Jordan Zimmerman - Leading Fearlessly: Transform Your Life and Find Success

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Copyright 2015 Jordan Zimmerman & Zimmerman Advertising, LLC

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eBook ISBN: 978-1-62634-164-7

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Print ISBN: 978-1-62634-163-0

To the loving memory of my father, whose guidance, strength, and wisdom made me the man and leader that I am today.

www.zadv.com

Twitter: @jzspeaks

www.yousleepwhenyoudie.com

www.jzleadingfearlessly.com

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Do you want it or not?

I dont care what it isa job, a career, a lifestyle, a level of success, whatever. Do you really want it? Because if you dont have it right now, today, its your fault and no one elses.

Dont give in to excuses about who or what stopped you or how you had some obligation that got in your way. The fact is you chose something other than your dream. Every excuse is bullshit. Every. Single. One.

This doesnt make you a bad person, but it ought to make you an aware personaware that what has happened so far in your life has been entirely up to you.

And aware that what happens next, for good or bad, is also in your hands.

Life is a series of choices. For each one, you can choose to sacrifice toward your goal or to accept short-term gratification. Think of the first big decision that many people make, going to college. You may have to live on almost nothing for four years and borrow a lot of moneythat is, youll make a sacrificeas a trade for something of greater value, an education that will open doors and serve you well for the rest of your life. More choices will follow: Are you the guy whos out the door at five oclock, or are you the one who stays late to do more? Are you the one who opens the new branch, or the one who is just happy to work there? Are you the secretary who leaves to start her own business, or are you satisfied to get a paycheck for simply showing up?

Every day you make a choice to move closer to doing the thing you love or moving away from it. Youre reading this because youve realized that you really do want something out there more than you want what you have and that you are going to take the first step to get it.

Congratulations, because in that realization lies a deep truth and a bold opportunity: Theres not a thing in the world you cant achieve if you are willing to work hard to get it. It wont be easy. Youll have to strive for clarity of mind, sweat for strength of body, and exhaust your energy for commitment to purpose. These are not just words. Youre about to take the first step on a path thats a way of life. I know it works because I did it, and I do it every day. Ive taught others to do it. Real achievers were doing it long before I came along.

No matter when you get started, you can always get what you want. Its never too late to begin, never too late to turn things around. Never. Dont let time be yet another excuse.

So now you know why youre reading this book: Youre tired of your own bullshit. Theres something you want to do. Its the thing you love, and youre tired of hearing excuses in your head that you cant or wont refute. Go ahead, rattle them off right now:

I need the security of the job I already have.

Im afraid to risk what Ive earned so far.

Times are tough; Id be foolish to bail on a good thing.

I have a good enough life already.

And then theres the worst one of all:

It probably wouldnt have worked out anyway.

Enough. You either seize the opportunity, or you dont.

Since youve read this far, Im going to assume that youre readyreally readyto take control of your career and your life and go after your dream.

Im going to show you the way.

There are specific steps youre going to have to take. Each step will require you to do some things youre not in the habit of doing. Uncomfortable things. Youll have to choose sacrifice over short-term gain. Youll have to build your body, hone your mind, and strengthen your will. Youre not going to forsake your obligations. Instead, youre going to figure out which obligations are real and which are just in your head, and then youre going to meet them while you pursue your new goal. And youre going to find the energy to do all thisenergy that right now you cant imagine having.

Ill show you how to do all that.

So take the first step. Since life is a series of choices, make your first one, maybe one of the first conscious, purposeful decisions youve ever made: Go down the path that leads to what you really want. No matter the pain. No matter the effort. No matter the loss of the materially comfortable corner youve made for yourself. You think this is about money? This is about your life.

And if you dont choose to pursue the things you say you love, you can be sure that you didnt love them in the first place.

Today I choose to begin. Say it out loud. Write it on a piece of paper, and place it where you can see it. Stick it on your mirror. Put it on all your doors. Remind yourself of it every hour. This isnt a gimmick. This is the creation of a habit: You have to establish your goal in your mind so that its there with every choice you make. Those choiceseasy or hard, closer to the goal or further awaywill come along all the time. But from now on youre going to recognize them as they appear. And the choices you make now will be very different from the choices you made before.

Life is too important to waste, and your time is too short.

Congratulations, and welcome to the club.

I want to let you in on one of my deepest, darkest secrets: I am insane.

I promise that after you read this book, you are going to want to adopt my insanity, because it worksespecially for people like you, who want to achieve a dream and who are willing to do whatever it takes to get it.

Was I born insane? It might be part of my DNA, but it also has something to do with where I grew up. Every day I saw a lot of unhappy peoplemy parents friends and my friends parentsgoing to jobs that they didnt like to pay for things they didnt need in pursuit of a dream they couldnt name. I said that when I grew up, there was no way Id be like them. I would live out my passion through the work that I chose. I would go to work every day to have the greatest time in the world.