30 days to success, day 2: the power of leverage.
Introduction
In my last post, I discussed the first key to embarking on a journey of personal transformation and success. We can't reach a destination if we don’t know where we are going, and that post covered the importance of clarity and vision, providing practical steps to get started the right way.
If the first post is about determining your destination, today’s blog is about finding unending fuel. Like many of you, I have tried to accomplish goals before but either couldn’t sustain them or gave up along the way. Today’s strategy is about giving you the push you need when the going gets tough, ensuring you get to where you want to be.
Discovering Leverage
The first time I stumbled upon the concept of leverage was while working at a fried chicken place in a tough neighborhood. Although I didn’t speak English, I pushed myself to learn quickly to avoid constant threats from customers whenever I messed up their orders. Within two months, I learned to speak English, a change that improved my life forever.
Another instance was when dating my first girlfriend. Maria (not her real name) ended things because she said I wasn’t her type anymore. She liked 6-pack dudes. But when she announced she’d like to see me again in two months, I tapped into a vault of willpower and determination, getting into outstanding shape by pushing myself to the limit. Things with her dissolved again soon after, but the taste of determination stayed with me forever.
Starting my first company was another significant event. Before starting my first business I sold luxury cars, but a pay-plan change and economic downturn made it hard to maintain my income. With little to lose, I took a leap of faith and ventured on my own. The birth of my son pushed me to make it happen, and within weeks, I went from owing money to making $8,000+ commissions, moving into a new house, and preparing for my son’s arrival.
In every situation, there seemed to be a side of me that stayed asleep until s#%t hit the fan, but when it did, that side woke up and conjured up miracles.
Understanding Leverage
While those weren’t the only instances where this power surfaced, I wondered how to tap into that reserve before things went awry. I enjoyed life when things went well, but only pondered, learned, and grew when they went astray. I wished to find a sustainable way to access this power consistently.
That perspective changed when I discovered books like Think and Grow Rich and The Magic of Believing. These books showed me that clear goals and belief in oneself are crucial for tapping into that power, helping me accomplish more in a few years than I had in my entire life. But another problem surfaced; I often gave up and lost the progress I had made.
Trials and Testing: Finding the Right Combination
Was I doomed to achieve and lose? Were all achievements unsustainable? While I had convinced myself to stay low and give up on pursuing my desires, my conscience pushed me to find new ways to pursue my goals and become the person I wanted to be.
To wrestle with this issue, I dove headfirst into understanding human behavior, devouring countless books and programs on the psychology of human behavior. The theoretical knowledge I gained matched my experiences, and within two years, I had a completely new understanding of myself and others.
However, it wasn’t until I stumbled upon a key piece of information that I realized what I could have done better. Desire, visualization, clarity, and perseverance were only the first steps towards achieving anything, but not enough to keep me in the race. The rush of newly acquired things disappeared over time, allowing me to lose focus and pushing me back to square one.
Breakthrough: Finding the Right Formula
But my newfound psychological knowledge yielded the answer. The things I pursued weren’t the end in themselves but vehicles to satisfy specific needs. I discovered that the secret was FEAR. More than positive mental states, I tapped into that endless resource of power because I feared certain outcomes.
This discovery felt like hitting the jackpot. Knowing the deeper reasons behind my pursuits helped me stay in shape to live long for my loved ones, become the person I wanted to be, and stay on my path not for popularity, but to help others achieve the same level of success (and avoid unnecessary pain).
Applying Leverage in Your Life
So how does this apply to you? To have sustainable fuel to push through challenges, become unshakeable, and break through limitations, you need to know what you fear most. Creating leverage means doing to yourself what others do to you but in a more enjoyable way.
Your job creates leverage by giving you the pleasure of a paycheck and the fear of getting fired if you don't perform. Relationships create leverage by giving you the pleasure of company and the fear of loneliness if you let yourself go. To achieve sustainable, long-lasting results, we will create leverage and a set of parameters that will help you make the right choices.
To complete this exercise, refer to the four action items from the previous post and answer the following questions. We will create connections of pleasure and pain related to sticking or not following through with your goals.
Positive Associations:
What pleasurable state will you experience?
What will you gain from staying on track?
What will your life look like 5 years from now if you commit to accomplishing these goals?
How will you feel about yourself living this life?
Painful Associations:
What painful state will you experience if you give up?
Who are you going to cheat or let down by taking the lazy road?
What will your life look like in 5 years if you stay where you are now?
How are those around you going to suffer because of it?
Is this the life you want?
Once you complete the exercise, commit to following through and making your goal happen no matter what. You can accomplish a lot more than you think., and in the next posts, I will give you the following keys to get from where you are to where you want to be.
In the meantime, please forward this message to someone who can benefit from it, check out my book No Grail Without Dragons, and follow me on social media @VictorGiusfredi.
Thank you for investing this time in yourself, and I’ll see you in the next post.
Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat,
Victor