6 Weeks Left Till Your Dreams Expire

I have a couple of questions for you and an urgent warning about how little time we have left.

But first I want you to understand that you and I have a few things in common. We both come from humble beginnings. I’m not sure exactly where you grew up and what your childhood was like, but I was raised on a farm just outside a small city in Southern Ontario.

The Ballantyne ‘ranch’ was two hours from Toronto and four from Detroit. We didn’t have a lot of money, and I wore cheap sweatpants with patches on the knees to school every year. That makes me even more thankful for the sacrifices my parents made, such as…

Somehow my mom scrimped and saved enough money and cajoled my father into taking us to Disney World when I was 10 years old. That was a great trip and I am grateful for the sacrifices she made to make it happen.

Likewise, I’ll never forget the time my dad and I took the train to Toronto to see Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers play the Maple Laughs (as he called them). Gretzky got two penalties that night, and NO points. Ha! It obviously wasn’t the perfect game, and it cost my dad a lot of money, but it is a memory that will stay with me forever.

My parents sacrificed tremendously for me, showed me the value of hard work, and pushed me to not be the lazy kid that I wanted to be. They both wanted me to have the opportunities that they missed out on, especially my mother, who quit high school before graduating and sorely regretted it.

When I was growing up, she wanted me to get a steady job, like an accountant, and was terrified that I’d have to work at a factory with my fancy (read: useless) Kinesiology degree. My father, well, he never did understand what I was studying at school. He was too busy farmin’.

I’m proud of my background, but like you, our humble beginnings have shackled us with Golden Handcuffs.

Now that we’ve had a little success, we already have more than we ever expected to achieve in life. I once thought making $100K per year was the best I could ever do. How could I possibly find a job that would allow me to make any more money than that?

But as you know, when we add value and help people, and when we hit personal records and breakthrough mental limits like this, we begin to see bigger opportunities and so set goals for more.

Most times.

But sometimes we make the mistake and we do the opposite.

Sometimes success causes us to slow down. That’s what you really have to watch out for. Don’t let this happen to you. Don’t let the Golden Handcuffs of Complacency halt your personal and professional growth.

If you ever feel like you’re in a rut, or that you’re coasting, read this:

“The foundation of achievement is intense desire. The world’s highest achievers have the highest levels of dissatisfaction. The best way to build desire is to make resolute choices for the future.” – Kekich Credo #59

If you are at this stage, then it’s time for some introspection. You have to look inside yourself for the reasons to break free of the Golden Handcuffs.

You must develop an intense desire for change, to keep on pushing on, to get out of your comfort zone and ask for the affiliate help, to set aside your ego, to get coaching, to be held accountable by others, and to be open to hard, but kind feedback from your mentors, so that you can keep making the improvements that must be made in your business.

As I tell my fat loss clients, and even myself from time to time, your status will not change until you truly become dissatisfied with your current situation in life.

Let me help you with that introspection exercise.

Carve out some quiet time to ask yourself:

1) What will it take to finally get me to make the changes that I need to succeed?
2) What fears are holding me back?
3) What are the temptations that I must remove from my life so that I can breakthrough the roadblocks (physical & mental) that are holding me back in business and life?
4) What are two solutions to each one of these obstacles?
5) What is the ONE big goal that must be achieved in my life before the end of 2014?
6) What are the 3-5 most important process goals that will help me achieve the ONE big goal?
7) Who can hold me accountable?

With these answers you will have greater purpose and clarity.

Time is running out until the New Year.

There are only 6 weeks left in 2014.

Make each day count.

Identify your fears, your temptations, and your obstacles. Create solutions and new habits and Rules for your life that will help you overcome these hurdles. State your ONE big goal. Make it public. Get accountability. Identify two ways to overcome each of those obstacles.

Please keep the momentum going.

Please stay connected.

Please update us on your progress.

Please ask for help when needed.

Please keep on pushing on.

You have the resources, assistance, and support you need from all of us here at EarlyToRise.com.

You have what you need to succeed.

Your time is now.

The clock is ticking.

Let’s get to work.

Make one big move towards your ONE big goal today.

[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.]