Unless you are very spiritual or content with your current situation, I’m guessing there is some way that your ‘reality’ could be improved. Maybe you would like a different house, a car, a holiday, more cash in the bank or even just less hours in the office. Whatever it is, I’m sure there is something you would change if you could.
A few years ago I wanted to leave the UK and live in another country. The steps I took allowed this to happen. Not long after that, I wanted to quit my job and work for myself full-time. The steps I took allowed this to happen. Right now I want to give my brother a full-time income so he doesn’t have to work. The steps I’m taking will allow this to happen. Now I’m going to share these steps with you.
Last week myself and Bud launched Reality Switch to a lot of praise. I’m very surprised and pleased with selling our 50 bonus copies within 2 hours of launch. Based on this, I know that topic of changing your life situation is obviously something that a lot of people care about.
Therefore, I’m going to share some of my core tips to help you get from where you are now to where you want to be. You could think of this as a ‘mini reality switch’ and shares some of our foundation advice.
Rid Your Limiting Beliefs
We cover this section in-depth in the eBook and give many different examples of how social feedback and limiting beliefs can become a huge hindrance to your success. Limiting beliefs can come in many forms such as:
- Struggling at something once and believing you’re a failure
- Thinking your background is holding you back from success
- Believing that “good things don’t happen to people like me”
There are countless more examples that I can share, but these are some of the most common. If at any point during your path to getting what you want out of life you feel like you don’t deserve what you’re working towards, then that’s a big problem. It’s a problem because having the belief that you aren’t good enough or good things don’t happen to you means that you’ll probably give up on your first hurdle.
Look deep within to see if there may be any thoughts or feelings that could be viewed as negative as far as achieving your goals is concerned. If there are, look for proof in positive statements why these beliefs or feelings may be untrue. It should be easy to get a few reasons why your limiting belief may be wrong and help you lose it.
Have a Clear View Of What You Want
If you’re not perfectly clear about what you want, how can you expect to a) stay on the right path to achieving it or b) even know when you have ‘arrived’ at your destination. Every single time I have started projects that were slow to flourish or simply never took off was because I never clearly defined what I wanted for (and from) them.
Despite only being 14 years old and unable to afford an education, William Kamkwamba still knew what he wanted. In his small village in Malawi he vowed to help fellow residents be provided with electricity and running water. Armed with nothing more than a book from the library in a language he couldn’t read and spare tractor parts, he set to work on his project. And he succeeded.
William was able to supply running water to many homes and even powered four lightbulbs for his home. Electricity is a luxury that only 2% of people in Malawi have and now the poorest people in the country were enjoying it. This young man knew what he wanted and didn’t let anything else get in his way. Can you do the same?
Do you want to start a business? Build a website? Quit your job? Have more time for your family? Whatever it is that you want, be clear about it.
Find Someone on The Same Journey
One of the best ways to not only rid your limiting beliefs but also help you on the path of success is to simply find someone else on the same journey. Or, even better, you could try and find someone who has already done what you want to do. The internet is a great place to start.
Finding people on the same path has multiple benefits such as:
- Showing you it is possible to do what you want to do
- Helps you map out a plan of action
- Gives you support and faith when times are tough
When I was looking to make money online, there were thousands of people who had achieved the lifestyle I wanted to live. I simply found them and connected with them. Although there can sometimes be quite a bit of work in finding someone who has achieved your goals, don’t underestimate how important this is.
To find people, search for your industry or goals online and see what pops-up. Alternatively, you could find events on Meetup.com or industry conferences and connect with people offline. From there, you can find a real face who can help you on your own journey.
Realise The Future Is An Illusion
The future does not exist. Neither does the past. You can imagine both and you can even view them in your mind as clear as day, but they aren’t real. In fact, the whole of time is an illusion. Instead, the only thing that ‘exists’ is this moment right here, right now.
If you’re completely new to this concept then I highly recommend you read this. It will break things down in more detail for you than I need to cover here. The reason it is so important to understand this concept is because we use this illusion to hold us back on our journey.
The illusion of the past makes us view past failures and worries as a sign of things to come. The illusion of the future makes us put things off and plan to make things happen in some other ‘now’. Instead, the only time that you have complete power and can take steps towards your goals is right now.
It’s always now. Make the most of the time you have, and realise all you ever really have is this moment.
Before Anything Else, Set a Deadline
Setting a deadline is one of those ‘key’ or ‘secret’ cornerstones to goal-setting that most personal development writers will preach to you. I don’t think of setting deadlines as any secret or special art, but I have found that in the last year when I actually started setting them, I’m remaining more focused on my tasks and actually getting things done.
Setting a deadline on anything you are working on has multiple benefits. First of all, you can make a public announcement of this deadline which will push you to work harder so that it is met. Secondly, it makes your dream of a better life situation much more real and less like a fantasy.
The deadline for Reality Switch was created over two months before I started writing it. It was launched just 2 days after my initial target goal. I give myself deadlines for projects, new websites, blog posts and other tasks that I do as it is now a natural necessity to help me get things done.
So, before you take any action towards your dream lifestyle, I want you to pick a challenging but realistic deadline for you to have made some big progress at this junction in your life. Then, once you have it, just work towards it.
Don’t Stop
3 years ago I started an internet marketing blog that I very recently relaunched. When I stopped writing on the site around a year ago I didn’t do it because I failed to take my own advice, but because it was the right thing to do. Generally, in the case of building the life that you want from scratch, I would say that you need to work towards your goals and don’t stop till you get them.
However, even when you love something, I understand you need to take a break or head in a different direction for a while to be free and allow you to live a little more. Therefore, our agreement is this: if you still want to live in better circumstances you’re in now, you’ll keep fighting to make that happen.
On the other hand, if you have a no-b*llshit excuse for quitting or decide that this mission no longer fits in your plans, then I won’t hold anything against you if you stop. In fact, I’ll probably respect it. Deep down you should know if you are stopping something because you are lazy and don’t want to fail or you genuinely want to stop.
Finally, all I have to say is…enjoy the ride. Changing your life situation is not easy, it’s not fast, and it’s not going to be without it’s struggles. However, this is you on a mission and actually making something happen, so enjoy the process and the new challenges you’re going to face.
I’m happy to help.
P.S. If you’re looking for more of this type of content, I highly recommend you check out Reality Switch. I have heard from multiple sources that it is awesome 
Awesome tips as always, Glen. Thanks for sharing.
“The future does not exist. Neither does the past. You can imagine both and you can even view them in your mind as clear as day, but they aren’t real.”
Really hit home with that one Glen. As I read it I realized that it’s a great way to remove limiting beliefs by thinking of things the way you “know” them to actually be. Whether it’s mentally changing your past or creating that future. After you’ve decided on what you want, focusing on what you can do in the present is the way to change.
Curious though, how did you stay empowered to achieve your goals while you worked on them? Did you use visual reminders or was it a pure “burning obsession” as Napoleon Hill would say?
I agree with everything you say here. You so are right, there is talking about changing your life and there is actually doing it. You have to be brave and take the steps you need to get where you want to be. You are a great example of this.
I have goals which I have never pushed forward with and I know the only thing holding me back is myself. They have become dreams rather than reality.
I have set my first goal deadline and will stick to it. It’s time to make things happen!
Thanks for the great post Glen.
Well said. I’ve been a proponent of “life switching” for a long time now. I was lucky to have realized the benefits of this way of thinking from a young age and tried to help everyone that I could.
I think you’re especially right about setting clear goals. That’s something I need to start thinking about again actually. For me, I have so many goals now it’s hard to focus.
Hey Glen.
I like that example with William Kamkwamba there. In his mind, he was on point with a goal that was obvious to him, so while it is big stuff to us, it was probably the only path he felt he could take, as he had figured out a bit more than others around him. Knowledge sometimes brings us to actions others don’t take, and certain circumstances can provide us an edge on knowledge.
I hear you on that point about deadlines. The difference in my speed of implementation with deadlines versus without deadlines is huge. They propel us, and give us a sense of meaning because meeting a deadline is an item of great self-value.
We can do as William did.
Wow, this is a really great post. I feel like everyone should read this because, no matter who you are or what your goals are, the advice you’ve offered here will apply.
Hi Glen,
These are great tips. And not only that, you’ve done a great job in explaining each tip in greater details. Thanks so much for sharing.
