Today we start a new “Law of the Week” series.  For the next fifteen Wednesday’s I will post on one of the laws from John Maxwell’s “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth.”  John released this book on October 2nd and it is already climbing the best sellers list.

How intentional are you about growth?  Not long ago, I was in a place that I thought as long as I am not moving backwards, I’m alright.  Wrong!  Things don’t just happen like they say.  The fact is, we have to be intentional if we want positive movement in our personal or business development.

I thought that as long as the bills are getting paid, there is food on the table, the kids are doing well in school and my wife has a smile on her face that all is good.  The problem is that this only lasts so long.  Complacency takes hold of our life and we totally lose focus on improvement and settle for good enough.

I have discovered over the last few years that without being intentional about where we want to be, we simply remain where we are.

Here are some of the Growth Gaps that Maxwell discusses that prevent us from growing:

1.  THE ASSUMPTION GAP

We make the assumption that life’s experiences alone will provide growth.  This is simply not true.  Going through life allows us to learn how to react to the events that happen to us.  Being intentional allows us to have more control over what those events will be.

2.  THE TIMING GAP

Have you ever made the statement “It’s just not the right time” to start something.  I like the expression “there is no time like the present” much better.  Simply said, we can say that it is never the right time to start something new.  We are all busy and can’t imagine adding one more thing to our schedule.  If you want to remain where you are – keep thinking this way.

3.  THE MISTAKE GAP

There is a part of all of us that fears trying something new because we might fail.  The truth is that we learn more from our failures than we do from our success.  The more ways we learn not to do something, the more clarity we gain in doing it right. The key is that we learn from these mistakes and use them as a tool to move in a positive direction.

4.  THE INSPIRATION GAP

We all know what it feels like to be inspired to do something.  For most of us, we have to be inspired to start anything new at all.  If there is something you know you need to do, but find it difficult to find the inspiration to do so, tell someone and have them hold you accountable for doing it.  There is no stronger inspiration than having a friend or family member making sure that you follow through.

The Law of Diminishing Intent says,

“The longer you wait to do something you should do now, the greater the odds that you will never actually do it.”

My challenge for you today is to identify something that you need to do, be intentional about doing it and start.  Maxwell says it best:

“Life is now in session.  Are you present?

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Next Up:  The Law of Awareness.

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   10/10/12       photo courtesy of amazon.com