Get committed to making your dream business reality!
Life Coaching Business Advice with JJ Jalopy
How lovely it is to see you again. I’ve been expecting you.
It’s beautiful sunny day here in England. Let’s sit out on the balcony. I’ve made Pimms and Lemonade. Yum.
Well it's sunny!
Today is a big day. I’d love to joke around with you for a little while, but we otter get started straight away!
(Today is always a big day.)
Yesterday we spoke about decisions.
I urged you to make the decision to either:
- truly commit to your home business dream, or…
- let it go for now and bring yourself fully to the other things in your life.
And you did.
So… Congratulations on making your decision!
You didn’t know it, but that was Step 1 in the JJ Jalopy Guide to Total World Domination™.
Wasn’t it easy?! You’re taking control and consciously crafting your future. Awesome.
And we’re only getting started!
Now given that you’ve come back to see me, I presume that you decided to take the first option.
Remember we talked yesterday about the importance of taking actions which are consistent with your decision? In coming back here you’ve shown you understand this. Props to you!
Before I rush into Step 2, I’d like to take some time to thank you for your overwhelmingly wonderful and positive comments yesterday. You make this fun. I can tell this blogging lark is going to be an absolute scream!
Pour yourself a drink as I read from the mailbag:
Thanks for all your comments!
Philip commented yesterday:
I’d love to hear you expand on the advice to “never leave the scene of a decision without taking some action that backs it up.” It sounds like good advice, but I don’t totally get it yet.
Thanks Philip. I love receiving questions. It’s great that you’ve asked this because it provides us with the perfect introduction to the next step I invite you to take towards pursuing your dream.
Let me use an analogy…
Let’s say you’ve decided to get fit and healthy. (No I know this doesn’t apply to you, Adonis – you can pretend.) Let’s say you’re fed up with being unhealthy and overweight. You’re fed up with vainly hoping things might change one day. You’ve decided that enough is enough and it really is time to change now.
“From now on I am committed to being healthy,” you say.
And in that moment you have total power.
You have the power to change the course of your entire life in that one moment…
… and you have the power to forget all about it and be eating chips in front of the TV by the evening.
Living the dream!
The fact is that for the decision to have power, your future actions must be compatible with the decision you made. I call that commitment.
When you said “From now on I am committed to being healthy,” the following kind of thoughts may have tumbled from your brain:
- but I love pizza
- but I’ve failed so many times before
- but it sounds like a lot of effort
- but I don’t know how
- but I don’t belong to a gym.
- but salad is for rabbits, not people.
Making a decision does not make the “buts” go away.
Daring to make a decision is simply step 1. To follow through you need commitment.
When you commit to a decision you act in line with that choice regardless of those “buts”. You get off your butt and get those jogging shoes on even though you’re tired and you had a hard day at work and Scrubs is on TV. You just do it regardless – because you decided you would.
Easy, right?
Well, there’s more.
It is difficult to stay committed without good habits.
Did you pay attention in Physics class?
Well don’t worry. I did. (I was and still am a total nerd for learning!)
In Physics class we learned about Newton’s Laws of Motion. It is our knowledge of these laws that allows us to send a spaceship to Saturn. It was our knowledge of these laws that allowed Louie Armstrong to sing on the moon! 
Isaac Newton was a super brainy guy and the most influential Physicist ever. (Whatever Einstein tries to tell you.) He was about more than just apples, you know.
Newton – More than just falling apples.
According to Newton’s First Law of Motion it requires effort to get a stationary thing moving and it requires effort to get a moving thing to stop. (If you’re wondering what that noise is, it’s probably Sir Isaac, turning in his grave.)
You need to give the ball a push to start it moving. You need to put something in its way to get it to stop.
You get the picture, right?
Well your actions and behaviours and habits work in a similar way. If you start taking consistent action in one direction it’ll become easier and easier until it sticks and becomes a habit. When it’s a habit it’s going to take a lot of effort in a different direction to change that habit.
So what we’re really looking to do is build habits which support the decision you’ve just made.
If a habit is a continually rolling ball then to build a habit we first need to push the ball to get it moving, and then we need to clear out all the obstacles in its path, keeping it on the straight and narrow with routine, consistent, easy action.
You push the ball by taking rapid action straight after the decision.
You might go immediately to the store to stock up on healthy food. You might call the gym to enquire about gym membership or a Yoga class. You might look up new recipes on the internet. It doesn’t have to be anything grand. Success is built on a series of small steps.
So that’s what you did yesterday. You got the ball moving. You decided to go for it and you took action.
With one small task you decided to start turning your dream business into reality.
You generated momentum.
Rolling Rolling Rolling
Phew… Does that answer your question Philip?
There’s more, of course….
Next you’ll want to actively ensure that nothing else stops that ball. You need a plan.
What I’m talking about here is not a blow by blow account of the steps you’re going to take to achieve your desired goal. You might make a plan like that later but, for now, you’re really just looking to make a plan to get committed. That comes first.
It is from the fertile soil of commitment that your beautiful body (or your beautiful business) will grow.
And we’ll discuss how you go about creating a commitment plan tomorrow. For now, just have a think about how much time you might be able to devote to your business venture over the next few months. Be easy with it – just have a think.
And now the Pimms has gone to my head a little and I feel like a cuddle with Kalpna Jalopy.
You can let yourself out. 
Tally-ho!
JJ Jalopy.
Comment by Mitchell Rehaume
2 April 2009
This was a very good article.
Comment by Rob Northrup
3 April 2009
JJ,
You hit the nail on the head! But you had one mistake…
It was Louie Anderson that went to the moon, not Louis Armstrong.
