Deacon Bradley's blog

Nevertheless this is where I started. The great thing about that success tip is that it's easy. To quote Jim Rohn's definition, "By easy I mean something I could do. I thought if I could do it it must be easy." 

There's an important key left out of that fact though. It's not enough to consume the best material in your field. It's not enough to understand the best programming paradigms, or how to diversify your investments properly. Learning these things can completely change your life, but not without action.

One of the 5 keys Jim Rohn outlines in his "Challenge To Succeed" is Action. What if eating an apple a day really did keep the doctor away? Would you do it? Before you say yes too quickly think about the easy things you know you should be doing.  Exercising more? Budgeting? Spending time with your family? (Reading more?)

Unless you put a good idea into labor it works no miracle. 

- Jim Rohn

Understanding that neglect is keeping me from achieving what I set out to achieve was a tough lesson in this series. How many great ideas have I learned over the last 2 years that I never got up and put into practice? How much closer to my goals could I be if I just stopped neglecting the easy activities that will get me there? You should do it. You could do it. You don't do it? That's formula for disaster.

Do what you can. 

Photo: Jens Voigt descends the Peyresourde Pass on a loaner bike after a crash shattered his own (Robin Wilmott)

In the 2009 Tour de France Jens Voigt suffered a horrific crash going nearly 50mph.  There were sparks flying off the bike and he was sliding forever (video below).  

"After they stitched me up at the French hospital I decided that's not the end.  I'm not going to quit like that.  I don't want the last thing people remember to be a stupid crash.  I want to be remembered as a good bike rider and to go out like that"  Jens told Versus.

Yesterday Jens crashed again when his front tire blew out during a steep descent.

"I thought, “Oh God,” and I went down. Just one year after my horrible crash, and there I was tumbling on another mountain descent."  - Jens Voigt (bicycling.com)

With no teammates around him and the team car tailing Andy Schleck (currently 2nd overall) Jens was left stranded without a bike and a severe case or road rash.  Getting in the officials car would've been the easy thing to do, and after all, how do you finish a bike race without a bike?.  "No Way!  I'm going to Paris this year.  I'm going to Paris" (where the Tour finishes).  The race organizers found him a bike, but it was a junior bike three sizes too small with old fashioned toe-clip pedals (picture above)!  Jens had to ride it for 15-20 kilometers before he was able to get another bike from his team car.  

Now that's tenacity!  With all the more then legitimate reasons to take it easy Jens said "No Way!"  Who could've blamed him for getting in the car and calling it a day.  Yet bike-less and bleeding Jens was still determined to reach his goal.  

What's standing in the way of your goal?  And is it enough to keep you from reaching it?