A Coaching Power Tool created by Nathan Kreger
(Business & Ministry Leaders Coach, UNITED STATES)
If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else. Dave Ramsey
Jack Canfield, in his popular book, The Success Principles, relates the story of a young man, John Assaraf. In this story, John moved from Canada to Indiana in order to become partners with a real estate franchise that was floundering. Canfield explains that while John’s friends were out having a drink, John was working toward his dream of making the real estate franchise successful. After much sacrifice, persistence, and scorn from friends, John created one of the most successful real estate franchises in Indiana. In this story, John Assaraf made a decision to live like no one else now, so that later, when he became a millionaire, he could live like no one else. John saw a glimpse of the future, what his life could be, and decided to run toward that, no matter the obstacle or current pleasure. No doubt he made sacrifices along the way, but ultimately, they became sacrifices of joy. Instead of dwelling in present satiation, John dreamt in future pleasure.
Everyone one of us, when we set out to achieve a goal or objective, is influenced by our perspective. There are two perspectives that we can take: a perspective of present pain, in which we can only dwell in the pain and sacrifice that we are currently making, or a perspective of future opportunity, in which our eyes are set on the vision of what could be.
Present Pain
When we take on the perspective of present pain in the process of achieving a goal or objective, we tend to see things through glasses tinted with the perspective that in order to accomplish something, some sort of pain or loss is required. Furthermore, when we take on that perspective, we tend to think and see only in the moment, only in the present. For instance, if a person is attempting to lose weight, most of their thoughts are likely directed toward the loss or pain they are experiencing in order to attain the goal or objective they have set out to achieve. In this scenario the loss may be any number of things, including not being able to eat sweets and desserts, having to eat smaller portion sizes, not eating out as much, or having to exercising more intensely. The internal dialogue may consist of, “I have to give up this” or “I have to do that”, and the external dialogue is often characterized by complaints to everyone around them how it is so difficult not to eat this or that. Bottom line: when someone is on a diet, they tend to let everyone around them know the pain and suffering they are experiencing! When we approach goals and objectives in this light, focusing on the loss, failure often occurs. It is easy to get caught up and overwhelmed by what is being lost that a clear vision of may be is distorted. Furthermore, when we focus on the loss or the pain, the thought often consumes us, until we give in, until we say, “It’s not worth it.”
Future Opportunity
When we take on the perspective of future opportunity, we see the process of achieving a goal or objective through the lens of what would be sacrificed or what would be if our goal or objective were not completed. In the example above with the person attempting to lose weight, the coach must direct the client to explore what may be lost if the goal or objective is not attained. For instance, if the client does not achieve the desired weight loss, resultant health effects may follow, including increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke, thereby putting them at greater risk of losing the opportunity to watch their children grow, enjoy their retirement, or avoid the pain of a terminal disease.