Step 4: Start the Necessary Movement
You have to get this one! Before I even get into it be warned, I’m not taking this in the direction you’d expect from my other blogs. I could, trust me! It would be simpIe to show how this step of the troop leading procedures works in conjunction to the others. I could talk all about how only 1/3 of all available planning time should be used by the leader. I could tell you that 2/3 of that time should go to those you lead to make their plan. Hell, I could talk at great length about how critical it is that you not wait to start necessary movement to prepare for what has to happen. I could go hard on how this applies to leadership, but I’m not going to.
What I really want to tell you about when it come to this, what I think is most critical about the concept of beginning necessary movement is more personal than how you apply it to how you lead. It’s critical to how you live your life, go after your dreams, and achieve your goals!
I can’t tell you how many people I’ve worked with that have incredible, massive, life changing dreams and goals. When I ask where they are in the process, way more often than I’d like, they say they haven’t even started. Wait….what? What do you mean you haven’t started doing this incredible thing that will not only bring you fulfillment as a human being, but also has the potential to positively impact the lives of others? Does not compute….brain exploding!
Look, I get it. Some dreams are BIG, even a little scary. All the how am I going to’s and what if’s start swirling. We’ve all been there and that can lead to convincing ourselves that we should’t even try. People tell themselves that it’s too big and too far away. Well, guess what. It might be far away but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to start moving towards it!
That’s the necessary movement I’m talking about here. Those first steps that start building into real progress over time.
Ask yourself some questions to get you started, like who do I know in my network that can help or maybe advise? Now, before you say that you don’t know anyone, let me stop you right there. Remember the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon game? While that’s silly it also illustrates that there’s really probably only six people between you and that ally that can help. I mean come on! That game is from the 90’s! We have Google now! The point is, you know someone that knows someone, that knows someone else. You do!
Ask yourself when you can start planning. Yes, yes I know. You don’t have time. Spoiler alert, yes you do. You and Netflix may have to reevaluate how often you see each other. You may have to let video games know that you think it’s time to see other people. I assure you though there is time, I promise. At the end of the day what’s more important? Beating a 6th grader in call of duty or chasing your dreams. As someone who’s undefeated in call of duty in real life, where there are no re-spawns, I can tell you it’s chasing your dreams.
I could go on and on with more examples of why people don’t go after things, but the truth is they are all just excuses. Don’t excuse yourself from living your purpose. It reminds me of something that author Liam Rodgers said on my podcast recently. Liam said “Don’t let your life go unnoticed”. That’s pretty powerful if you ask me.
So decide, decide right now to start making necessary movement. Start making a list and checking thing off. No matter how far away your goal may seem, you will be closer to it than you are right now by simply getting out of your own way and starting necessary movement.
