Habit #25: Broken Compass

52 Habits to Change My Life

A while back I found a broken compass. The dial inside of it doesn’t turn unless you shake it. It’s not spinning in circles. It is stuck.

It got me thinking.

What’s the purpose of a broken compass?

I should throw it out because it doesn’t work. I haven’t because what if…

What if I can fix it? (not likely). What if it can be a real life metaphor that I can physically hold as a reminder? (That is more likely).

For years, I have been like a buoy in the ocean being pushed and tossed around yet never going anywhere because of my fears that others will tell me I am chasing a pipe dream that will never happen. I do the research, I buy some tools (hoping it doesn’t turn into another “this will change my life” idea with a 6-week life span).

Be Realistic

Be realistic. Starting a blog won’t replace your income. Be realistic you can’t start a distillery. Be realistic you can’t start a side income. Be realistic you have to work for someone else. Be realistic you need a full time job before you can build your own business. Be realistic you can’t. Just keep following the same path of the last 10-years. (No! That is not working!)

A broken compass doesn’t care about being right. It is willing to take risks that somehow it will point in the right direction for whoever is following it. (If you actually lost it won’t help.) Metaphorically, our paths to success don’t have to be what others see as the path to success.

The road signs and advice are there for those who are seeking success. Your path is not going to be the same as anyone else's. You might end up being just as good real estate agent as someone else. Your path to the same level isn’t the same. You sold different homes, dealt with different clients, faced different challenges. And you both still arrived at the same level.

In the second half of The Strangest Secret, Earl Nightingale explains how the path success is not the result of making money. Success is doing something that will inspire and reward and lift you up. Success is not the end but the journey. Success is actually doing something that will move you forward. It’s not about thinking about failing or negative thoughts. It’s staying positive, deciding what to do and what to work on. It’s showing up for you.