I just started another book this morning (surprise) – Your Next Act: The 6 Growth Accelerators for Creating a Business You’ll Love for the Rest of Your Life” by Mike Koenigs. The 6 Growth Accelerators are:
- Mindset
- Market
- Model
- Message
- Media
- Multipliers
I read the Introduction and first two Chapters this morning. I can’t say there’s much that I haven’t hear before, but there was one piece so far that I found most intriguing. How would you answer the question, “What life do you want RIGHT NOW?” How big do you think? What’s the scope of your possibility for yourself and your business? If you didn’t question or reject potential, what would you choose to do, who would you choose to be, and what would you choose to have?
To help answer these questions, he shares 14 questions to get at the heart of “What life so you want now?” Here are the questions (with my answers):
- What do I really want to do? (I want to train educators and people who work in community programs on how to use Life Design Catalyst tools and resources to empower people to become the best version of themselves while profoundly serving others in order to make the world a better place and create hope for a better future.)
- Why do I do what I do? (Throughout my life, I never had much guidance on how to live my life to the fullest. When I was a student, no one every helped me figure out what I wanted to do. Then, when I started work as an advisor, there wasn’t anyone that could help me see a bigger vision for myself and my life. I felt like a lost puppy until I met Marcia Wieder of Dream University in 2006 – and she opened up my eyes to a new way of thinking about purpose and dreams. And now, 17 years later, it’s my turn to pass what I’ve created and learned to others.)
- What do I love? (I love my wife Rebecca, I love my daughters Amanda and Bethany, I love my dog Laci, and I love my Life Design Catalyst Tribe. I also love reading and learning, and sports.)
- What do I hate? (Shallow people, those people only thinking about themselves and not about how they can help/serve others.)
- What do I fear? (That my daughters will live in a world that sucks. That my wife and I won’t have enough money to live until 100 years old.)
- Who do I trust?
- Who do I admire?
- How do I see myself?
- How am I seen by others? (This is a question I thought about a lot this morning. For the longest time, I thought that most people saw me as an arrogant asshole because I’m from New Jersey and very transparent – what you see is what you get. But as I’ve gotten older, I don’t know if I see that side as much because I genuinely care about profoundly serving others as best as I can.)
- How do you want to be seen by others? (That I’m REAL.)
- What do I want? (I want to live life on my terms, where I get to dictate how I use my time, instead of my time being dictated to me by a “job.” I want to surround myself with people who are interested in growth and optimism, not by people who are assholes and take without giving.)
- What do I believe? (I believe that every person deserves to design and live a magnificent life. That they can achieve more than they ever thought possible.)
- What do I value? (I value fitness and health, the exploring and engaging one’s purpose, personal growth and development, family and friends, and spirituality.)
- How do my beliefs, values, and preferences match my business (or what I want to do)? (Ever since I was a kid, I have always helped others achieve more than they ever thought possible, whether that was through sports, through work, or through life.)
He ends this section with the “Dan Sullivan Question,” which is what I’m hoping to get my Life Design Catalyst Community Members to think about: “If you and I were to meet one year from today (or three years from today), what would have happened personally and professionally for you to feel happy with your progress?”
How’s that for a question to ponder? One that I’ll be thinking about over the next few days.
The Dream Dean 