This is an experiment. I’m systematically putting into action everything that I’ve learned over the years about reaching goals and taking control of one’s life. I want to learn from others and what works for them. Together we’ll work towards our goals, support each other, and hold each other accountable.

Do you want more out of life? Does it seem like you get motivated and psyched up to make changes and then fail? Do you find yourself a month, six months, or a year later lamenting nothing has changed? Life got in the way with no positive progress toward your goal. That’s me in my recent past state. I’ve made the decision to not accept that and to create a new future.

Greetings!

Hi. I’m Jack of According to Jack. I started this blog to help you achieve your goals by setting an example. It’ll help me to bust out of the long cycle of ups and downs that lead to no progress toward reaching our goals. My story will unfold as we share this journey, but it isn’t the most important story. Your story is!

I’m a thinker. Most Ph.D.s are. There is a Yin-Yang paradox with that. Dwelling on a topic and looking at all aspects aides one in making informed, logical decisions. It also means that one can get so wrapped up thinking that action never occurs.

I get so wrapped up in my head thinking that the doing doesn’t get done. I heard a business concept this week that brought this home for me from the book Six Months to Six Figures by Peter Voogd. 

The market doesn’t care about your challenges, it cares about the value you bring to the market.”

My goal is to bring value to your life by passionately going after goals, trying things, finding what works, and telling you about it. I plan to encourage you to do the same. It’ll be great to hear about your story and what works for you. 

The Journey

We’re going on a journey together. My first challenge is DOING everything that I have learned in life. Books, like Peter’s, layout quality actionable plans to achieve our goals. This blog is my accountability partner. I’m putting ideas to the test. Let’s see if making a decision and taking action does work. 

Since my wife, Dana, and I bought Six Months to Six Figures this week, I’ve listened to it three times while driving. I have read and reread different sections. Peter isn’t bringing any new insight. In the book, he quotes the people and books who affected his life. If you read their books, you’ll find they’re not original sources either. They quote people who’ve come before them. The point isn’t that there’s nothing new. The point is these principles keep getting repeated BECAUSE THEY WORK! 

I’ve heard and thought about these concepts before. I agree with the concepts. I even know that when applied, they work! So why am I still at my J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) position? Because I haven’t DONE what it takes to launch out of my (precieved) secure position and do the uncomfortable.

What’s Holding You Back?

How long does it take to get a blog up and running? Thanks to all the marvelous tools that we have at our fingertips, just a few hours. That’s the easy part. I have been working with and learning about blogs for four years. I have the equivalent of a graduate degree in blogging with all the studies I’ve done. Why isn’t my blog known worldwide? Because I’ve haven’t posted more than a few test articles to learn the mechanics. I’ve not really started, until today.

I am currently just like all those new graduates who’ll be walking across a stage with their name announced as having achieved a level of success. I have a head full of knowledge, but I’ve not done anything, YET! When I finished my BS in Electrical Engineering, I thought I was ready to tackle all sorts of real-world problems. (BEWARE, this blog will be exposing the inner workings of an engineer’s mind!) Prepared, was I! HA! Experience disproved that quickly. I had so much more to learn.

Action!

It’s time to get off my butt academic laurels and PRODUCE RESULTS. I have the knowledge. I have the tools. I have the resources. I have my wife’s support. Most important, I have made the DECISION to get it done.

What’s in it for YOU?

I met with a friend this week to discuss these ideas and how to break out of the J.O.B. and start living life on our own terms. The possibilities excited him, but his final take was “show me how it’s done and I’ll follow.” I’ve been there. Expecting to follow someone else’s footsteps. But I know that it is one more excuse to not take action. To wait a bit longer for the right time to start only to find it never happen.

Well, I am here to prove that one can achieve their goals with focus, determination, the right plan, and hard work. You may be at the place where you’re wanting to see someone else prove that there’s a better plan or you may be in the middle of the battle to get make change happen for you. Either way, you’ll have a lot to gain from this blog.

If my journey motivates you to take action, I’ve done my job. If you get out of your comfort zone to take that first step toward creating the life you desire, I’ve done my job. If I’m able to fan the flames of discontent that leads you to make the daily changes toward your goals, I’ve done my job. 

Like Most of You

It isn’t hard to find out that most people are not in a position to lose their jobs and be okay, even into retirement. The statistics are so depressing that I’m not going to go into them now. Suffice it to say, that I’m there. If my income source vanished today, it would be a short time before I’d lose everything. I am a slave to my J.O.B. It is my only revenue stream. 