Have a great day, looking forward to tomorrow’s installment of the World Domination Plan…
Seize the Day,
Rob
Personal Asset Protection For Small Business Owners
Have You Covered Your Assets?
Comment by Steve Chambers
3 April 2009
JJ:
Great explanation of why we need to move quickly & decisively from decision into implementation. Again, fun and easy to understand.
World domination can be tiring work and apprecaite all the drinks.
Steve
Sales Eagle
Comment by Christian Haller
3 April 2009
JJ – Your posts are getting even better. I particularly appreciate the advice for people to let go of dreams and get in thier moment if they really are not going to go after the dream. I see so many people suffering because of the incongruence of thier dreams and and thier ambitions.
Comment by Bob Kaufer
3 April 2009
This is a great post, I am looking forward to reading more of your writing
Bob Kaufer
If you MOVE like the Tin Man, you will THINK like the Scarecrow and FEEL like the Lion
Comment by DIY Lawyer
3 April 2009
Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it.
The DIY Lawyer
DIY Lawyer – Where you can learn to do your own estate planning
Comment by Darryl Pace
3 April 2009
JJ,
Great post! I like your use of graphics to illustrate your points. I also like the manner in which you’ve broken up successful behaviors into concrete steps.
Health, Fitness — Darryl Pace
Comment by Lisa McLellan
3 April 2009
What do you mean “making a decision does not make the buts go away?” Hey, no fair! This will be interesting ( I hate making decisions)! LOL
Lisa McLellan, Child Care Expert – Babysitters, Nannies, and Au-pairs
Comment by mark mallen
3 April 2009
JJ, You can take your same points and apply them to running a business marketing plan also. Mark glaciermarketing.wordpress.com
Comment by Marion
3 April 2009
Hi JJ,
I’m love your wacky writing style. I’m inspired!!!
Marion
Comment by Philip
3 April 2009
Yeah thanks JJ, that was a great answer! More than I expected and answered very quickly. I think I’m going to be coming back often. I otter!
Comment by Duane Cunningham
3 April 2009
Pimms and lemonade! I think Im going to stare clear of that for a while!
Your plan of world domination is very much in line with what I have decided to do with the remaining days left here!!
And your so right in looking to achieve one must be committed to the decision and take massive action towards that end
As they say Burn the Boats!
Duane
Learn Winning Persuasion
Techniques that Work Like Magic by Tapping Into the Psychology of the
Mind with Persuasion Expert Duane Cunningham!
Comment by JC MacKenzie
3 April 2009
Interesting to hear these thoughts……… maybe it’s being out of practice, do you suppose? Many of the people I work with make as few decisions as possible during the course of the day, and when they do… it’s one that is usually made in a second followed by a 12 hour shift looking for justification for it.
Thanks
JC JC
Comment by John Ho
3 April 2009
JJ,
I love your writing style: refreshing, engaging, funny and with good contents too!
Keep it up, mate!
John Ho
Understanding Personalities for Better Influence & Persuasion
Comment by Lynn Lane
3 April 2009
JJ,
Great post.
“An object set in motion will stay in motion until acted upon from an outside force”
Lynn Lane
http://www.Warriorofsuccess.com
Comment by JJ Jalopy
3 April 2009
Absolutely Lynn!
Let’s see if I can get Schrodinger in the next one!
JJ Jalopy
Life Coaching and Home Business Advice with JJ Jalopy
Comment by Philip Graves
3 April 2009
Can’t argue with the physics, or the mentality!
Cheers
Philip
[Consumer Behaviour Expert]
Comment by David Purves
3 April 2009
I stumbled across this site entirely by accident, but I loved it.
I’m definitely going to stop back. If you keep writing this website is going to be a great resource to life coaches everywhere.
Thanks,
David
Comment by Pam Schulz
3 April 2009
JJ – THANK YOU for your upbeat and encouraging attitude. I love your blog! I SOOO appreciate it today! As a fellow Mac user I feel your pain about trying to get things clicking…! Last night I had trouble trying to download Google Toolbar and Alexa on Safari – so I did it on Firefox (I have both installed on my computer.) and it worked fine. Now we are having printer issues…
I guess when life gives you lemons, make lemonade…
Take care!
Pam
P.S. – thanks for your sweet comments about our family. We appreciate it!
Comment by JJ Jalopy
3 April 2009
“I guess when life gives you lemons, make lemonade…”
I love this.
It’s true. My friend says.
“You don’t get upset when the floor is wet. You get your socks on and start sliding!”
I love your attitude Pam.
JJ Jalopy
Life Coaching and Home Business Advice with JJ Jalopy
Comment by Sonya Lenzo
3 April 2009
Who is Kalpna????
Thanks for your comments on my blog as well!!!
Sunny Marie
Glamour and Glitz
http://www.sunnymarie.vox.com
Comment by JJ Jalopy
3 April 2009
Hi Sunny,
Kalpna is the beautiful Mrs Jalopy.
She’s the greatest life coach in the world, and you can find her online here!
Coach Kalpna
JJ Jalopy
Life Coaching and Home Business Advice with JJ Jalopy
Comment by Yann Vernier
3 April 2009
Another awesome post JJ. Even better since I love Pimms & Lemonade.
Gotta go rolling, rolling, rolling…
All the best,
Yann
http://www.ProfitsTactics.com
Comment by April Braswell
4 April 2009
LOVE the Homer Simpson image for LIVING THE LIFE!
Great post and communication.
you are a delight to read.
All the best,
April Braswell
Online Dating Coach, Dating Expert
Comment by Don Shepherd
4 April 2009
JJ,
You rock! The energy in your writing keeps me inspired to keep on rolling.
Don Shepherd