The Making of #GoDo (I wasn't just born with it!)

After my flight to New York was once again canceled this weekend, I found myself having coffee with a new friend. My plans in New York have been shifting all over the place thanks to this winter storm. Fortunately, I work with incredibly understanding people and since I’m my own boss there’s no one to get mad at me for events beyond my control!

Breaking her gaze from the beautiful foam art of her latte my friend said to me, “You’re so lucky. Getting to travel when you want, control your schedule, mix in free time with your business travel. You’ve just always known what you want, written it down and gotten it, huh? Why is it so easy for you and not for me?”

Hahaha. I nearly spit out my coffee in disbelief.

And then I told her to back that thought train up and listen for a minute.

ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY

Yes, I have a foolproof system for making my dreams happen that involves getting clear on what I want, writing it out every day and #goDoing what I need to do. But it takes work, for sure.

I’m not a miracle worker… I’m a #goDoer!

And this system hasn’t always just been there for me. I created it out of necessity.

MISSING PIECES

It’s true that I’ve always had an entrepreneurial streak and a love for business. But I learned the hard way that talent and passion alone do not ensure success.

I spent a lot of time in the early part of my career working unfulfilling jobs and taking sucker bets because I thought if I was just passionate enough about what I was doing and worked hard enough success would be imminent.

And don’t get me wrong, I was doing well. On paper, I was successful. Yet I still struggled with a vague feeling of discontent.

The power of visualization that I used for success in my music career was failing me at this point. It seemed that in the context of my business life, my visualization practice was a lot more like daydreaming.

I was working hard. I had a vision. I was passionate. I was employed. But I felt stuck.

What was missing?

VISUALIZATION WITHOUT A PLAN IS HALLUCINATION

The pieces began falling into place when I landed at Tony Robbins. He is THE MAN known for leading people to success. Being privy to the inner workings of his operations was simply life-changing.

Finally, I was surrounded by people whose passion and vision equaled or surpassed my own. They had the drive to work just as hard as I did – and then some.

They also all had a plan and a purpose. And they wrote about it. Obsessively.

Could it be the missing piece?

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

I thought they were crazy at first.

Keep a journal, they said. Write it down, they said. Make a plan, they said. Keep a journal, they said again…and again…and again...

No, no, no. That’s not how it happens. Following your passion is supposed to be enough. Isn’t that what we’ve all been led to believe?

But since my way didn’t seem to be working, I tried it their way.

Crow never tasted so good.

BRIDGING THE GAP

When I started writing things down I was able to see the missing pieces. I had goals and I had to do lists, but I didn’t have a true strategy. I didn’t have a map to guide me from where I was to where I wanted to be.

I wasn’t being realistic about my goals or effective in my actions. I was working hard, but I wasn’t working smart.

As time went on I played with various strategic approaches I picked up from Tony Robbins and other thought leaders and personal development junkies. Through experience, l adjusted them to what produced the best results for the investment.

Along the way, #goDo was born. #goDo is action with purpose, practice, and plan. And, in my life, it is the ultimate formula for success.

#GoDo was not born overnight and it isn’t a magic formula. It is the product of trial and error, success and failure. It is a strategic framework for achievement that must be cared for and worked daily.

It might seem overwhelming, but it’s actually pretty simple once you make it a habit.

ALWAYS KNOW THAT YOU CAN #goDo ANYTHING

When I say that, I mean it.

We all have a tendency, like my latte sipping friend, to assume that those who have something we admire came by it easily or have something we can’t have.

But often there’s a story behind those things that simply isn’t visible to us. Just because you didn’t see me loathing Mondays in my cubicle at my event coordinator job and drinking too many martinis after work to ease the feeling of emptiness I felt working for someone else’s second vacation home doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Trust me. It did – and then some.

One of the beautiful things about this information sharing world we live in is that we have the option to learn from the stories and experiences of others. That means you don’t have to spend 2 decades formulating your own version of #GoDo because I’m willing to share what I’ve learned with you.

So, it’s like you get a little shortcut when you adopt my method for success, but #GoDo still requires work and discipline. That’s the part that’s up to you. But if I can do it, you can, too.

GOOD NEWS MONDAY (NOT AN OXYMORON)

As I was writing in my own journal this morning with my usual iced coffee, I got a text from my friend. She bought a journal of her own over the weekend! Turns out she was inspired to hear my story and she’s decided to give the #goDo way a try. I am super excited to see where it takes her!

In other good news, my flight appears to be on schedule so, weather willing, I’m off to New York to keep working my own #goDo Goals.

I hope your #goDo Monday is off to as good a start as mine. And if it's not...maybe my story will inspire you to go a little deeper and find your missing pieces.

And with that...#goDo!