.

What does this path look like at the end of the road? If everything stays the same and I keep doing what I'm doing, where do I actually end up?

And then the smaller one. What is the smallest change I can make today? I don't have to change everything. I just don't want to stay the same.

That's when I realised that people aren't really moved by motivation or success stories or other people's accolades. They move when the discomfort of staying still becomes stronger than the discomfort of doing something about it. What guided me to make those leaps wasn't hope or discipline. It was the quiet fear of what it would look like if I didn't at least try. I just had a need to not be the same today as I was yesterday.

So let me ask you this. If there's something on your heart, something you already know the answer to, something you've been meaning to change but haven't yet. What does the road ahead look like if you stay on the current path? Are you okay with that? And if not, what's the smallest thing you can do today to be even slightly different?​

TL;DR

People don't change because they're inspired. They change when staying the same becomes more uncomfortable than doing something about it. Two questions helped me make every significant leap: where does this road end if nothing changes, and what's the smallest thing I can do differently today?

WINS & LESSONS

Win:

This week I had what I think is the biggest win of my life so far. I'm keeping it to myself for now, but if I'm reading this back at 35, I'll remember what yo-yo means.

Lesson:

Something I've been noticing lately is that some of the most interesting conversations happen with people in customer service or who run their own thing. There's something about people who deal with the public every day. They have stories. It's worth asking.

QUESTION FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

If there's something you already know you need to change, what's actually stopping you from taking the smallest possible step today?

Alright that's it from me.

In a bit,

Motheo