Ready for analogy city? The problem is, if you want to do something you’ve never done before, then the steps to that, the milestones, will be unfamiliar. How do you go somewhere you have never gone before? Analogies are useful for explaining something unfamiliar in familiar terms.

The most important thing you must do to arrive at any destination is start the journey. Mark this sentence well: It is not important if you know how to get there or not! Just start the journey!

In order to go somewhere or do something that you have not done before, you will need to step out of your comfort zone. Stress and fear are normal reactions to the unknown. Many people are afraid of the unknown. By trying to do something that you have never done before, you are heading into the unknown.

Have you ever noticed how long it seems to take the first time you drive somewhere? And how short the trip seems as you drive back to familiar surroundings? Again, it has to do with the way the mind seeks out connections – associations that it can categorize and fit into its system of beliefs. It is uncomfortable going past your zone of knowledge because your brain needs to work harder and has less information that fits easily within its frame of knowledge. When the brain encounters the unfamiliar our brains may interpret new feelings as anxiety or depression or fear.

You will not know at the time, which of these feelings are actually conducive to success. Feelings you may have categorized as anxiety or fear may actually be the sensations you will feel as you near success – the feelings that mean impending success!

In order to go where you have never gone before you will need to step out of your comfort zone. If along the path of realizing your dreams you find yourself uncomfortable, nervous, or stressed; depressed or anxious, know that it is because you have chosen to step out of your comfort zone and reach further than you have gone before. These feelings may in fact be the way markers for success!

When you are going somewhere you have never been, maps, certainly, are helpful. But no map, no matter how detailed, will tell you where you want to go. Remember you are an individual. There is no one else like you in the world – so no one else knows what it is like to travel – either in your mind or in your life. Surely the experiences of others who have gone the direction you are going will be helpful, maybe even immensely helpful. But those experiences will not be able to tell you exactly what you must do to get there.

Think of it like this: if you buy a map of your city or town, it will tell you how to get to many places. Some people think such a map will tell them how to get to anywhere in that town. But remember, the places you want to go are off the beaten path. Ultimate success is a place not many people have gone.

Additionally, no map will tell you what you must do to get to your destination. A map does not tell you what vehicle will be most efficient (four-wheel or sports car?), or where to get the money you’ll need for the journey, or what tool you should pack to ensure success once you reach your destination. Certainly, maps are helpful. But maps don’t tell you everything you will need to know.

You will not know what you need to do or where you need to go on the path to ultimate success until you are well on your way. One thing is for sure, you will need to step out of your comfort zone. But always remember – it is not important that you know how to get to where you what to go. What is important is that you start the journey!

Copyright © 2000 by Mark Farmer
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