Cheers~
Mark
I am finding how vital is now, more than ever, to surround myself with people who mirror my beliefs. It’s these people who will be able to carry me when the time comes that I’m not able to carry myself, meaning, when life has a tendency to get the best of me.
I value and cherish these folks because they really help me to stay on track, to help me stay focused on where I want to be. I’ve also been making a habit to read and listen to information DAILY that feeds and nourishes me in the areas that I want to grow and develop. I found a simple way to do this is by subscribing to RSS feeds, which is what I did with this blog.
Very insightful post. Wouldn’t it be nice we came with instruction manuals when we’re born? When I heard that “time was an illusion” I was taken aback by what I heard. Now I realize it’s true. Man uses systems and gadgets such as clocks and watches to keep track of “time” so we can communicate with each other all over the world. What would happen if we let go of time all together? It would be an interesting experience. Don’t get me started on the past or future. Many people are stuck in their lives because they dwell on the past. It’s over — let it go and move forward with life.
Mate saw the video of you and Diggy in Amsterdam. It was good man.
To remove limiting beliefs you can reframe the belief. Reframing is changing the way you perceive a belief and by doing so you change the meaning. When the meaning changes, the response and behavior changes. I find that one way of removing limiting beliefs is by using the six-step technique developed by John Grinder, the co-founder of NLP. It involves:
1. Identifying the context where the unwanted behavior pattern occurred,
2. Establishing unconscious yes/no signals,
3. Confirming that the behavior has a positive intent,
4. Finding a number of ways of fulfilling the positive intent,
5. Selecting the best of the possible alternatives generated in step 4,
6. Checking that the selection is ecological, that is, it is acceptable to the individual and in relationships to others.
Get rid of your beliefs indeed. As master Yoda would say in ‘The Empire strikes back’: ‘Don’t try, do. Or do not.’
Nice post Glen, inspiring.
Great article Glen… I’m going to take next week and figure out what I specifically want to accomplish with my lifestyle design blog.
Perhaps start with some design issues, move to fully monetizing the site and producing an ebook, and finally creating realistic numbers that I can expect from my blog.
Great article and I totally love your viperchill.com site.
Thanks
“William Kamkwamba still knew what he wanted.” – Ok this story was the most inspiring part of this latest post Glen. And nice oceanview picture. Take it yourself?
Hi Glen,
I love the story you shared with us on William Kamkwamba. It is so important to have a clear view on our end result. If we have a blur vision of what we want, most likely we will not put in the effort to achieve it.
Cheers,
Vincent
Very well done Glen. Nice call on how we all know deep down inside the reason of us quitting something is.
And it certainly means a lot from someone like you to tell the whole world “don’t stop till you get to your goal”. Because you are a living example of that concept.
Keep doing what you are doing, because it is so inspiring to so many people that it is ridiculous.
Steven
“the only thing that ‘exists’ is this moment right here, right now.”
I’ve been thinking about the concept of time for some time now, and I agree with what you say – the only moment that is important is right now.
Cheers for the article Glen,
Time goes by so fast you have to make the most of your moments. It doesn’t feel like it’s 12 months in a year. I notice the more you put off, the more regret you have for not starting sooner. Time for me to put on my hard hat and get to work on my goals.
Not to lather you with too much praise Glen, but as I watch what you’re doing with your life I find it stinking amazing, and an awesome example of getting the most out of one’s life at an EARLY age, and not letting your teenage and early 20 years just pass you by. Here in the States, so many teenagers and early 20 somethings are completely aloof to the potential they have early in life. They’re essentially selling themselves short because of their self-identity. You, along with many of your ‘cloud-friends’, uphold the opposite paradigm, and I’m just blown away by it. Keep up the great work, I read all your stuff and ‘Cloud Living’ was huge for my blog start up. Thanks for all.
I like what you said about having to have a clear view of what you want in life. Very good stuff.
Limiting beliefs are literally all that holds you back from achieving what you want. If you believe it can be done. it can be done. Nice post.
Hi Glen, that is a awesome post. I think you are very much enlightened. Every word you have stated is very much significant to us. I am always in illusion that future is much more precious than the time you are living. And in this way I had preserved life, love, money, enjoyment, and all invaluable things for my future. I just realized that I did wrong and I also realized that I have lost most valued, most irreparable things in my life. Thanks a lot as you have enlightened me a lot.