Put Something In The Tank And You’ll Go Farther

Well-known motivational speaker Eric Thomas said, “Stop thinking and start doing. Thoughts make sense but execution makes money.” Imagine that you are a car and information is the gas in the tank – the more you acquire, the farther you can go. At a certain point you have to stop talking about what you could do and get the information, resources and connections to get it done. We have to be honest about where we currently are and then assess what we need in order to get where we desire to be.

Many people have good ideas but they are hampered by fear or overwhelmed by the knowledge they don’t have. The purpose that you were born to fulfill will remain in seed form until you supply it the information it needs to grow. No one is born with all of the answers. But many people die with their dreams unfulfilled.

            Here are 5 ways to gain information so that you can fulfill your purpose.

READ BOOKS

It has literally never been easier to access books. In an article by Jason Del Ray for All Things Digital we learn that, “at a high level, CIRP (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners) estimates that 20.5 million Kindles — e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets combined — are currently in use in the U.S., and that 40 percent of Amazon.com’s customers own one of the devices.” This doesn’t include the people like me who use the Kindle App on their phone.

You should always have a book you are reading so that if you’re waiting in line, riding on the train or sitting on the toilet you can be learning and growing during that time. Don’t just read any book. Read books that help you get stronger in areas where you’re currently weak.

FREE WEBINARS

Use caution here as many free webinars are just veiled sales pitches. However, there are some quality trainings available. The John Maxwell Team, for example, often provides useful and informative free leadership webinars. If you can’t find free webinars in your area of gifting, you can always attend class at YouTube University.

Yes, I know everyone on YouTube is by no means an expert. But if you browse for content related to your purpose, you can find well done videos that can get you one step closer to becoming who you are designed to be. Just make sure you don’t get sucked into binge watching some foolishness.

LISTEN TO PODCASTS

My driving time is my learning time. There are 5 or 6 podcasts (not including my own) that I listen to regularly. Depending on what mood I’m in determines which one I listen to that day or on that trip. But no matter which one I listen to all of them are designed to teach me something about purpose, leadership, apologetics or speaking.

You have to know yourself so you that you know what to listen to. This is why it is so important to discover your purpose. Knowing this will tell you how best to use your valuable time. If you truly want to advance then you have to maximize your time and listening to podcasts while you’re driving or riding is a great way to do that.

TALK TO SOMEONE

Talk to someone who isn’t like you and doesn’t think like you. It will ignite in you a different way of thinking. If you watch any political news or debates it seems like now more than ever we tend to live in silos. This means that we tend to associate with and get most of our information from people who look, think and sound like we do. That may provide a level of comfort but it may also stagnate your growth.

Make a conscious decision to seek out, either in person or online, some people that aren’t in your clique, political party, or age range. Variety is the spice of life. Variety in relationships can provide a fresh way of thinking about an old problem. Maybe it will be the missing piece to fulfilling your purpose in life.

MEDITATE

This should be active meditation. It’s really brainstorming. Think through various scenarios. In this time it’s even okay to dream and think about what you would do with a million dollars. Then, write a plan. Even if you never get a million dollars the process of meditation is still fruitful. I know what you’re saying, “I don’t have time to meditate.” You always make time for what’s important to you.

If you honestly want something different in life and you know you have a vision and purpose to fulfill, then eventually you have to decide to do something different. If you don’t have time, figure out what you can stop doing – something that isn’t helping you fulfill your purpose – and substitute that time with intentional meditation. You don’t need to meditate daily or for hours. Start with 10 minutes and go from there.

How far we advance in life will be directly related to the level of our training and preparation. A Navy Seal is credited with saying, “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.”