Imagine who you could be, and then aim single mindedly at that
Jordan B. Peterson
We forget powerful things. It’s natural. Out of thought, out of mind. The writings and earlier speeches of Jordan B. Peterson have been very influential since I found his first video a few years ago. Be who you can be. Stand up straight. Take more more responsibility. Raise a good family. I read his books, highlighted away, put in place different habits. I picked up other books, listened to other podcasts, and over time, phrases that were on the tip of my tongue weren’t anymore.
A few days ago I loaded up YouTube. The first recommendation was from JBP revisiting some of his rules. Rule #2 from Beyond Order was the subject of the recommended video. My brain took the picture and title in within a second. It stopped me. I had loaded to app to listen to another podcast. The other podcast would wait. Scrolling would wait. I pressed play.
It was a wake up call. I need to revisit Jordan B. Peterson. I need to set up my library so books are visible when I’m in my office, rather than their current location of moving boxes. I know that the rules aren’t ‘forgotten,’ as they are present in the habits, routine and lifestyle that we have. But the rules need to be revisited by me. The feeling was there on seeing the title. I am not all that I would be. I have not been aiming with precision.
Who could I be? 🤔
Let that question sit with you for a bit. It needs a real level of responsibility to answer. Because, if you are like me, you’ve realised that you could be more, and now you have to go and do things to get there. The game has been upped. You need to step in to and take on more responsibility and make yourself accountable.
When you imagine who you could be, you have to remove the excuses. Aim. Do the work. See what the outcome is. There is no ‘it will never work out,’ or ‘I don’t have time.’ I need to look at my schedule to make sure what I’m currently doing is aligned to my values (there will be time available). If I say my podcast won’t be successful because I don’t have a flare for interviewing, well then I need to start interviewing and build that flare.
Life is hard no matter what it is that we do. It’s freeing. We are responsible for our path and destination. There will be setbacks along the way. We get to choose our obstacle. Sitting on the couch watching anime is easy, and it will be hard when my fitness plummets and I can’t be active. Going to the gym so I can continue to be active is not easy. It’s hard.
I will be someone who continues to learn and grow, who is am amazing husband and father, a community leader, who has time for his wife, family and friends. Someone who produces thoughtful content and helps others to live a deep and meaningful life by their definition. I work part time, watch anime, climb, and go on lots of adventures with my wife. We have oodles of fun. We explore different cafes.
What do I need to do? 🎯
Do the work. Show up. Be present. Embrace failing. Learn. Write, podcast, publish. Lead sessions and workshops to share my knowledge and facilitation discussions. Promote it. Get further involved in the Stoic community. Get involvement in our townhouse community. Continue to invest. Take new opportunities as they come. Put myself out there. Revisit important books (12 rules for life, I’m looking at you). Review my calendar and tasks to make sure they align with my values and pillars. Document and reflect on the journey.