Jack Welch is among the great executives and business minds on the scene today. Through his own corporate performance, his books, and speeches, he is recognized as a world leader. I believe one of the major keys to Jack Welch’s success is summed up by his statement, “Start every meeting with the question, ‘What is the reality?’”
No matter where you want to go in your life or your career, the one thing I know is that you will be starting from the exact point where you are today. There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going, and the first necessary step begins when you identify exactly where you are.
A challenge identified is a challenge well on the way to being overcome.
In the work I do with corporations and individuals seeking to make major improvements and reach new goals, the greatest obstacle is often getting people to admit where they are today. If you want to build financial security, the process will begin with you calculating your current net worth, even if it’s a negative number. If you want to lose weight, the journey begins with you getting on the scales today.
If you want to travel to any destination in the world, you simply need to call the airlines and order your ticket, but they will require more than just knowing your destination. They will need to know where you will be starting your trip.
Being honest with ourselves is not easy. Until we determine we want to make changes in our lives, we gloss over or pretend that the facts are not as bad as they may be. If you’re not going to make a change or commit to a new process, it really doesn’t matter what the reality is. If you’re not going to get out of debt, there’s not a lot of reason to closely examine your credit card statement; however, once you decide to change, the facts matter, and the numbers count.
Great coaches always know the score and how much time is left in the game. Success comes when we make good decisions. Good decisions happen when we get the facts. We are far better off coming face-to-face with an uncomfortable reality than not knowing where we are.
I have a saying that I’m fond of repeating which has become known as Stovall’s 11th Commandment. “Thou shalt not kid thyself.”
If you don’t like where you are, the first step to getting out of your current situation is to admit exactly where you are and that you are responsible for the situation. Unless or until we accept the full responsibility and the reality of our condition, we cannot take control of the future. You can’t claim that the past is not your fault and you had nothing to do with it but declare the future is under your control, and you are going to be fully responsible for changing it.
Once you admit the uncomfortable reality of where you are, you are destined to be somewhere more to your liking in the near future.
As you go through your day today, begin the first day of the rest of your life by understanding and accepting exactly where you are.
Today’s the day!
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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached by e-mail at JimStovall@aol.com or by visiting www.JimStovall.com
-what was your biggest lesson learned from the ideas above? What will you do with the idea you learned? Share in the comments below.
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