Do Something Different to Create a Breakthrough

Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” It doesn’t matter if you are facing unfinished projects, complicated finances and debt, poor relationships with family members and co-workers, or wellness issues. If you want change and a positive breakthrough, do something different. All it takes is new positive energy to create that much-needed shift for a breakthrough to occur. Holding on to the old ways of doing things that are not working creates negative energy in thinking, which results in stagnation and many unresolved issues or unfinished projects. Some symptoms of such energy stagnation are relationships that are never quite what you want; jobs that never turn out the way you had hoped; never getting promotions or a pay raise as promised; even a constant nagging feeling that you are never quite in the right place at the right time. Look in the Mirror First Begin to create your breakthrough by looking into a mirror. Ninety-eight percent of the time when things do not go your way, it is all about you, your thoughts and decisions not someone else. Take a close look at who you are and what you have because that is a reflection of the choices you’ve made and the actions you’ve taken. Look back in your past to examine if who you are today is the same person you were just a few short years ago. Determine what decisions and/or changes you made in your past that has led you to your present. Are you better off today than you were five years ago? Are the things and people in your surroundings better now than then? Is your outlook on life better today? If yes, what did you do to accomplish that change? Did you change relationships, jobs, homes? If not, why not? Determine why you are where you are today and what should have changed. What Worked – What Didn’t It is critical to determine what decisions in your past were filled with good energy. Those are the thoughts and things you need to hold onto. Equally important, determine which parts of your past were filled with negative energy and eliminate those decisions and actions completely from your life. Breakthroughs come from new thinking and surrounding yourself with only positive energy things, people and thoughts. If your thoughts, things and relationships aren’t providing you positive energy or even neutral energy, they are definitely sending you negative energy. Breakthrough Strategies One might ponder the enormity of breakthrough thinking and come to the conclusion that consistent breakthroughs are impossible - but not if you use the Einstein philosophy. You are already on the road to a breakthrough, once you understand that you will continue to get the same results unless you change your actions. Bold breakthroughs that make a difference in people’s lives - yours and others! Align Your Actions with Your Goals – It is impossible to be successful and have breakthroughs if your actions and goals are not aligned. If you wish to win 18 Olympic gold medals like Michael Phelps, you can’t just go to the pool and watch others swim. You have to align your goal of 18 gold medals with getting in the pool and learning to swim better than anyone else, while preparing yourself with competitions and races. Instill Accountability - Is your new accomplishment truly a breakthrough that improves you or meets your new upgraded objectives or did it just take you down a different path and give you the same old results? Accountability is critical for breakthrough success. Breakthroughs can only be realized when there is a measurable change. Determine the outcome you desire in advance leaving no wiggle room - visibly display it with a post it note on your refrigerator or computer so you don’t play mental gymnastics and allow your mind to talk you into success when it was only a minor improvement. Build a Bridge and Get Going – Breakthrough thinking requires change and action. A breakthrough is of no value if it sits on the shelf collecting dust. Don’t let a breakthrough idea just sit there. Build some type of bridge, conduit or connector from where you are to what you want to accomplish or to the breakthrough idea and get busy. You may have solved a major problem at work that could save your company thousands of dollars or come up with the perfect vacation for your diverse family, but nothing will change if you do not take action. Attract and act – that is how breakthrough thinking works. At this point your job is to take action and to make it happen – and celebrate those successes, large and small. If you’re ready to breakthrough, take action based on the information you’ve gleaned through observing your past five years and the mirror reflection of your current life. By aligning your actions with your goals, instilling accountability and building a bridge to get to where you want to go, you have created a breakthrough road map that is dependable and will always get you to where you want to go. © Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2012