A Little More Every Day

It sounds tempting, doesn’t it?  Take time off.  You don’t need to be in your Purpose.  You don’t need to do any work.  It’s your day off.  Or it’s late at night.  Or it’s early in the morning.   Or you’ve already put in a full day.  Or you’re tired.  Or sick.  Or busy.  Or distracted.  Or discouraged.  Give yourself a break.

            But what if doing your work turned out to be the most restful and the most energizing choice you could make?

What if Malcolm Gladwell was right when he said in Outliers that you need 10,000 hours to get really good at your work?

What if Brian Tracy was right when he said putting in one extra hour a day in your chosen field of study will put you at the top of your profession in three years?

What if, by putting in just a little extra now, you could speed up the process of your success by a day, a week, a month, or even a year?

Would that make it worth working a little harder now?

Looking back, would you have worked a little harder when you were younger if you knew then what you know now?

What would you give up to reach your dream?

Would you give up or cut back on entertainment?

Would you give up or cut back on your hobbies?

Would you give up or cut back on all but the most crucial relationships?

Would you give up as much as possible if you could reach your goal now?

Would you monitor your time more wisely?

Would you take better care of yourself?

What are you willing to do?

You may not be willing (nor should you be) to sacrifice your loved ones, your health, or yourself to reach your goals.  But can you push yourself just a little more?

In a recent blog, Steven Pressfield calls it the difference between 14% and 15%.  It’s only 1%, but it can make all the difference. (http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2014/09/the-difference-between-14-and-15/)

Here’s are some examples:

·      If you can get up just 30 minutes earlier a day, you can add 2 ½  hours a week to reaching your Purpose.  That’s 10 hours a month and 120 hours a year.  It’s 240 extra hours a year, if you get up an hour earlier.  (That doesn’t even include weekends.)

·      If you can listen to audio books or educational materials in the car and you drive 30 minutes one way to work and 30 minutes back, you can add five more hours a week to your Purpose.  That over 200 more hours a year.

·      If you walk 30 minutes a day, and listen to audio books or other educational materials, that will add another 120 hours a year.

In other words, without drastically altering your lifestyle, you can add over 500 hours a year towards your Purpose. Will you do it?  Only you can answer that question.  Can you do that?   Yes, you can.

You can Get Started and Keep Going, a little more every day.  It will make a big difference.