January 21, 2008

In this issue: The Gearbox of a Different Future

By: Eric Albertson

Word count: 1,721

Time to read: 5-7 minutes

The gearbox of a different future

Today, I’ll try to share with you, at a high level, what some of the experts have learned about the mechanics, or “gearbox” of getting a future different from the past. These will be practical steps you can choose to put to use starting today if you are so inclined.

Change or Die

Change or Die is the title of a book by a fellow named Alan Deutschman. It is a very good read. It essentially says that most people will choose to die instead of changing. It also covers some of the strategies that lead to real and lasting change. Under normal circumstances this might be true. “Normal” is a choice.

If you read this newsletter

You are probably one of the brave, the proud, and the few who are very committed to making each day better than the last. You already know that, “If if it is to be, it is up to me,” along with a little help from friends, family, your faith and maybe even a couple people who write the occasionally-useful newsletter.

Relate, repeat, reframe

Deutschman’s prescription is essentially that change comes from being in a firmly-supportive relationship that demands new behavior, supporting repetition, and gaining new perspective (reframing). In short: new hope, new skills, and new thinking. I’ll get to some practical applications of this, and more, in a bit.  Please keep reading.

So what’s missing?

In my opinion, lots. There is more research and more experience in getting change to happen that is not covered in Change or Die. Here are the bullet points covering some of what might be missing:

1. Clear and precise intent (that is, an authentic and passionate goal)

2. Goal agreement

3. Aligned commitments

4. Twice daily visualization

5. Having a basic recipe and then adjusting as you go

6. Daily progress recording or writing in a journal

7. Knowing what success looks like

Many of the reviewers of Change or Die mentioned that they had given away many copies of the book. I have given away exactly none. Why? As written, I think it is just entertainment, albeit good entertainment. Let’s get on to some things that I think help “relate, repeat, and reframe” make it over the finish line.

Let’s get to the “gearbox”

To give you the “gearbox” that leads to a new future will simply require that I expand on the seven points above. You then can choose if you wish to put them into action in your life. The items covered below are the things that, if not dealt with, often derail change efforts.

(By the way, this is one of those checklists I promised you.)
Let’s get after it:

1. Clear and precise intent (that is, an authentic and passionate clear goal)

2.    Goal agreement

3.     Aligned commitments

4.   Twice daily visualization

5.    Have a basic recipe and then adjust as you go

6.    Daily progress-recording or journal writing

7.   Knowing what success looks like

If you really see the win, all this is no big deal

Yes, doing all of this will require some big changes and some fairly tedious activity. No big deal if you are really committed and if you really intend to achieve the goal. All this works. In my experience, most of the alternatives just don’t work — reliably.

Wishful thinking or a committed goal?

For most people, if they don’t do something a lot like what I have described here, their goals turn out to be a lot of wishful thinking, rather than real goals.

So now you have the “gearbox” of a new future

You just need to turn the engine on and push the gas pedal. This “gearbox” process will force you to drop the stuff that is not really, really important to you. It forces you to get real and get simple. The simple get’s done and the complex kills.

What will you do?

I want you to get what you really, really want in your business and your life. Who really gives a rip about day-dreams. Now the choice is yours: Get busy, or get ready to accept whatever your normal and comfortable pattern in life will bring you in 2008.

Cheers,