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“We are given the ability to choose, just remember the choice you make today is the life you will live tomorrow”

Decision /dɪˈsɪʒ(ə)n/ noun – a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration.

We began this second topic of Decisions by establishing the fact we must choose to set the Bar… we are to lift up a standard and live above the expectations of others and the societal norm.

With everything we have looked at over the past several weeks, it becomes quite easy to listen to and even take on board whilst making the judgment call of “this sounds like a good idea” and “well that is a nice formula”.  However, many often forget we must pull the pin.  What I mean is we must make the decision to set the bar, to lift up the standard as opposed to simply talking, reading or listening to great plans and ideas of doing so. 

Now secondly, we must choose to make the decision to: 

Be Better

No one will or can do it for you, this is a decision we must make within the developed mindset.  I use the phrase “pull the pin” and the word “execution” because these are strong statements needed to take on, to buy into in order to become the best person, the best versions of our selves in the only life we have been given.  Success is driven by individuals who strive to be better than they were before.  There needs to be a time in our life when we are:

• Living better than we have before…
• Walking better than we have before…
• Serving better than we have before…
• Giving better than we have before…

We need to strive to be better than we were last week, last month, last year… better than yesterday.  The famed Apostle Paul used the phrase “reaching forth”, he was continually reaching forth, he wasn’t looking at what has been achieved or for that matter, what has NOT been achieved, but rather he was constantly, reaching forth, onward looking and forward moving!  Sam Walton, the founder of the Wal-Mart empire was always reminding those around to look “onward and upward”, it was his way to keep people motivated to be better.

If we will “Be Better”… first we must refuse to:

Settle

Settling for second best or the status quo is a decision, it is a choice people intentionally make. This is not something happening in a person’s life by force.  To settle, is to become stagnant.  When water is stagnant, parasites and disease will develop.  If we succumb to settling where and to what we are, the same is true for us, elements will grow and develop in our lives which will only work to hinder and hurt us.  Contentment is a good thing and it actually works against the idea of settling, because it places you in a position of faith, even when things aren’t how you envisioned them or as successful as you may have wished; being content in such a present state fuels you to keep pressing forward, to be better at the whatsoever state we are in!

So beloved, refuse to settle… up or down… Be Better by settling not, but rather continually reaching forth…

“You don’t have to settle… you don’t have to be less than the best version of you!”

 

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Decisions

“We are all given the same amount of time each day, to make a decision to improve or become worse… we rarely stay the same.”

Decision /dɪˈsɪʒ(ə)n/ noun – a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration.

The Disciplined Mindset is by far the first and foremost part required for successful growth or success in life.  If developed properly, naturally the next step will follow, which simply is making a choice, a decision between right and wrong, moving on or settling where you are.

There is a choice to be made which will bring you either closer to your goals, enabling you to strive further and reach higher than you ever have before.  Under the same scope, there is also the decision to simply remain consistent.  Consistency, is by far the most difficult part of the growth process, above and beyond all we have mentioned.

First we must make the decision of setting the:

Bar

Setting the Bar in our life has never been an easy task, nor should it.  I have said before, anything worth doing will always have some sort of difficulty, but it is difficulty which builds our character enabling us to continue to grow.  If we continue to establish a mediocre mark in life we will remain at a position which never reaches new heights. 

Now, such a bar must be our own, very similar to our plans, within the discipline mind, we must own it.  The same is true with setting the bar.  No matter what society may hold to a certain mark, the bar for our own success needs to be established by ourselves.  

Nevertheless, setting the bar will require a certain degree of:

Strength

Let me ask you this question, how many mistakes have you made in life?  I am not referring to major mistakes which altered the course of your life, but rather I am speaking of simple mistakes… almost accidental.  Such as a speeding ticket, lost keys, a misplaced book, dropping a glass, whatever it may be.  These types of mistakes we make daily, it is part of life, most of which are of no great consequence in the big picture.  Great or small, they are mistakes nonetheless and should reveal to us we ARE NOT PERFECT.  Therefore, if we are even capable of the slightest mistake, one forgotten piece of time, one loss or misspoken word, we need stability which is derived from a developed strength through setting the bar which is based upon order and preparation.  

Too often patterns are set in our life with a sliding scale for success.  Meaning, one day the bar is set at a certain height and yet at another level altogether thereafter.  This happens most often when the bar is set based upon the measures of others.  Here is an example, “company A” had success in the market place as “company B”, so company B decides to copy their business plan and finds minimal success.  Even though they were in the same market, company B failed to understand what went into the business plan of company A (i.e. location, employees, interaction within levels of business, communication within the workforce, organisation, continuity etc.).  In others words, if the bar in our life is based upon the standards of others, we will either reach such target with ease or fail to reach it at all.  Why? Because it is not ours, we do not own it and therefore without primary ownership, we are unable to prepare properly in order acquire the accurate strength thus maintaining the correct level of progress on a regular basis.  With this said, our goal each day is to make the decision to raise the:

Standard

Remaining mediocre is a choice people, companies, schools, teams etc. have made; it doesn’t mean you will be the best in your field, it means you can decide to be the best version of you!  The reality is champions build champions, so we must raise the standard higher than society’s bar.  Our measurement of success isn’t found in spreadsheets and data collection points, success is not found in comparing ourselves with others, as so many have become accustomed to doing.  There are decisions to make in this life, as a matter of fact, it is in this life and only this life we have the opportunity to have a choice.  Therefore, let us choose to set the bar higher than status quo, higher than the societal norm, higher than your personal expectations and reach beyond to new heights every single day. 

To sum things up, we have a decision to make, a choice which must be made daily to set the bar.  Lift up the standard in our lives to ensure adequate growth whilst steadfastly pursuing success on a regular basis.

“Choose to set the bar at a new level, not based on averages, but rather upon becoming the best version of yourself.