I enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 18 and went straight to bootcamp upon graduating from high school. A few years later I found myself stationed in Japan having the time of my life. After three years in Japan, I finished my active duty commitment to Uncle Sam and had a big decision to make: To remain long-term in Japan, I needed a work visa. To get a work visa, I need a four-year college degree. The only problem was I had only completed two years of my undergraduate degree while on active duty in the Marine Corps. My goal of living long-term in Japan was about to slip through my fingers.
Has something like that ever happened to you? You have a clear goal that you are passionate about and then something gets in the way of you completing it. (As a matter of fact, this happens ALL the time with me — you too, I bet.) And how many times have you had the insight about what to do to get back on track and did not take the action necessary to complete it?
This leads me to The Mushin Way lesson I want to share with you today: Insight + (relevant) Action = Results. It seems simple enough, yet many of us get stopped by not taking the RELEVANT action steps necessary to move closer to our goals. For example, if you want to get a better paying job, what is one simple relevant action steps you can take that will actually move you closer to securing a better paying job? Is getting online to do a bunch of research on what salary you should be making important? Well, maybe. If you want to input into your mind whatever someone else says you SHOULD make. Instead, why not contact 10 of your closest friends, mentors, colleagues, and family members to ask them for help — who do they know that would be interested in either hiring you or helping you? Can they give you five names each for you to further talk to and network with?
Now imagine if you spent one hour each morning focusing on connecting with real live human beings that can support you in achieving your goal of getting a better paying job. That would require you asking for, and accepting help — overcoming your fear of asking for help and not letting your ego say “NO” to accepting the help you receive.
Imagine the opportunities you will uncover if you spend one hour a day doing these relevant action steps for 30-days. The potential is unlimited.
So how did I ever manage to accomplish my goal of living in Japan long-term without having a four-year degree? Easy! I got into relevant action and completed my four year degree studying at an ivy-league Japanese university in Tokyo. On full scholarship from the Japanese Ministry of Education. Via a unique Japanese exchange program with The Ohio State University. Yes, I actually remained in Japan completing my degree from Ohio State while having the time of my life at top-tier private Japanese university.
So next time you find yourself not achieving your goals as fast as you like or if you get stopped all together, figure out why (insight), get into consistent and relevant action, and be patient. The results will come. If you need help getting “unstuck” and achieving your goals, leave a comment below or hit me up on Twitter @mpveltri — I’ll be sure to get back to you right away to help you achieve your goals.