On this 222nd episode of my Monday Morning Pep Talk, I will deliver one of my most important pep talks where I will truly explain the why behind Take Flight. I spent all last year bringing you step-by-step, updated details of "Take Flight.” Now, I'll take you deeper into the why and how I built it. This MMPT will answer the question I get every January and February. Even after having taught Take Flight all of last year, I am still getting "the question.” It hit me this year that I haven't done a good enough job of explaining the reason why this lifestyle and business operating system is so important to consider and implement.
Here is the lead up phrase and question I get regularly at the beginning of each year in some form or another… note, the people asking the question are usually incredibly aware of Take Flight. In many cases, they listen to most of my MMPTs and have added many of the strategies to their lives and businesses.
"Jim, every January I feel like I go back to zero (production). I have to start all over, and I have this need to compete and beat my numbers from last year. What do I need to do?"
My answer is usually something along these lines: "Trust the Process. If you have built your business for success, simply trust the process. Get up every day and execute on what you built."
Honestly, that truth bomb is not what most of you want to hear. A process is not sexy. It's not Instagram-able. You can't order it on Amazon and have it delivered in 2 days. It's an unsatisfying answer for most because the results may not be immediate.
"Trust the Process."
Trust is a powerful word. You've heard me say 'Hope is not an Action Plan.” We need hope and we also need to trust. We need hope and trust to get through this thing called life. I rely on faith, hope and trust every day. It's the only reason that I can sleep at night with the responsibilities I face each day. I am moved by these words. The only problem is that these words are passive. They, by themselves, don't create results.
A process is actionable. It sits beautifully next to execute, create, build, deliver, effort, do, move and serve.
Team, you do not get where you want to go without action and the creation of repeatable processes. At some point in your career, you have to take that time to go all in, get really uncomfortable, disappear for a few weeks or months and "build it.” We get so caught up in the day to day that we never take the time to create the process that will pay us back over and over, every year.
Instead of dreading January, you'll be like, "let's go.” You become obsessed and addicted by the challenge of making your life and business better for you. Your competition is not those around you, on the leaderboard or that cool reel you just saw on Instagram. The competition is you. It becomes You vs. You. Once built, the focus switches to: "How can I make those small changes to make my business even better and easier to run?" That's the game. That's 30,000 feet.
The word "trust" aligned with the word "process" is the answer to the "beginning of the year jitters.”
That repeatable process is "Take Flight" and it's there for you if you want to "build it.” Why did I build it and why am I so passionate about it? Why do I write for 3-5 hours a week for over a decade and personally hire a team to push out resources each week complimentary to those who want to listen?
Simple answer. I don't want anyone to go through the challenges I went through between 2008 and 2014. Because of those years, I lost a decade of momentum… but I gained tremendous knowledge that needs to be shared, and for that I am grateful. The reason I lost a decade is because no one was bringing the basics to the forefront for me. I just didn't know. I wasn't aware. The lightbulbs started to go on immediately as my relationship-based DNA was re-awakened after I started to dive deep into basic success principles.
I avoid talking about myself and challenges during those years because I don't want it to ever be about me. I don't talk about the sleepless nights, the getting up at 4:00 a.m. every day for 15 years, the falling asleep at my desk and the countless hours of coaching and training people. I had to do that to build it so I can save you the time of figuring it out from scratch. It's right there for you. Most of the content in Take Flight is not original. The content is from my experience, books, podcasts and courses that I have editorialized, compartmentalized and repackaged in a way that has flow and is easier to understand for most people. Simply start at Episode #179 and go through Episode #217. Those 12 hours of content give you the basics of "the process.” Within each episode you will need to read, study and purchase content to go deeper into each theme. Episodes #179 to #217 are on all the platforms that most followers rely on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
Trust the Process. There are so many layers that go into that phrase. The level of your commitment and effort will decide how fast you get there. Team, I wish it was easier. It's not. Once the process is built, it will drive game changing opportunities to you. This business will always be challenging but that is why we get paid what we get paid. Very few can do it. We're all a little bit nuts honestly but I love you because of that craziness and that is why I throw this lifeline out to you each Monday.
In the future, I have will have a better, more well thought out answer next time I get the question:
"Jim, it's January. What do I need to do to hit my numbers this year?"
Me: "I am going to send you Episode #222 of my podcast. You have to build it and trust the process. Until you fully build it, you won't have anything to trust and that is why you have anxiety about this year."
If you need a reminder of the power and depth of this MMPT, remember that there are 2 super important words we talked about today. "Trust and Process". Two words, MMPT Episode 222.
Have a great week. If you are not getting my weekly email, send me an email to [email protected] to get on my email list or you can go to my Instagram profile at @askjimmiller to register. You can also listen to the raw cut on @applepodcasts and the sound engineered version on @spotify and @YouTube.
