Everything is a trade-off. You must leave something behind to get to where you want to go. As the old saying goes about death, you can’t take it with you. You give up something here to get something there.
Think about it. When you left junior high and started high school, what happened? You gave up some things, including friends. When you moved neighborhoods or cities, what happened? You gave up the local corner store, the familiar way home. And probably some more friends and neighbors. When you got that new job or school, things changed, and you gave up some more things, including friends and co-workers.
Maybe it’s time to change your focus. After all, Einstein said: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” What are you willing to give up to get what you want? In fact, what would happen if you focused on your goal or prize rather than what you’re giving up? Could that be why Paul said he would “press on toward the goal for the prize”? It’s certainly why goal-setting is so valuable and essential. It takes your eyes off what is and focuses on what can be.
Let’s make this personal.
What are you willing to give up to…
- Lower stress and anxiety in your life?
- Learn that skill you never did?
- Get out of debt and get your finances in order?
- Have a better marriage?
- Find your purpose in life once and for all?
- Live a healthier lifestyle?
- Earn more money?
- Travel more?
- Lose that weight you’ve wanted to get rid of?
- Create better relationships?
- Get more organized?
- Grow your business?
- Exercise more?
- Please your spouse or your family?
- Get that job you’ve always wanted?
- Find the right church for your family?
- Buy that new home or car?
- Spend more time with friends and family?
So, did you find something that resonated with you in the list above? Do you know where you want to go? If so, do you know what’s holding you back from getting there? Well, the next question is: Are you willing to give it up or let it go?
If you want to get to the next level of your life — and sometimes even to the next chapter — you’ll have to give up something to make it happen. You may need to leave your comfort zone and often give up some people too. It’s just a cold, hard, uncomfortable fact.
Change is inevitable, but change causes growth. We recently published a post about the 13 things you need to give up to be successful. But here, we’re talking about something more tangible, and it requires action in consciously leaving something behind. Face it, millionaires have different habits than most people, and they’ve given up quite a bit to get where they are. It’s the same for athletes, artists, and musicians at almost any level. It wasn’t easy, and, yes, it involved sacrifice.
Decide your goal. Determine what you need to give up to get there. Choose which you will say yes to and which you will say no to. Sounds simple, sure, but it’s the first step to The Big Tradeoff and exchanging good for great.