The First Steps in Breaking the Ceiling of Achievement
By Spencer Combs
Every healthy person has a desire to be more, do more and have more in their lives. And for every one of those people, there is a different level of what that may look like. How it feels to be more, do more, or have more varies as much as there are people in the world. How is it though that we can see some go to great heights by destroying or going beyond the “glass ceiling” that so many others cannot seem to get past? How do you break that ceiling of achievement? How do we get beyond the limitations that feel so real to you? If you are reading this, my vision is that you are interested in going further for yourself or you looking to assist others in doing the same as a Coach or Mentor.
Allow me to propose two critical factors that will set energy in motion for breaking that “glass ceiling” of achievement.
1. Raise the floor of your standards
2. Focus beyond the ceiling into the skies of possibilities
Let’s look at number one, raise the floor of your standards. Before we will ever grow beyond where we are, there must first come a decision that I will no longer accept the status quo. Life may be ok, but it is not what we would consider an extraordinary life. At the M-Powering Event we share three levels of accountability and this is level one. Raising your standards and not accepting less is our absolute, bottom line necessity for starters. “Ceiling breakers” are those that do not settle with just what they are given. Top Athletes have minimum standards. Highly productive sales organizations have minimum standards. Highly respected corporations have minimum standards. If there is to be a breakthrough that must occur for you or your business, a minimum standard (i.e. the floor) must be raised.
Take a look around you. Are there not individuals that you have said to yourself, “if they can do it, I can do it”? Sure there are. The only thing that makes them any different is their mindset. Often our attendees will hear me say that “there is nothing new under the sun”. This is a Biblical reference from book of Ecclesiastes. There are no new secrets to success. The first thing we must do is accept our role at a higher identity and raise the floor of our standards to match that identity. Step up and BE the individual that you need to be and don’t settle for anything less!
Number two is just as critical as the first, focus beyond the ceiling into the skies of possibilities. When we fixate our minds eye on barriers, they seem to get stronger. Our minds have a very keen way of holding back energy if there is any pain associated with making a breakthrough. The simple remedy to having that energy flow and follow through is to concentrate the focus beyond the barrier. There must be a compelling vision beyond the barrier. Think of the numbers of young children who were raised in impoverished areas. How many of them stayed right there and fell into the same footsteps of those before them? How many of them raised their standards AND knew that there was a world of possibilities beyond their current situation? The first group takes on the role of the victim, the second group takes on the role of the visionary. The first group focuses on what limitations have been placed on them, the second group focuses on the realm of possibilities beyond their present situation.
If there is to be a breakthrough in your glass ceiling, you must become a visionary. What do you really want? With no boundary, what would you do? Where would you go? Who would you become? Why are these things important to you? If you will take the time and answer these questions, you will have begun to connect with a force inside of you that may have been dormant for too long. Take the time and focus beyond the ceiling and become clear on what those possibilities are for you.
Once these two initial steps have been taken, you will have begun making a breakthrough. I also need to remind you that this is an ongoing process. We never really reach the plateau where we stop growing. If we do, we begin to decay instead. Our lives should always be moving in the forward direction. Be that healthy grower, stop settling and … Start Moving Forward.
Spencer Combs
www.spencercombs.com
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