I meet a lot of wonderful, experienced, talented souls who tell me they have no dreams and they like their life the way it is.

These kind spirits make a convincing argument of how they have all they need.

But they keep going after more.

They tell me they have become the person they want to be.

But something drives them to take better care of themselves.

They talk about how they are doing all they ever wanted to do.

But they involve themselves in one new project after the next.

So why on the one hand do they say things are fine just the way there are, yet on the other hand they act otherwise?

We’ll save the answer to that question for another time. Instead, I want to let you in on a little secret…

It’s about what these gorgeous souls have in common.

The Perils of Plateau. Beware what lurks in stagnant water.

They all know about the Peril of Plateau.™

When I was a child, I remember how standing water in our garden was a breeding zone for mosquitoes and always spelled trouble. And because I was the one to rack up the most bites, it was my mission to leave no container unturned.

Think of a plateau like that stagnant water. It’s a point where your life is good and you don’t see a need to change anything.

Yet therein lies the danger…

When you reach the plateau and things are fine just the way they are, you might be one step away from stagnation…

And there can be a lot more lurking in there than a few hungry mosquitoes… like stagnating health, where you start to notice things about how your physical or mental condition is deteriorating, stagnating relationships and support structures that either don’t exist or are not being nurtured in the way they could be, stagnating work that feels more like an obligation than a vocation, stagnating wealth that erodes faster than it grows, stagnating use of time that passes all too quickly or not fast enough, stagnating contribution and significance, and so on.

Now let’s get back to those wonderful and talented souls.

Each of them at one stage of life or another, or in one or more of the 7 areas of life, reached points of plateau.

In fact hitting a plateau is something everyone experiences from time to time, regardless of level of success, track record, or positive outlook on life.

But instead of staying at plateau, these gorgeous souls made a choice to keeping growing, stretching, and even challenging themselves.

Why? Because the Peril of Plateau is closely related to what I term the principle of AGAI: Always Grow and Improve. When you do something to always grow and improve, when you focus on your growth, you keep yourself from becoming stagnant.

Life is a great gift. And if stagnation is not death, it’s at least a killer.

This is how instead of being depressed, those in the know spring out of bed in the morning.

Rather than feeling hopeless, they are engaged.

Instead of having doubt, they are confident.

Rather than feeling stuck, they feel full of purpose.

Instead of being cynical or skeptical, they feel happy.

Rather than being indecisive, they enjoy the rewards that result when you take calculated risks.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed, they focus and they change the status quo.

When you are stagnating, not losing any ground yet not moving forward, it can be a challenging and draining experience as one day rolls into the next without you getting measurably closer to accomplishing what is most important to you and this can leave you with that frustrating feeling of being stuck.

Maybe this helped raise your awareness of the symptoms of stagnation and the perils of plateau. And if by now you are asking yourself the BIG question of what do you do to overcome stagnation and what do you do about it?

Then my first suggestion is take a fresh approach to break through your plateau phase and consider coming to join me and a fun small group on a Breakthrough Vacation™ in Tuscany. Not only will you overcome stagnation, you will also recharge from the hustle and bustle, have the time and space to adjust your actions, free and stimulate your creativity, come up with new ways to solve old problems, gain more clarity, have some needed FUN, and the experience will make your life better every way you look it. Learn more at www.BreakthroughVacations.com and hurry because space is limited.

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I was fascinated the first time I heard that from the moment they’re born, sharks never stop swimming, even when they are asleep.

What a great metaphor for life: always keep moving… forward. And how similar to my personal philosophy of AGAI: if you want to get the most juice out of it, Always Grow and Improve in all 7 areas of life. Because let’s face it, when we aren’t moving forward, what are we doing?

Benjamin Franklin also observed that continuous growth and learning is a requisite for fulfillment when he said “some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.” Does that seem harsh?

When you stop growing, you stay rooted in the past, the present passes you by, and the future becomes more threatening.

By the way, even if you are moving slowly, it’s okay… so long as you are moving forward.

Always Grow and Improve.

So which of the 7 areas of your life are you focusing on today?

Ciao!

Taylor

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Hi,

I was looking out one of our windows this morning and was reminded again of how badly we need to clean our gutters.

And just at that moment it hit me it’s probably a great analogy for our own personal development and well-being…

Gutters serve a purpose. See, they’re conduits… clean gutters channel water from your roof into the down spout and away from your home. In other words, they keep you protected, clean, dry and secure. And if you think about it, these conduits are actually pretty important for keeping your nest, your castle, your home, from rotting away.

If you let them go uncleared for a little while is okay – you know how we all get busy with other things. But let them go for a long time, and that’s how you spell trouble. The gutters get all clogged up, mosquitoes lay their eggs which then become squirming larvae, leaves and other debris start to rot and get really nasty and stinky… and eventually there is nowhere for the water to go but into your roof (and maybe even into your living room).

And ignore them for a while and you also start to do that other thing…

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Did you know that from the moment sharks are born, they never stop swimming, even when they are asleep?

Okay, sharks may not be the first thing you think of when you are asked about role models. Let’s face it though; sharks have been around much longer than man or any other mammal, maybe as much as 400 million years. To me this says they’re doing something right.

And they never stop moving forward. I think it’s a good metaphor for life: even if you’re only moving forward slowly, it’s vital to always keep moving.

Change doesn’t need to be hard: In fact, it’s better if it’s easy, and pleasurable, don’t you think?

Let’s say you want to lose 100 lbs (I like round numbers!)…

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You may have heard of the 7 Areas of Life?

If you’re new to the concept (welcome, by the way) the 7 Areas of Life are:

Money, Time, Relationships, Health, Emotions, Work or Career, and Greater Contribution.

Each of these 7 Areas are like pillars that support your happiness and well-being. When one is weak and crumbles, your well-being caves in.

If you sit back and think about it, you might agree that most of us work on one, two, or at best, three of these pillars, right?

Some pour their heart and soul into their jobs. Ever found yourself concentrating on your career …identifying yourself with your job title or how much you earn, only feeling fulfilled when your work life is going well? …I know I have.

Others focus predominantly on their relationships. For these people, family and friends are the most important of the seven Areas, and they do not feel like a whole person if they’re not always focused putting others first.

By now maybe you can see how you favor one or two Areas the most. And likewise you might just as easily have clear in your mind the Areas you neglect… say maybe your health (when you eat out a lot to save time and energy), your money (when you spend money on things you know you don’t really need) or maybe your relationships (if you get caught up in a rat race of life bound with responsibilities)?

Don’t feel bad about the Areas you neglect, because we all do it. Just promise me you’ll avoid making the mistake of assuming that two or three strong “pillars” will make up for the rest. Because if you do, sooner or later the roof of your inner house will cave in, there is no doubt (I’ve been there and got the t-shirt).

And maybe it already has caved in… Perhaps right now you as you read what I’m saying there’s an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of your stomach – the one that signals now is time to change some things in your life…

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