You are crossing the border into The Land of The Next Decade. As you go through customs, the agent asks you:
“Do you have something to declare?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Good,” he says. “Otherwise, we can’t let you in.” He smiles.
“Is there some kind of form I need to fill out?” you say.
“Normally, we have people fill out form IN697-42P, but since you are a member of the ToDo Institute, we don’t require that form. However, your submission has to be in writing and include the following elements. And it has to fit on a single page.”
- Clarity of your vision for the coming year;
- Clarity of your three most important roles for the next month;
- Clarity about the “stone” you are going to drop as you move forward. (Clue: It’s not actually a stone, but an extra weight that you’ve been carrying around for a while that holds you back or slows you down);
- Awareness of the vast array of people, objects, forces, and money that are supporting you each day as your life unfolds;
- The single biggest obstacle you face in staying on purpose once you cross the border.
“When you finish, please make three copies. The first copy you give to me so you can go through customs. The second copy you keep for yourself and you put it someplace in your home where it will remain visible on a daily basis.”
“What about the third copy?” you ask.
“The third copy is for Frank,” he says.
“Who’s Frank?”
“He works at the post office just the other side of the border. He’ll mail it to you about half-way through the year.”
“What’s the point of that?” you ask.
“You’ll see,” he says with a grin.
“This seems like a lot of work,” you say.
“Not really,” says the agent. “The hard work is what happens once you cross the border. That’s when you have to devote yourself to making this actually happen. That’s the where the hard work happens.”
“Yikes,” you say. “I’m a little anxious about the whole thing. I’m not sure I’ll succeed.”
“Great!” responds the agent as he smiles and looks directly at you. “You’re off to a good start.”
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Gregg Krech, author of The Art of Taking Action: Lessons in Japanese Psychology, will be conducting the course, Living on Purpose, a 30 day online course to help you find purpose and stay on track as you begin a new decade. Starts January 11, 2020. For more information:
