Let This Be Your Reminder
Let this be your reminder…
Since writing the recent article about accountability vs encouragement, I have been thinking about the topic a lot. Both have a sense of wanting to stay on track. One, I feel, comes from a place of fear- not wanting to mess up, not wanting to get called out by the boss or face shame. The idea of encouragement comes from faith. Faith from your friend telling you that you have what it takes, faith to take the hard steps cause you know it's good for you, and faith in yourself that you can hold up your end of the deal.
That led me to the word “remind.” A call to action to look back at something you said or did, or a value you have that will help you chart a course forward. Encouragement without context is empty. But if a friend comes alongside you and says, “Remember when you said ‘xyz’...” Now they are coming from a place of context and encouragement when they call you to remember and continue on the path you started.
This concept hit home for me when I was running a deal by a friend of mine who is also my mortgage lender on my commercial real estate holdings. I was sharing a deal with him that I admitted was only a base hit at best. More of a lateral move then any kind of big win that would improve my portfolio by a noticeable amount. Gary stopped me and said “Justin, what’s with you? You know this is not a ‘Hell Yeah deal’- why are you thinking about this?”
His question was a reminder to MANY conversations we had had over the years about pursuing the “Hell Yeah” opportunities and not just the base hits. He could have run the numbers on the deal and said “Okay, let's make this work,” but he didn’t. He stopped me and reminded me of my true potential and encouraged me to work harder, pursue better opportunism and dig deeper. This encouragement and reminder hit home because my friend, Gary, had the context that he knew I was capable of more. I didn’t need accountability, I needed a reminder-fueled encouragement.
Reminders come in all shapes and forms, can be your shoes sitting out to remind you in the morning you want to go for a run. Rumble strips on the side of the road can remind you where to drive! An alarm on your phone to change the laundry. It can be opening up to a friend so that later they have the context to remind you of your values, potential, and your own goals.
My encouragement to you, because I don’t know who is reading this and I don’t have the context of your life, is to write down your goals and values and share them with a friend. ASK them to remind you if you get off track. Remind you of where you wanted to go and encourage you to keep going. You got this. Share this article with a friend and ask them to go on a hike with you and talk about what’s going on and how far you have come. I promise you, it will change your life.
