It was at the crack of 10 O’ clock one morning this week when I found myself catching a plane to go speak across the country. I’ve always preferred flying over driving because, while on the plane, it allows me to concentrate on whatever it is that I wish to concentrate on, be it email, reading a book, typing a blog, writing in my journal, writing notes, reviewing documents, organizing my fast paced life, listening to a podcast, prioritizing tasks, communicating with my assistant or whatever else my heart desires. The sweet flight attendant came by.
“Anything to drink?” she asked.
“Coffee please.”
“How do you take it sir?”
“Seriously,” I said. “Very seriously.”
After getting my black coffee and peanuts, I looked around for a moment while I was enjoying both. I couldn’t help but notice other people that were on the same flight. People from different countries, different races, different ages, different education experiences, and yet it dawned on me how much we all have in common in regards to what it takes to “get to another level” in life (or go backwards). Those that were reading were reading totally different things. One person was reading People Magazine, another a romance novel, another a business book, another a spiritual book, another a newspaper… With drinks in hand, each person had something different. One person had a cocktail, another a coffee, another a Coca Cola, another an orange juice, another a water, another a Sprite… They all ate something different too. Candy bars, burgers, protein bar, M&M’s, pretzels, sandwiches, fries…
In life you can predict your future conditions based on the current reality of your choices, actions and habits. Regardless of age, ethnicity, place of origin, education level or other, here is what we can all agree upon: No one is going to get healthier drinking sugar loaded sodas with high fructose corn syrup. No one is going to get wiser or more educated reading people magazine. No one is going to get in better shape with more energy eating M&M’s. No one is going to change their life with poor habits. BUT, on the flip side of that, each of us can improve our lives, regardless of age, ethnicity, place of origin, education level or other by developing successful daily habits.
My friend Darren Hardy, former publisher of Success Magazine and author of The Compound Effect, says it best:
“You will never change your life until you change something that you do daily.”
Make the right choices by exercising your discipline muscle. When you do, it will be obvious that you are headed to success!
