Are You Going to Ruin the Rest of 2014 for Others?

“Well, you’ve already ruined Thanksgiving for a bunch of families,” I said to one of our Mastermind members, “Are you going to ruin their Christmas as well?”

Harsh, I know, but I had to take the role of a stern, but loving parent to get the message across.

You see, our client had an important message that she needed to get out to the world but she was setting up roadblock after roadblock, obstacle after obstacle in her own mind.

But in reality, there was no reason for these obstacles to exist at all. With our help, we cleared almost all of them in under 30 minutes. Boom! Just like that.

All the problems were fixed with some tough love and taking the time to put together a step-by-step action-taking blueprint for success.

And perhaps that’s the approach we need to take with you, too. After all, 25% of 2014 is now over, and if you didn’t achieve what you wanted to last year, then you need a wake-up call.

You are probably like my client. You have big dreams. You have great ideas. You might even, like her, have a website with a product that is “almost” done…or maybe it’s your sales letter that is “almost” done. Or perhaps you are an author or an artist with a book or painting that is almost done, and has been in this state for weeks, months, or worse, even years.

As a result of that journey to the island of Almost Done (much like the dreaded island of Misfit Toys), your product, your book, your message, your art – something that is the solution to many other people’s problems – remains hidden from the world.

So they suffer while you procrastinate.

Maybe, because you haven’t yet released your weight loss book, thousands of frustrated men and women remained overweight last year, living in tears and shame, and even resorted to hiding out during the holiday season because they were too embarrassed by how they looked to attend any holiday parties.

You ruined their Christmas. Way to go. You’re a real Eddie Johnson, aren’t you? (That’s Clark Griswald’s brother-in-law, for all Christmas Vacation non-aficionados).

Or maybe you have a really great “how to improve your finances” program, but thanks to your laundry list of silly reasons for not launching it, hundreds – if not thousands – of people had no room in their budget to get gifts for everyone on their list. Or perhaps they went further into debt because you weren’t there to show them how to avoid impulse spending or credit card abuse.

Well, way to go Ebeneezer Scrooge. You ruined their Christmas.

Or perhaps you have a brilliant system for helping a husband and wife fix their relationship.

But you’re still editing your book (on the intoxicating beaches of the Island of Almost Done) for the 14th straight month. And so not only did hundreds and thousands of stressful marriages remain on edge over the holidays, but their poor children were walking on eggshells on Christmas morning so as to not upset their parents and spark off another screaming match.

That one REALLY bothers me because I’ve been that kid.

And it hurts. It leaves scars.

So again, you ruined Christmas all because of your failure to launch.

Your procrastination is inexcusable. You have dithered, debated and procrastinated too long over the colors of your website, the order of the chapters in your book, the wording of your headline, or the background of your artwork. Or worse, you might be holding back because you’re worried how other people will judge or criticize your work. And that’s the worst excuse ever.

You see, those aren’t real obstacles to your success.

Yet those silly little distractions are stopping so many of you of achieving great things and having your best year ever. And if you don’t conquer them, they will ruin your year again. But you can change. You must change.

Recently on one of our Success QnA sessions on Facebook, reader Scott M. posted the following:

“I’m a trained copywriter, currently working for big company, but my passion is info-marketing in the romance/relationships niche. I’ve written an e-book & downloaded your Internet Independence report, but for some reason I have a block/fear when it comes to launching my own e-biz.”

“I feel SO much more knowledgeable than the average joe, so I can’t decide whether to hire someone to help me make my dream come true or use all the books and programs I already have and just trust my gut and launch my e-biz on my own.”

Here’s my “Stern but Loving Parent” reply:

“Scott, stop procrastinating and just go and take massive action and get it done today. Remember – every day you hold back there is some poor, lonely guy out there desperate and dateless. You are ruining HIS life with your procrastination.”

So Scott, the truth is that you and my Mastermind client and so many other potential successful people reading this essay effectively ruined Christmas for thousands of strangers because you didn’t get your solution to their problem out in time.

That is unacceptable.

You can do better.

Or…

You can go on ruining Christmas for everyone else and ruining every year for yourself.

Listen, this is harsh. It might even go beyond the definition of Tough Love into Borderline Jerk Territory, but if it gets you to take action then it’s worth it. Because it’s better that I go there than you remain shipwrecked on the Island of Almost Done. This message is needed because nothing else seems to be working to get you to take action.

And it’s frustrating because I know you can help so many people.

You have a great gift. You have the knowledge to help others, and you’re a good person that cares.

So let’s start taking action. Let’s get you helping people and start changing lives for the better.

The world needs YOU more than ever.

The world is hurting – so help it.

And please, don’t let those so-called obstacles stand in your way any longer.

Destroy the obstacles, eliminate the excuses, and help save the world one person at a time – starting with yourself.

Make it your BEST year EVER in 2014 – and do so by taking action.

And more important, make it their best year ever in 2014 – by helping others through delivering solutions to their problems.

Share your message, abundantly, and without fear.

Everything you do is either moving you closer to or farther away from your goals. Every action makes an impact.

So how do you change for the better? One positive action and impact at a time. You can’t change everything overnight. But you CAN get better every day. Keep going! Stay strong and get STRONGER.

You can do it.

Click here to get 2014 back on track

[Ed Note: Craig Ballantyne is the editor of Early to Rise (Join him on Facebook here) and the author of Financial Independence Monthly, a complete blueprint to helping you take control of your financial future with research of proven methods in your career, in your business and in your personal life. He has created a unique system to show gratitude and appreciation to stay on track for these goals each and every day. Click here to follow the exact 5-minute system you can use to improve your life.]