Don’t Accept That

On the day I’m posting this, that is my situation. The decisions I’ve made led me here. It’s not some conspiracy, it has been my choice. NO LONGER DO I ACCEPT THIS WAY OF LIFE!

I already know that the majority of people are in the same boat. It is what we’re trained to do. “Get an education and get a Good Job. It is what we’ve been told. It has worked for a long while, but it only takes reading a few articles and listening to the news to find out that way of thinking has failed many in the long run. Let us take the steps together to get out of that boat and to design a new boat with some essential upgrades. It starts with a decision. 

Don’t accept that where you’re at today is where you have to be tomorrow. Don’t accept that your past defines your future. Don’t accept that you are not worthy of a better path.

Design Your Future 

So here’s the grand news: Your future is your own. Yes, there are challenges. Yes, you have to overcome your past thinking that brought you here. Yes, there is hard work. Yes, you have to get up each morning and make the decision that TODAY YOU WILL MOVE TOWARD YOUR GOALS.

 What do you desire?

I cannot answer that for you. I can share my goals and desires with you, but those are mine. Only you know what drives you. What is it that is a burning desire for you? What would you do if you weren’t a slave to your J.O.B.?

For me, my top desire is to be as generous as I want to be with time and resources. I am a generous person who does give to others in many ways. Yet, it does pain me not to be more so. It pains me to have to choose between spending time with my wife and grandkids or going to my J.O.B. What’s holding me back? Time and Money. Both of those are now controlled by my choice to rely on a J.O.B. as my primary resource. 

Answer the question for yourself. If time and money were not constraints, what changes would I make in my life? What would you do instead of rolling out to work? Who would you spend time with? What would you do?

Moving Forward

I have made the decision to do whatever it takes to develop a new lifestyle! That means you can visit this blog and see regular updates on the progress I’m making. Designed to be a resource and inspiration for you, this blog will be a roadmap for you to follow. I will lead by example. At 51 years old and 28 years in a job, I have decided it’s time to make the changes I’ve studied and talked about for years.

My Top Three Priorities 

If you have more than three priorities, you don’t have any.” — Jim Collins

We are only capable of having a focus on a few objectives at once. Part of not obtaining my desired outcomes is a direct result of taking on too many things at once. Rather than mastering a skill before moving on, I am pulled my many priorities. I am seeking mastery in these three areas.

You may notice that I am stating each of these with “I will. . . .” These are choices and an act of the will. Whether I thought about it or took the path of least resistance, I made decisions that created my present. Creating my future is also an act of the will. 

Physical Fitness

I’ve never been fit my entire life. I’ve never put in the effort to be fit. My priorities were elsewhere. Over the years I added an extra hundred pounds that adversely affected my health. Over the past year, I have lost 55 pounds and started more physical activities. Now I’m going to up my game, lose the rest of the weight and get in shape.

• I will do a daily workout. 
• I will push myself to new levels of fitness.
• I will eat a healthy diet.
• I will take daily action to create a body that has the energy to support my desired lifestyle.

Personal Development

• I will expand my thinking.
• I will seek to master principles that lead to profound changes in my actions.
• I will deepen my current relationships.
• I will seek out relationships that enhance and challenge my thinking.

Financial Intelligence

• I will seek out the wisdom of those who are where I want to be financially and emulate them.
• I will practice the principles that lead to financial success.
• I will increase my value to the marketplace and reap the rewards of increased revenue.

Daily Action for Mastery

Each of these three goals requires daily attention. An autopilot that takes us directly to our goals would be great! Unfortunately, that doesn’t exist. It is only through focused, thoughtful, daily action that our goals will become a reality.

Six Months

Six months is hardly any time at all when you’re not focused. All life’s challenges will consume six months in what seems like a flash. When I look back and months and even years, I am amazed how little I remember of significance. 

I’ve set some major stretch goals for six months from now. I’ll be sharing those in future posts. It is the immediacy and the short time frame that has created the activation energy for me to take action. As my story unfolds here, I look forward to hearing your comments and how my progress has affected your life. While I’m holding myself accountable through this blog, it is all about you and helping you obtain your goals and the lifestyle you desire. 

I’d love to hear about your goals and how you’re obtaining them. Comment and engage others along the way. Let’s move forward together.

According to Jack!