In 2009, one of my “students” implored me to write a book that shared my habits research. He was one of ten individuals who participated in a number of my hour-long learning sessions. This session was titled: “How the Rich Achieve 100% of Their Goals”. I shared with the group the epiphany, from my research, that most people failed to achieve their goals because they were not actually setting goals, but instead making wishes. I also shared the two fundamental components of a goal:
- 100% Achievablility and
- Physical Activity
My “student” had just realized a goal that had eluded him for three years, thanks to my research. He became insistent that I write a book to share my discoveries. I told him I was a CPA and that I had never published a book before. I had no idea how to write a book for publication. In actuality, I was simply afraid. Afraid of doing something I had never done before. Afraid of what I knew I would be confronting: obstacles, hurdles, problems, stress and possible failure. But I relented and wrote Rich Habits, which, after three years, became a bestseller.
What changed my mind? My “student” used guilt as a motivating agent: “If you were to die tomorrow, all of the research you did, the research that helped me realize my goal, would be lost. For all you know, you might only have six months to live. Write your book if only for your children.”
I thought long and hard about his words. If I were to die in six months, I would no longer be able to mentor my children, to guide them in life. But if I wrote a book, I could mentor them even in my absence. My book could act as a surrogate for me, helping them overcome life’s obstacles in a Dad-less world. So I set out to write a book as if I were going to die in six months. I set out to write a book for my children that would share the core habits that create a successful life. Incredibly, it was this action, writing Rich Habits, that revealed to me my main purpose in life. To help mentor others through my Rich Habits.
What if you only had six months to live? What would you do with those six months? Inside the answer to that question lies your main purpose in life.
About Thomas C. Corley
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