Patrick Mosher shares a three-step framework for turning bold ideas into reality: accept a bold challenge, make a bold decision, take a bold action. He illustrates it through experiences like a seminar at Machu Picchu and a retreat in Glendalough, Ireland, arguing that a "can't-lose" mentality means learning from every success and failure to tackle the next larger challenge.
Chapters
January. Cabo, Mexico. Can you hear the rhythmic sound of waves just a few yards away? I'm sitting in a large open-air cabana attending a business development seminar, and the leader asks, "What $100,000 idea will you implement this year? You have 3 minutes to brainstorm." Out of nowhere, I stare down at my journal. And I've written two words: Machu Picchu. 9 months later, I'm sitting in circle with people whom I've— who've traveled a long way to Aguas Calientes, Peru, a small town just a bus ride away from the sacred mountain of the Incans, Machu Picchu. I'm conducting my own 4-day business, personal, and spiritual development seminar, my first Wisdom, counsel. One bold challenge, one bold decision, and then one bold action. So what are the ingredients of taking a bold action? Well, believe in yourself, build courage to act, and adopt a can't-lose mentality. Now, a can't-lose mentality isn't about winning at all costs, and it's not about the heroic acts and all-nighters. It's not about thinking it to be true or even visualizing the success. Those techniques help push and pull you to success, but even with those tools, you can still fall flat on your face. So here's my secret to a can't-lose mentality. It's about learning. If the bold action meets your expectations or hope for success, that's awesome. You walk away fulfilled. But success is not the endgame. With bold action and success, you learn the right stuff to repeat the bold action, perhaps even engaging a bolder action. And if you want one success to act as a gate to a next bigger success, learn from your successes. And if that bold action doesn't meet your expectations for success, Remind yourself to learn. Why? Because the next challenge may be bigger and you want to be ready. Build confidence by learning from successes, failures, and everything in between. Know that you're learning exactly what you need for the next bold challenge and you will be ready. With a learning mindset, learning is continuous. You're always preparing for the next bigger challenge and it will require every bit of of your own superpower to face it. Add learning to your expectations and you will never lose, regardless of what realistic or unrealistic expectation you formed in your head about success. Since that first seminar in Machu Picchu, I took a second trip to Glendalough, Ireland. We experienced that Irish culture, drank a few pints, and learned the story of Saint Kevin, A reluctant monastic who took one bold action leading to a legacy we're still talking about 16 centuries later. This year, due to travel restrictions, I couldn't take a trip to the sacred location. This pandemic would not cut me from my life mission to serve. It was time to adapt. A new challenge, a new decision. And a new bold action. Today I'm exhausted. The last 2 days I conducted my first multi-day virtual seminar with my mastermind community. Many of you know what it's like to Zoom for 7 hours straight. It's tough. I was on my feet the whole time. I was on stage the whole time. It was my job to help them forget that they were on Zoom for 7 hours. And that takes effort, engagement, and energy. At the end, a participant gave me the best compliment I could get: "Wow, the last 2 days went by fast!" The seed for conducting my own virtual event was planted 8 months ago. I was attending another business development seminar, and a Brazilian friend of mine was presenting how she conducted her very successful multi-day virtual event. And so I was curious. So after the seminar, we chatted one-on-one. And during our call, she said it. Patrick, you should do your own virtual event. A bold challenge. And on that day, I made a bold decision. And here I am, 8 months later, my own multi-day virtual seminar is complete. And yes, it was a success. It met my expectations, and more importantly, it exceeded the expectations of my participants. But most importantly, I learned. I'm ready for the next bold action, and I will repeat. Next year, if travel opens up, I will take a group of people to Delphi, Greece, where in ancient Greece the Delphi Oracle counseled kings and philosophers. She prophesied the future, and we're still talking about her legacy 27 centuries later. Look, do you have a bold idea? Do you want to build a legacy? Well then, accept that bold challenge, make a bold decision, and then take a bold action.
