Two Simple Words That Can Drive Your Future

It's easy to become trapped in the boxes that inform our thinking about time and money. It's easier to take comfort in the routine and structure you have built than it is to continually ask yourself what you are doing today that will make you better tomorrow: a better business owner, clinician, team leader—even a better person.

Relentlessly challenging yourself in this way is the essence of growth and the people who do it successfully are driven by a simple question. They ask themselves this question as a way of sharpening their focus and recharging their sense of purpose.

It's the most important question you can ask in an inspired life: "What's next?"

Take a look around any fitness center and you'll quickly see how different mindsets lead to different results. On the one hand you have the casual drop-ins, reading magazines on the stationary bike, chatting with friends and going through the motions of a routine they've probably gone through hundreds of times without much thought. They're getting exercise, but are not committed to much beyond working up a mild sweat. Then you have the people who have scheduled time with a personal trainer and are being coached and timed through an intense, focused workout where results are recorded and compared. Their progress is charted and new goals are set. It's easy to tell who is getting more from their time in the gym and who can expect higher levels of fitness.

This is why I have personal trainer myself. A trainer won't let you coast through a session. They won't let you be satisfied with doing "the usual." They'll drive you to pursue a level until you're comfortable doing it. Then they show you what's next and set a new challenge in front of you.

When you start applying the "what's next?" question to everything you do, you'll notice a startling change in your thinking and motivation. You'll come to evaluate life as an ever-evolving experience. Kids are always looking for the next thing to try, and it's an energizing mindset to have. You'll see opportunities beyond those boxes that want to keep you confined. That's because "what's next?" thinking creates dissatisfaction with the status quo. This attitude creates an excitement for new possibilities and a driving sense of urgency that forces you to act on your commitments.

This is the secret at the heart of growth in life. It's the "fire in the belly" that keeps you asking the big question. The details around how to get to those new levels are just a matter of strategy.