Brian Johnson presents an updated thinking protocol to close the gap between who you are and who you could be. Start with complete acceptance of your present reality, then spend 3 seconds each clarifying what you want, deciding one immediate action, and taking it. Repeat throughout the day.
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another heroic plus one. In our last plus one, we continued our discussion about what to do when you're going 0 for 12 in life and discussed the importance of doing that one thing that is most important right now. Then, because I can't go longer than a few plus ones without referencing my tattoo that serves as the one word summation of my entire philosophy, we brought my right forearm into the discussion and celebrated the ancient word Arete Q Maui from Moanas. You're welcome for the incessant repetition today. Yes, I love that movie. Today I want to chat about yet another way to win that ultimate game of life closing the gap between who you're capable of being and who you're actually being. Right this second, it's time to chat about targeted thinking again. Since our last chat, I've refined my thinking on the subject. Here's how I currently practice and teach it. Actually. First, here's how I framed it in that plus one which we linked in the app from a couple years ago. Step one of targeted thinking is to step out of victim land and take a step into heroic land by asking ourselves a simple question. What do I want? Note Victims complain about what's not working in their lives. Creators create what they want in their lives by asking that question, what do I want? See the Power of TED Notes for more. Then, once you've gotten even an inkling of clarity on what you want in any given moment, the follow up question is simple. Now, what needs to get done? In prior ones, we brought that wisdom to life with discussions about its efficacy and in dealing with chicken poop and flat tires. Check out those linked plus ones. Today I want to hone our practice by adding a few more steps to the targeted thinking protocol. Yes, knowing what you want is essential to the process of living heroically and creating a better life. And of course, taking action in pursuit of creating that ideal is also essential. And before we even get to asking ourselves what we want, I think we need to step back an inch or three and accept reality exactly as it is. This is what Byron Katie describes as loving. What is which, as we've discussed, is just a modern take on the ancient Stoic practice known as the art of acquiescence. See, the plus one on suffering equals pain times resistance and the plus one on Deo Valente thy will be done for more. So step zero with our updated targeted thinking protocol is simple acceptance. Complete and utter acceptance of exactly what is happening right now. Period. Now that of course is much easier said than done. But the wisest among us get the power of this practice. Then, once we've stopped arguing with reality, reminding ourselves that we will always lose when we argue with reality, we're ready for the first step in our protocol. Step one. Again asking ourselves, what do I want? Feeling energetically sluggish, unproductive or lacking purpose at work, Disconnected from yourself and your loved ones. Perfect. Accept that now. What do you want? To feel heroically energized. Heroically and purposefully productive. Heroically connected. Awesome. Spend three seconds getting a little more clarity. On that note, we're not talking about a three months worth of 30 minute journaling sessions. To get clarity, spend three seconds right in the moment you feel wobbly thinking about what you want. Got it? Awesome. That's step one. Step two, ask yourself, what can I do right now that would take me one step closer to getting more of what I want? Again, we don't need 101 page polished strategic plan you're going to submit to some higher authority for a grade here. Spend three seconds right in the moment you feel wobbly thinking about what you can do right now to get more of what you decided you want. Got it? Awesome. That's step two. Now we're ready for step three. This is unquestionably the most important of all the steps. But it's useless unless you do the first ones. Here it is. Step three. Take action. Spend three more seconds getting into action doing the thing you decided you needed to do to get more of what you just decided you want in the plus one. I used a lot of all caps with that to recap. Step 0. Accept your current reality. Step 1 Create a target of what you want. Step 2. Decide what you can do right now to move in the direction of your desired outcome. Step three, Take action. Final step plus one. Repeat that process all day, every day, especially today. Hero Day one. All in. Let's go. Plus zero, plus one plus two plus three plus one, let's go.
