2. You don’t have models, mentors, or maps.
Without a model of success, you’re winging it. You take on the risk of trying to figure out what might work. This can wear you down, or you can lose heart, because you don’t know which, if any, of your efforts will bear fruit. If you have a model of success, somebody who has already achieved what you want, you can learn from what works. It also gives you confidence, because you have a living picture of what’s possible.
Without a mentor, you may not get the guidance or the feedback you need. Also, in my experience, mentors are among the best short-cuts. So if you’re looking to find a faster path, or you want to steer clear of potential pitfalls, that’s where the right mentor can really help.
Lastly, without a map, you can easily get lost along the way. Imagine trying to drive across the country, say from Washington to New Jersey, without a map. While you know the general direction to head, there is a lot of ground to cover, and the potential for a great deal of wrong turns, and dead ends. I’ve done the trip in two days, and five days. I never could have done the trip in 2 days, without a map. A map can be a simple list of the steps you need to take to get from point A to point B, whether you’re starting a workout routine, or learning an instrument, or shipping the next big thing.
In my experience, models, mentors, and maps are the key to achieving goals more effectively.