First Steps…

We’ve lost something recently. All of us have. It’s something important…

Something we rely on to get through each day.

Without it we feel anxious. We feel frustrated. We feel afraid. We feel confused.

It’s our sense of control.

Notice I say “sense” of control. The reality, which we are fully realizing in this moment, is that we don’t control much of anything.

We don’t control the stock market.

We don’t control our food supply.

We don’t control our parents… or spouses… or children.

We don’t control our colleagues.

We don’t control the businesses that support our economy.

We don’t control the medical system.

We don’t control technology.

We don’t control the actions of others.

Nor do we control their thoughts.

There… We’ve said it. It’s out on the table.

By confronting this reality, you can begin to access the opportunity that’s available.

For one, you can stop feeling like you’re supposed to control any of those things. Those burdens are not yours to bear.

You can breathe. You can remember that right now in this moment, wherever you are, you’re alive and you’re okay.

I’m a big believer in seeing things for what they are. Not better. Not worse. Just calling a spade a spade.

And by identifying our underlying discomfort, we can begin to free ourselves… to focus on what we can control. And we can begin to take our power back…

This series is called “Survive and Thrive.” Our aim together will be to find answers to the question, “Looking back, how can this crisis become one of the most valuable experiences of your life?”

Does that mean it will be easy? No.

Does it mean it will always feel good? No.

Listen, I know it’s a big question. But we’ll create the answers together, starting today.

So let’s walk through the first steps.

Pen to Paper

In order to extract the value of this experience and begin to create a better future, we need a baseline. That’s what we’ll form today.

The simple exercise we’re about to do will give you insights into your life and priorities and provide a strong foundation for the coming weeks.

I’ve seen Oxford Club Members make huge breakthroughs going through it. Here’s a comment from just one to provide some encouragement:

This presentation… was brilliant and helpful in evaluating our life paths and future choices from a fresh perspective. It reinforced our decisions and confirmed some of the directions we were considering in our decisions. (Work a bit less, vacation a bit more, spend more time with close friends and family, pursue personal fulfillment goals, etc.) Your presentation was just the nudge we needed to experiment a bit more in our lives.

With that, let’s begin. You’ll need just two simple things to get started:

• A blank paper or notebook (I suggest using a notebook or keeping the paper in a folder)
• Something to write with.

I filmed a video to guide you through the exercise, which you can find here.

Watch Video

In short, you’ll rank each of the following categories…

• Health and vitality
• Mind and meaning
• Love and relationships
• Career, business or mission
• Wealth
• Growth and personal development
• Contribution.

These are the categories I believe make up a truly fulfilling life. I fully explain each in the video segment.

I hope you find this first step valuable. We’ll keep digging deeper in the coming weeks.

Remember, you are bigger than anything that’s happened to you in your life.

This moment, while uncertain, is an opportunity.

And I’ll be with you to grow stronger as we face it – no matter how hard it gets – together.

Be relentless,

Nathan

P.S. Shoot me a note with your questions, thoughts or comments. What did you learn in this first exercise? What would you like answers to in this moment?