In our first Take Flight MMPT last week, I asked you to get real with yourself and ask yourself two questions:
How do I want to live?
Who do I want to be?
This is not a one-time discussion you’ll have with yourself. An ELP will ask themselves these questions daily, chasing that higher-level quality of life. Answering these questions authentically is the driving force behind elite performance. You’ve started this conversation with yourself, so now what? We are at a critical part of this journey. At this point, many people start to listen to the noise and will not take action on those new big ideas for their life and business. In fact, your own brain will be your biggest obstacle in getting to your next level. Remember, your brain is always in “Fight or Flight” mode, so operating at a higher level is considered risky. Your brain will give you every reason to stay in the status quo. An important part of our Take Flight journey together is to completely re-program your #mindset.
Just a little bit of review, your longer-term ideas and vision need to be broken down into shorter term “FLIGHTS.” These are intermediate goals that usually take a month, a quarter, a year, and sometimes longer. Your FLIGHT must be specific and measurable, with a deadline included. Anytime you plan a trip, those are the first two things that you do. You look at your calendar, come to some agreement with your travel partners, and you take your first action step by checking flights and making a reservation. Designing your new business and life is no different. These “FLIGHTS” will act as your navigation system and give you consistent direction. Step 1 is to take immediate action, so I want you to go ahead and “pick the dates and book your flight.”
When you book travel, the excitement around taking that trip is immediate. You start to imagine what that time away will look like, smell like, feel like. Your imagination kicks in, you get excited when you start the “reverse engineering” process of planning your trip, making further reservations and plans. I need you to have the same level of intensity and excitement behind building your business. To even have a fighting chance of becoming an ELP, you need to take action today, not tomorrow. Book your FLIGHT!
I’ve had the privilege of having a front row seat as I’ve watched elite agents define their “Flights.” Here are some examples. I’ve added pertinent and updated dates attached:
- Find and eliminate 10 hours of wasted time in my weekly schedule during Q3 2020.
- Completely declutter my home and office space by the end of Q3 2020.
- Lose 10 lbs by the end of Q3 2020.
- Rebuild, segment, and reconnect with my entire database by year end 2020.
- Purchase financial software and automate all of my finances by the end of Q3 2020.
- Hire a personal assistant and be fully operational by year end 2020.
- Identify and train a showing agent during Q3 2020.
- Commit to and add meditation to my daily routine during August of 2020.
- Fully implement a Morning Ritual to my lifestyle during Q3 2020.
- Increase my net worth by $100,000 by 12/31/2020.
The goal here is to identify and commit to a FLIGHT that can create momentum in your life and business. All 10 of these sample flights will create immediate momentum and thrust you closer to your longer-term visions. As you noticed, these flights are specific, they’re measurable, and they have a deadline. Start with shorter term flight. You need to start stacking victories so you are much more willing to move from flight to flight. So, pick a short term destination and Book that Flight. The more advanced you are, the longer your flights will mostly likely be. Again, your FLIGHT is meant to be a guide. The magic happens when you create the habits and systems that will support your FLIGHT.
Okay, congrats! You made that decision, so now you need to put leverage on yourself. An ELP looks for leverage that they can put on themselves and it comes in different forms. Leverage is essentially “productive pressure” applied to stay focused and remain consistent. Let me review what I taught a few weeks ago in my "ELP Characteristic #3: Commitment” MMPT:
Leverage can be applied in different ways:
- You can announce your FLIGHT openly and verbally to others that you respect and trust. Once you have CLARITY, tell a few close to you what your intentions are and how you expect to make them a reality. Some announce to the world in the form of a social media post, but the most effective way is to tell a small group of people you know will support you.
- Make a financial investment in themselves or the business. A lack of action will wipe out that investment. For example, a franchise owner is not going to invest large dollars on a franchise and not do something with it. Others invest in themselves with self-improvement goal in mind. Purchase books or training/coaching courses that support your FLIGHT.
- “Burn the Ships” - you force yourself to go all in and give yourself no option to quit.
- You can mentally commit to doing it for another person or group. Your family’s success might be what motivates you over your personal success.
- You teach what you have learned. Once you “teach it” you are forced to “execute it.”
Last, but certainly not least… Write your goal down every day. Hang it up on your mirror. Put it as wallpaper or a screensaver on your devices. You need to program your RAS filter to cut out any noise that will limit your ability to complete your flight. You need to stay fully focused on your immediate goals or you will get off course. More on that later.
If you have not read ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear, buy it and study it. If you have read it, re-read Chapters 1 and 2 this week. It’s brilliant content as you embark on this new journey.
So, you’ve got some work to do this week. Find and identify your FLIGHT, commit to it, put leverage on yourself, and start the process of reviewing it every day.
