Self-Discovery Pt. 3

Before we dive into today's article, if you have not read the previous two articles, I would like to invite your attention to the following links:

1. http://hour22.blogspot.com/2017/01/self-discovery-pt1.html
2. http://hour22.blogspot.com/2017/01/self-discovery-pt-2.html

If you have not read these two articles or need a refresher of what was discussed, please read them prior to proceeding. This way, you will know some brief references I will make going forward. Thank you in advance.

Now, we have come to the next checkpoint. You probably realize now, this is not an overnight get it done quick scheme. There is a foundational process to changing your life. I watched a video today on Facebook and a lady who wanted to transform her life in one area. As she went on here journey, I don't think most people realized, not only did she change one area of her life as she desired, but it transformed her exponentially in other ways. That is exactly what transformation will do to you. You will focus on one area, like fitness. Suddenly, you will begin to feel higher self-esteem. The esteem was a beneficiary of the fitness goals.

Think of it this way: Your life is made of systems. You have a nervous system, digestive system, skeletal system, circulatory system, and respiratory system. I'm sure there are others. All of my science experts can fill in the rest. These systems, in some way, work together in their functionality and need each other in order to operate. If one system fails, it can impact the others. It's the same with you as you transform your life. One failure or success can impact other areas of your life.

Your transformation must have proper alignment and a clear picture of what you are trying to achieve.

ALIGNMENT

In the Marine Corps marksmanship they would teach us about having sight alignment and sight picture. Sight alignment is aligning the rear sight with the front sight and the target. Much like the figure below (courtesy of Calguns.net), are you aiming high, low, or just right?

This is what your life should be. Your goals, plans, and desires should all be in alignment. They shouldn't be too far out of reach, too easy to achieve, but just enough of a challenge to stretch yet attain. For those of you that are spiritually minded, you should also be in alignment with God's will for your life. If you are out of God's will for you, do not expect to achieve your blessings. The Bible says we ask and have not because we ask out of His will for our lives. I don't care how focused you are, how well planned you are, or how strong your desires may be; if you are not fully aligned you will not achieve your goals.

Now, the good news is, you can make sure you have your ducks in a row. Take the time to research your goals. Are they SMART? Meaning, are they:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

What about your plans? Have you outline each task? Have you identified people you will have to contact to get information from them? Is there a monetary investment that must be made. Do you have the money? Do you have the knowledge? Do you need to ask anyone about things you need? How bad do you really want to achieve these goals? Are you ready to make a sacrifice? Some areas you may have to cut some things or people off from being involved with in order to stay focused. You may have to give up activities as well. Are you really willing?

CLEAR PICTURE

The next thing in marksmanship is sight picture. Sight picture is what you see when you look through the sights. You must have a clear picture after you have aligned your sights. In another example, think of buying a wall unit or shelf. When you look at the instructions, what is on the front page? A clear picture of what the item is supposed to look like when you are done. This way you begin with the end in mind, according to the Late Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

You have to see where you are going first. There's a saying, "Be one before you are one." You have to see yourself in the job, house, care, weight, etc. See yourself within your vision. See yourself sitting at that desk, in that chair, in that office, in that building, and for that company! If you can see it, you can be it! Your inner-being must be able to connect with where you are trying to go. Like in science fiction movies, to move your physical man to the other dimension, you must first set the destination and see it. Your mind will take you to where you are going. Your thoughts must already be there before your physical being can get there.

If you find yourself falling constantly, off your timeline, or even off track ask yourself two questions:

1. Am I aligned right?
2. Is my mental picture clear?

Know your vision and seek after it daily. Align your life and make the right choices to position yourself right. Write your vision and make it plain upon the tablets of your heart. But you must physically write your vision. Do you have a vision board? Cut out pictures of what you want and place them in front of you! Sounds silly? No. Silly is throwing darts at a wall instead of a dart board. You cannot hit a target you cannot see.

Your next homework assignment is to gather pictures of things you want for your life or a symbol of it to represent the goal and create a collage vision board. Do not overlap the pictures. Organize it neatly and in rows. Remember you must have a clear sight picture of your end game.

Stay tuned for the next article.