What Have You Done Lately?

We Did It! “There has got to be a better way.” Ever been on an early morning drive, the traffic light turns red and you come to a complete stop? You glance out of your car window and catch two people jogging along the path. You think for a second, “I should be out there.” Still half-full and feeling the weight from last night’s dinner, a second thought crosses your mind, “I really need to do something.” “Maybe I should have skipped the dessert?” Another quick glance as the runners pass by heading in the opposite direction and the thought crosses your mind again, “I really need to do something.” The light turns green and you pull off. Secretly wishing they’re engaged in a walk-run workout, you can’t deny the urge to glance in your rear-view mirror to catch them walking. They’re not. Still running, they’re jogging out of focus. Again you think, “I really need to do something.” But. “There has got to be a better way.”

Much like dreaming of

needing to do more to be fit, we spend time dreaming of the life we want to live. We think of the profession we want, the family and the impact we

want to make on the world. We even spend time, though likely not much, contemplating what our first purchase would be if we won a multimillion dollar lottery each time it gets into the hundreds-ofmillion-dollar

stratosphere. We dream. These thoughts are typically fleeting and done in almost an autopilot fashion. We also spend an inordinate amount of our lives on autopilot. Research has shown we spend as much as almost half of our days on autopilot. We have to interrupt this method of existing and drive the life we want. By focusing on areas, 5 dimensions of our lives; professional, relational, community, financial and wellness, we can D.R.E.a.M. We can Drive Real Engagement and Meaning in our lives. While presenting at The Arkansas Bankers Trust Conference last October, I challenged the attendees to commit to driving the lives they wanted to lead. As I often say, even though my teenager hates it, I said what I often do, “You can have anything in life if you’re willing to run head-first through fear to get it.” The first step was to commit to accomplishing something that had been a longtime goal, but either fear or lack of focus and support stopped them from accomplishing the goal. First, they would text the goal to themselves. After a bit more of the presentation, they were required to text 1-3 of the closest people in their personal or professional network to assist, support and hold them accountable to accomplishing the goal. Not long after the conference, I received this a note that read the following. “Hello Kevin, it was very nice to meet you at the Arkansas Bankers Trust Conference in Little Rock. I enjoyed the conference, gleaning both useful information and insights. Your presentation struck a chord with me and, since returning from the conference, I have spoken to family and co-workers alike about your message. With your prompting, I am taking the first steps to The Journey To The Best ME!” Merissa Spicer, a Trust VP at Arvest shared her goal with me at October’s Conference. She texted her son and let him know her aspirations. She wanted to run the Bentonville Halfmarathon; with him. She had always wanted to run a half

Merissa Spicer of Arvest Bank, Lowell, and her son Malcolm, after finishing the Bentonville Half-Marathon.

marathon and nothing would be as special as sharing the accomplishment of this lifelong aspiration with her son Malcolm. Last Saturday I received the attached photo, with a simple yet powerful note. “WE DID IT!” Merissa shared what she wanted to accomplish: The Bentonville Half-marathon in April. A dream with a date is a goal. She committed to practicing and even shared a picture after running the very day of the conference. She took immediate action. She and Malcolm created a schedule of what they would run almost daily. A goal broken into steps is a plan. Yes. There were days they didn’t feel like running. Yet most of those days, they ran. Consequently, they felt great as they got into the run. There were a few days that they opted not to run. Consequently, they regretted their decision. It’s our actions that drive our emotions and not the other way around. More than not, they fought through it and persevered. They ran. The only time they didn’t feel good, was when they planned to run and didn’t. A plan backed by action is how dreams come true. What’s your “half-marathon?” What have you always wanted to do? Merissa made the decision, created the plan and put in the work. What will you decide? How will you persevere? What will you do in the next 24 hours that will have a profound impact on your life? “You can have anything you want in life, as long as you’re willing to run head-first through fear to get it.”

Kevin Wright is a big guy with a big message: from humble beginnings in Philadelphia spending every summer on his family’s farm, to NCAA Division 1 Conference Champion football player, to a seasoned executive at one of the top 5 banks in the U.S. A seasoned executive, Wright has insight on leading and motivating your team. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hear more from Kevin Wright at the 2016 Leadership Conference!