Cure Complacency Before It Kills

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010

Successful living is no accident. If you're not on your toes, you can lose it all before you know it. One common thing that those who start to make progress do it to start to let it roll, sit back and take it easy. After all, they are in need of some well deserved R&R - right?!

Well, before you start planning your extravagant and luxurious vacation, let me warn you that the disease of complacency is a threat to the newly successful life.

We see it every day whether we know it or not. For example, if you've ever watched a game - could be basketball, football, baseball or whatever your favorite sport is - and your team is ahead. It looks like they're going to take the big 'W'. There's no doubt they are going to Win!

Then it happens. They get complacent. This complacency is an easy target for the underdog team. The losing team can quickly turn the game around by taking advantage of the winning team's new laid-back style of play.

Before you know it, the once winning team find themselves fighting to either stay ahead or trying to get the lead back. You see, the opposite of complacency is momentum. The losing team knows that. If you lose your momentum - or voluntarily give it up - you'll likely find yourself fighting to win.

Here are three strategies that will insure you do not lose your momentum:

1. Seek and Find
When you feel like you're winning go play 'Seek and Find'. What this means is go seek someone who you know is doing even better than you. Then find out what their strengths are that keeps them at the top of their game. Warning: Do not let your pride get in the way. This can be a healthy and very rewarding practice if you use it.

2. Unlock the Unused and Available
There's a place in all of us that we avoid. It's not necessarily the same place in all of us, but we all have it. That place is our comfort zone. In most cases all we have to do is commit to one thing that makes us uncomfortable to start moving to another level of life that we've never known. All we have to do is master a new skill or overcome one fear to become wealthy, healthy and wide open to new life possibilities. Let me ask you a question. What is it you're not facing? What is your fear? What is it you need to master? Do NOT let it master you.

3. Put a Pebble In Your Shoe
I don't mean walk around irritated all the time. No. Far from it. You should cultivate an inspiring attitude that welcomes people to you. You want to be very approachable. But that has nothing to do with the pebble in the shoe example. You may or may not decide to literally put a pebble in your shoe. But if you do, you'll create an awareness that will not let you forget - there's something in your shoe. You want to create that same kind of awareness that you must stay on top of your attitude, your life decisions, your relationships, your vision, your goals, and everything that will keep you living successfully.

The key, as mentioned before, is to not grow complacent. Successful living incorporates a lifestyle of thinking involving continual progress. If you are happy with where you are now, ask yourself this question: "What next?" Then create a plan that will move you to the next level.

Life will never be the same.

Blessings,
Mark Thompson