Swapping Lives

Swapping Lives with Richard Branson…

There are always plenty of excuses for not doing the things that will move us closer to our goals. There is for instance never enough time, or there is a lack of money, or you just don’t have the necessary support you need to pursue your goal. You have so many excuses on your plate that of course it’s no surprise you aren’t making any progress.

The truth of the matter is that there are always going to be excuses. There are always going to be reasons why we just can’t or won’t do something. These reasons exist because we live with very little urgency. With no urgency there is a lack of desire and motivation to move forward. Instead we get distracted by short-term pleasures that are just too enticing to pass up in the moment. And then there’s our goal. It’s just so big and far off in the distance. Yes, you want it, but maybe you’re just not willing to do what it takes to achieve it.

Every goal you set requires something from you. It requires that you make the necessary sacrifices to achieve that goal. The sacrifices you make come in the form of time, energy and maybe even money. However, even with these sacrifices there are still no guarantees of success. That’s why it can be so difficult to keep ourselves motivated over the long haul. At least that’s how life is for the average person.

Let’s change pace for a moment…

Just imagine Richard Branson swapped lives with you for one whole year. That is 12 months or 365 days. Actually it’s also 8,765 hours or to be more specific 525,949 minutes. For exactly that period of time Richard Branson would swap lives with you. He would inherit your name, your job, your house, your car, your family, your friends, your goals and aspirations, and let’s say he miraculously also inherits your appearance.

For 525,949 minutes of that one full year Richard Branson lives your life and gains access to all the resources you currently have at your disposal. He is basically YOU with a different attitude and perspective. Just imagine after 12 months what your life might be like when Richard Branson hands it back to you? Do you think things would be somewhat different? What specifically?

Over those 12 months Richard Branson wouldn’t waste a minute. He would completely turn your life around because he would spot opportunities you would have missed; he would make connections you would have overlooked; he would take risks you would have feared; he would maximize his time, money and available resources in order to achieve your goals. In fact, he would do many things you probably wouldn’t do… or could you?

On the flipside, how would you manage Richard Branson’s billion dollar empire over a period of 12 months? Would Richard Branson be better off or would his empire lie in ruins?

It’s certainly interesting to think this way about life and about how other people might manage things if they swapped lives with you. It really brings the decisions we make and the actions we take into full perspective?

Of course you might very well be experiencing unthinkable adversity right at this very moment. But you certainly aren’t alone. In fact, Richard Branson and just about every person who has achieved great things in this world did so despite adversity. For them adversity was an opportunity to learn, grow and do things better to help move them forward towards their goal. However, for the average person adversity is only another excuse that gets them nowhere.

The honest truth is that how Richard Branson managed your life over a period of 12 months is exactly how you could manage your life over the next 8,765 hours. Don’t spend another one of your 525,949 minutes procrastinating and waiting for the perfect moment to act. If Richard Branson wouldn’t spend his time waiting, then nor should you.

Action Points

Whenever you feel your life stagnating with things not moving forward as expected, take some time to imagine yourself as Richard Branson. Ask yourself:

• What would Richard Branson do in this situation?
• How would Richard Branson think about this problem?
• What opportunities would Richard Branson spot here?
• What necessary risks would Richard Branson take to move this forward?
• What connections would Richard Branson try to make?
• How would Richard Branson best utilize his time right now?

Yes, of course you’re not Richard Branson, however you can still think and act like Richard Branson, and that by itself can make a world of difference. Why not just give it a try?

IQ Matrix Maps

Here are links to complementary IQ Matrix posters that go into more depth about this topic:

• Richard Branson Mindset: Explores the mind, behaviors, habits and skill set of Richard Branson.
• Habit Transformation: Helps you overcome debilitating habits that are currently holding you back.
• Building Empowering Rituals: Explores how to build daily rituals that help support your goals.
• Raising Personal Standards: Show you how raising your personal standards improves your results.
• Be a Go-Getter: In order to succeed in anything you need to begin cultivating a ‘go-getter’ attitude.