5 Steps to Your Personal Breakthrough!

You may have watched or heard about the recent TV mini-series
"Breakthrough with Tony Robbins," a new reality show master-minded by
the man many consider the "Father of the Coaching industry." The show
featured Robbins coaching participants through complex challenges and
personal obstacles on a 30-day journey of complete transformation.This
made for some undeniably compelling, feel-good television. However,
with 30 days of transformational progress condensed into a 1-hour
program, much of the actual process that enabled the participants to
make their breakthrough by the end of the episode is left to the
viewer's best guess. And since most of us are likely not in a position
to book the next flight to an exotic island resort and rent a private
plane for a life-changing sky diving experience, more practical
approaches to creating a breakthrough are helpful!Below, I outline 5
powerful steps you can take to create a breakthrough in any area of
your personal or professional life. So, if you're feeling stuck or
"less than jazzed" about some aspect of your life, spend some time
this week applying the 5 steps below - you're guaranteed to have at
least some new insights (if not the breakthrough you've been looking
for) by the end of the week!1. Shake things up. In Tony Robbins'
"Breakthrough" series, the first thing he does with each set of
participants is pull them out of their day-to-day routine in a major
way. Various episodes featured participants being flown to Fiji,
spending a week living among the homeless on the streets of L.A.- the
theme is always a major disruption to their status quo with the effect
of preparing them to view their situation in a very different light.
You don't have to travel to an exotic island or drastically change
your standard of living in order to shift your thinking. Sometimes a
relatively small change can produce the same effect. Think about an
area of your life where you want to create that breakthrough and
evaluate your "routine" as it pertains to that area. What can you do
to create some "innovative disruption" in that area? How can you shake
things up a bit?2. Get to the core. The next step is to identify
what's at the core of the problem you're trying to solve or the
opportunity you want to take advantage of. Don't allow yourself to
dwell at the surface. In most situations, real problems and root
causes are obscured by the readily apparent issues. Use the "5 Whys"
process - ask yourself "why" again and again to go deeper until you
reach the root cause. Asking "why" repeatedly, possibly more than five
times, directs your focus toward real causes so problems can be solved
permanently.3. Shift your paradigm. Your paradigms are comprised of
your unique set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices.
Together, they constitute the "lens" through which you view the world.
They also define your view of what is possible - what you are able to
do and achieve. In order to create a breakthrough of any sort, you
generally must challenge one or more of your current paradigms. Take
some time to think about your paradigms or perspectives relating to
the breakthrough you desire - and challenge or change them as needed
to ensure your success.4. Take ownership. Now that you've shaken
things up, identified the core issues, and shifted your paradigms for
success, you're ready to take ownership of both your current reality
and the reality you'd like to create for yourself. Acknowledge your
past and how your decisions and actions have shaped it. Assume the
powerful mindset that you either create or allow everything that
happens to you (by your actions or in some cases, inaction). This
creates the ideal mental state for a breakthrough.5. Make it happen!
Completing steps 1-4 above has laid the necessary groundwork for
success. Now you're ready for action! What step can you take right now
to generate momentum in your area of focus? What actions are you
committed to taking in order to create this breakthrough? Write down
your action plan, with specific action items and completion dates.
Share your plan with a few trusted individuals to create
accountability.Enjoy the sweet taste of success as you push those
obstacles aside and achieve the breakthrough you previously only
dreamed of!