One of the most powerful concepts I learned in Alcoholics Anonymous was the idea of “taking one day at a time.” This August will be 10 years without a sip of alcohol, and it has easily been the best decade of my life. While I know I will never drink alcohol again, and I have fully accepted that, it has not always been easy to say no.
 
When I look back and remember those times when I was in survival mode, focused on the shame or regret of the past, and dreaming about a future that was nothing short of a far-off dream, I remember feeling a severe lack of contentment. I was not happy at all. It all made sense because I was not present and you can’t truly be happy or content if you are not living in the present. Instead, I wanted to numb out and escape the present I was living in.
 
What I needed was to just focus on the next step, slowly put one step in front of the other. Being very intentional about where I was stepping and the direction I was going. After all, I have at times in my life been my own worst enemy, self-sabotaging myself, keeping myself from the success I had always dreamed of. Probably because I didn’t think I deserved it.
 
While I am in a much better place today, there are a lot of people all around us who are struggling. I mean REALLY struggling. They don’t have their health (mental, physical, spiritual), they don’t have the time they need, and they are in trouble financially. Relationships are broken, they are not in touch with their purpose, and they are often without hope. This could be a family member, a team member, a client or a complete stranger.
 
What the person needs is to just focus on their next step. It is usually easier when the person has someone walking next to them when they take that first step and the step after that. Be this person to those around you. Think of a row of stepping stones, and you are the guide to helping someone in pain, as you help them focus on the next step. The best marketing will be focused on your solution to a client’s pain and most of the time what they need is someone to help them take the next step.
 
Many of our clients really struggle with having enough time to do the meaningful and motivating activities in their life. We can literally sell them time. All we need to do is talk about the first step they should take. The next stepping stone. One single step in the direction of progress and more happiness. Give them relief. 
 
As Zig Ziglar once said, “Help others get everything they want in life, and you will get everything you want in life.”
 
Have an amazing week, my friend-
Dave