The Direct Path

In an ordinary day of an ordinary week we follow our habitual patterns of arriving at the office, checking our email, getting to today’s task, crossing off today’s task, getting lunch, going to meetings, going to back to our email...

We are doing this to achieve some type of goal, either for ourselves or for our organization.

We believe that in repeatedly showing up in this way, we are getting closer to our goal.

You are closer to your goal than you think.

But rather than reaching out and taking the path of least distance, we meander.

We do tasks that are unrelated to our goal.

We check inbound email and respond to cold outreach when in fact it has nothing to do with our goal.

We say yes, when we mean no.

Or rather, we say yes because we find it more bearable than saying No, and then reaching for our goal.

So why is this so difficult?

Well, for starters, it is difficult to truly identify where we want to go, with any real specificity.

This is because we live in a world of opportunity, and we mimic the interests and paths of others rather than following our own instinct.

This is also because it is hard to know the true cause and effect. What is it that causes the effect of the success we seek? Is it practice? Is it the right connections? Is it money? Is it luck?

Finding the most precise and accurate answer to these questions remain difficult.

And so we make mediocre efforts in a general direction, instead of immediate and precise efforts in a specific direction.

It might just mean that this is not what you truly want.

And understanding that is a good thing, rather than a negative because for the first time you can let go of the weight and pressure this has been causing. You no longer have to spend cycles thinking about this thing that you truly don’t want.

And when you sit back, without this weight, something funny begins to happen.

Suddenly you find inspiration naturally, and by choice and by pleasure...

You begin to take the direct route.

If your goal is to write a book; you begin writing the book.

If your goal is to own a video agency, you begin pitching clients.

You begin doing the thing that takes

And in this process something else incredible begins to occur.

You reach your goal.

See, we’re not ever that far off from the progress we seek.

But if it’s not the progress we truly seek... we meander, and we come up with work to do that is everything BUT our goal.

Rather than taking the direct path.

Where is it that you want to go?
And what specific action can you take such that it becomes inevitable you cross that line?

xx David