Chapter 9

Simplify, Focus, and Attack

A few years ago, these were my three words. But beyond that exercise, they are three critical words that you need to keep in mind at all times.

Can three simple words really be that important?

Yes, because any question, issue, concern, or goal can be broken down using them. If it can’t, then you don’t want it bad enough or haven’t taken the time to really determine how to get to it.

When setting goals, it often helps to break them down into smaller steps. This allows you to move forward more quickly with many small victories, instead of working only toward larger and further apart goals that take longer to achieve.

Simplify

Before making any major life adjustments, you have to know what in your life can be sacrificed and what can’t.

Journalist Ellen McGirt, a senior writer for Fast Company magazine, told me, “You can’t do it if you don’t take good care of yourself. That means taking inventory of your obligations. Do you have children? Do you have rent? If you are not able to do it right now, then you set a plan in motion that helps you feel hopeful for when you can actually launch your plan without destroying the lives of others in the process.”

As you look to simplify things, what is the bare minimum you and your family can tolerate? Think about income, time away from the family, and anything else that might change as you make a shift. You should never do anything that risks the happiness of the people who mean the most to you.

As you consider ...

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