SUNDAY CHALLENGE: If You Don’t Have a Plan – You’re Not Pursuing Greatness.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

If you never make a plan, you don’t ever have to worry about being held accountable or worry about failing. You don’t ever have to worry about stumbling along the way and feeling inadequate, scared, confused, etc.

Not having a plan keeps you mediocre. It keeps you stagnant. It signifies that you have given in to your fear instead of taking steps to transcend it. Not having a plan keeps you from fulfilling your true potential. It keeps you from seeing what you’re actually capable of instead of just thinking about it or talking about it. Living inside your head doesn’t translate to concrete action or results. Because you don’t get something out of nothing.

Making a plan automatically renders you responsible for something. A plan means you are ready to commit, you are ready for the challenge, you are ready for the good and the bad that comes with pursuing greatness. Having a plan exposes you. It makes you vulnerable. It allows for the possibility of failure. You might also realize that what you had imagined in your head all this time is actually a misrepresentation of what you are ready or willing to do.

So, if you want to do something great, if you want to take the necessary steps to truly pursue your goals and dreams, you need a plan. Quit making general statements about what you want to accomplish. It does nothing but make you appear uncommitted. Don’t talk without doing. Do and then talk. Practice your craft in silence. Proclaim only what you are doing or have done. And when you say you’re going to do something —- do it! Develop the reputation of a “doer.”

When you actually work and do things, you begin to feel an indescribable sense of accomplishment. No one can touch that. No one can take it away from you. Doing creates momentum. And it propels you to keep moving, to keep giving, to keep creating. Momentum is a powerful force that should be respected and kept sacred. But you must first invest time to create momentum.

So… speak what you’re going to do – and do it.

Commit to your goals and dreams, make a plan, and put in the work necessary to accomplish them.

Be prepared to sweat for your dreams. Greatness won’t come easy.

It is possible to accomplish everything you commit to- but only if you’re willing to work, hustle, wait, and endure the uncertainty and discomfort that comes from not having all the answers all at once.

Don’t blame anyone or anything when you encounter difficulties or obstacles. If anything, expect them. When you’re doing something great, difficulties and obstacles are inevitable. They will appear along the way in the form of people, situations, problems, failures, etc. It wouldn’t be wise of you to think that you’ll have a smooth ride from start to finish. Mentally you will be tested. It’s okay to struggle as you’re waging the storm. It’ll probably feel unfamiliar and catch you off guard at times. It will make you question things you thought you knew. That’s okay. It’s part of the process. Take the successes with the uncertainties. Ride out the periodic storms.

Prepare yourself for this. Do not give up at the first sign of difficulty.

Greatness does not come without challenges, tests, growth, and work!  As soon as things get scary, uncertain, or difficult, a lot of people give up. But these times offer the best opportunities for the most learning, growth, and progress.

Refuse to give up and instead work through all the storms. If you do that, mentally you’ll be unstoppable. But it’ll take some practice. It’ll take you experiencing the difficulties. So, ride out the storms. Learn from them. Pay attention to your reactions in the midst of the chaos. Allow your resolve and tenacity to be a marker of your progress and growth.

So… what are you going to do?

• Are you going to make a plan and begin?
• Or are you going to let the fear of failure and inadequacy keep you at a standstill?

I challenge you to make a plan and begin today!

Share with us below what you’re setting out to accomplish! Speak it … and do it!

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