BE ON TIME!

When we want to make a change, we have to do something that is not comfortable - or familiar.

This past week I had a conversation with someone who attended one of my workshops last fall. This person was late to the workshop, missing the entire first half. Two weeks later they scheduled a follow-up call - to get the rest of the story I presume. 

When that time came on the calendar, the person didn’t show. I texted them, and they replied that they had a conflict and couldn’t be on the call.

I graciously said, “Feel free to schedule another time.”

They did. Guess what happened?

When that time came, they were in the middle of another appointment. Did they let me know? No, I had to follow up to see if they were coming. “Oh, I totally forgot!”

So...the other day they scheduled a third time to meet with me. Now you might be thinking, “Steven, why in the world would you waste your time with this person...again?!”

I like to give people the benefit of the doubt - I want to help people have a breakthrough. This person clearly is having trouble managing their time. 

When the time came this past week, guess what happened? If you said they didn’t show up - for the third time! - you would be...partially right. They did not show up on time. Three minutes past the scheduled time I sent a text. A moment later they said, “Be right there.” Five minutes later they showed up on Zoom. We started the 30-minute call 8 1/2 minutes late.

Now, no disrespect to this person. I am not angry with them, I have no hard feelings - I see this all the time. 

Anyway, we get into our conversation about where this person needs help. The thing they say is, “I am tired of not being consistent. I am tired of running all over the place.” You think?

YOU CAN NOT BE SOMEONE WHO EARNS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER COMMISSION CHECK AND DOES NOT F*&^ING SHOW UP ON TIME!

The very first place to start is being on time. Seriously, this is so critical, so elementary, MOST people miss this. If you are someone who is often not on time, pay attention because you are likely to tune me out, ignore what I am saying, or make up some story about how I am blowing things out of proportion. [By the way, 1 minute late is STILL LATE!] 

If you want your business - and life - to work, it starts with being on time. Why? Because there is no reason to be on time other than you say so. If you can’t be somewhere when you say will be there, then YOUR WORD - in other words, YOU - have NO POWER! And, I am asserting, your life will often be...a mess. If that term is too derogatory for you, how about “unworkable”? If you are not on time you will almost certainly have a low level of work-ability in your life. You will also most certainly have little peace and freedom - instead, you will have things like stress, chaos, and unpredictability.

Back to this potential coaching client. We have this whole conversation about how her business and life are unsustainable at this pace. We talk about what it would be like to have a schedule, to operate from it, and the newfound freedom and productivity she would experience. When we get to the point of committing to a program, what do you think she said?

“I’ll think about it.”

This person told me for 20 minutes how miserable it is to operate this way. When it came time to make a commitment to do something about it, MORE NON-COMMITMENT! 

By the way, I am not saying they should work with me - it could have been Tony Robbins, or some other famous coach/trainer - who offered the same opportunity for them to put money and their promises at stake - this person would have still said: “Let me think about it.” 

This is common behavior for human beings and it is a guaranteed way to stay stuck.

Here we are in a new year, with a new opportunity - and we choose to stay the same. To play it safe. To keep from playing full out. It is simply too risky, and too uncomfortable to change. 

This year is NOT going to be any easier than last. PLEASE HEAR ME LOUND AND CLEAR: the market is NOT GOING TO SAVE YOU! Interest rates are almost certainly not coming below 5%, and the odds are not even that great that they get below 6%. So if you are hanging your hat on the market will save you, wake up! I am SO sick of hearing this bulls*&t nonsense.

Low-paid amateurs depend on the market to make their business. I hope these people wash out of this profession. Only being able to operate in an "up"  is being an order taker.

You’ve probably noticed - I am on my soapbox now. For crying out loud this industry is full of people who should not be here, and last fall’s lawsuits are just the beginning. But that’s another story.

Anyways, back to this person who is destined to have another year like last year - or worse. What I am super present to is that people are unwilling to make any real or lasting change in their lives. Like, really! Most people are simply committed to mediocrity.

I am so fired up right now writing about this! What about you? 

If you want to have a breakthrough year this year, then you are going to have to do something you have never done before. You are going to have to be someone you have never been before. You are going to have to go out on a limb, put your ego and comfort at risk, and really leap into the unknown. 

The good news is that once you take that leap - who you expand into is someone unrecognizable to your former self. You get to become the person you always dreamed about becoming. Your dreams become your reality.

Or you can keep running from thing to thing, always late, never on top of things, always feeling like things are slightly (or totally) out of control.

Commit to something better.