RELAX! No spoiler alerts here.
But with the world in a frenzy over the new Avengers movie, this felt like a great time to discuss “Endgames”.
Today we ask the question “what is your endgame” and what stories are you telling yourself that are preventing you from reaching that end goal or maybe just halting you from taking the next step in your journey. Don’t get caught up in the day to day circle that most do. Be aware of where you are in your process and everyday should start with you deciding what you can do today to get closer to that “Endgame”.
BHAG
Question #1 What is your BHAG (Big Hair Audacious Goal)? What is your endgame goal that you’ve been dreaming of?
Question #2 What’s your next step? What’s the first step that you need to take that takes your dream off of the “dream shelf” and puts it on the “goal shelf”? This is where the rubber meets the road. What are you supposed to do next?
There’s lots of answers to this question: I need to go back to school. I need to make better connections. I need to save up more money. The list goes on.
Here’s the thing… You were divinely created to live the very best version of YOUR life. You just have to do it. Now in some fields, something like a degree is necessary, but in most of life’s pursuits, the only thing holding you back is you.
God has put this vision inside of you, this hope, this desire to do more. And you have an opportunity to execute on that desire, but it’s never going to be spoon fed to you. So start with the first step: What do you have to do today to take that dream off of the dream shelf and put it onto the goal shelf?
Dreams VS Goals
Here’s the difference between a dream and a goal. A dream doesn’t require action. You can sit around and dream about beaches, waves, and becoming a great surfer, but if you never buy the plane ticket, then you’re never going to get there. It’s just a dream.
If you have the goal of being a surfer, then you take steps to make it a reality.
- Carve out some vacation time
- Purchase your plane ticket
- Fly to the coast
- Listen to Jack Johnson music
- Rent a car and visit a local surf shop
- Buy a surfboard
- Buy an inspiring swimsuit
- Get a surfing coach or mentor
- Take some classes
- Get rid of all the things holding you back (shoes, cellphone, keys, etc)
- Get your reps in by practicing
- When a wave knocks you down, get back up a try again
Life and business are no different. You have a dream – something you want to accomplish – you’ve gotta take steps to get there, but in 98% of your dreams, a degree, connections, and money do not determine your success. It’s all you.
Every person reading this has a desire. You have something in that makes you want to rise above, be better, and make an impact in this life. But unless you have an actionable list to take you where you want to be, then your dreams never become goals – they just die.
So make a list. Make it specific. Put time stamps on it. And make it happen. Now you’re taking the literal steps necessary to WIN! You can do this! And we’re here to help.
Marvel has a Plan. Do You?
To get to your endgame, you’ve gotta have a plan. Do you think Marvel just started making movies one day without a strategy?
said no Marvel Studio Executive ever
Hey. We’re just gonna start making a bunch of movies about different characters and random story lines, and maybe someday we can tie them all together into a blockbuster extravaganza that changes the landscape of movie making forever.
Absolutely not! They looked ahead to 2019 with a dream, and worked their way backwards to their present (2005) and created a list of actionable steps that would turn their dream into a goal. They took all of those intricacies and characters, plots and story lines, and created a great big map that tied everything together. Once they had a plan, they began to execute. Beginning with Iron Man, they knew if they executed on all of their steps, then their goal would become reality.
Wouldn’t it be great if we lived our lives this way? Unfortunately, most of us don’t.
We hit snooze several times before crawling out of bed. Skip shaving because we spent too much time sleeping in. Decide our wardrobe based on what’s clean rather than what’s professional. Eat an unhealthy fast-food breakfast because we didn’t plan something better. Mindlessly drive to work and spend the first hour drinking coffee to finish waking up before finally figuring out what we even need to do that day. It’s ridiculous!
Instead of stumbling through life and watching our dreams die, we should be executing our butts off. Delivering value to our communities every single day. Living the absolute best life we possibly can. Knowing where we want to be in the future, and then taking steps back until we get to today. What do I need to do today so that my dreams do not die.
Dreams are Fuel
Dreams are not something to regret, they are your biggest source of fuel to drive you to your best life. It’s your internal voice. It’s the supercomputer between your ears. It’s God telling you that this is what you were divinely created for. Now go. Stop playing it safe. You already know your endgame. Make it happen.
