Have you ever met a person that has clearly demonstrated that you are not living up to your full potential? This happened to me when I met Jeff Griffin in Tallinn a few weeks ago.
As an ordinary man living life from a wheelchair, Jeff has accomplished some extraordinary things. He played in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, and is a silver medalist for the USA men’s wheelchair basketball team. Griff is a national champion who played for the Utah Wheelin’ Jazz and is a four-time All-Star MVP. He was the number one men’s wheelchair tennis player in the state of Utah, won the St. George Marathon, has two entries in. the Guinness Book of World Records, and is the author of the award-winning book I’Mpossible: Desire. Dream. Do. Having achieved all of this, Jeff firmly believes that everyone has the potential to achieve the impossible with the right approach and proper steps.
When I got to spend time with him, Jeff shared a few golden nuggets about success and how to get from impossible to I’Mpossible.
For Jeff, success is a three letter word: KFC
Know what you want
Finish what you start
Celebrate the process
Besides following these rules, Jeff shared 3 reasons why you are not where you want to be:
1. You don’t invest in yourself
No matter where you are right now, if you want to get further, you have to invest in your most valuable asset — yourself. Many great mentors advise to invest 10% of your income in personal development. Investment, however, doesn’t have to be money. Even more important is to invest time. Time to read a book, watch an insightful video, talk to a mentor or start this project that has been in your head for weeks.
Make sure to block some time every week, where you deliberately work on your personal growth.
2. You don’t focus on simplicity
Every 1000 mile journey starts with the first step.
Setting crazy, hairy and audatious goals is great, it can however be also intimidating and preventing you from shifting from planning to taking action. So start simple. What is the smallest, easiest action you can take today, right now, that will bring you closer to the realization of your goal? Don’t just write it down and plan, go take action and do it.
3. You don’t understand the 3 Ds
Besides the acronym KFC, Jeff emphasizes the importance of the 3 Ds:
Desire, Dream, Do
Desire is a thought with a long shelf-life. It’s not something you want now, or today. True desire is persistent and compelling—it occupies your thoughts, driving you to invest time and effort in achieving it. It is what you think about all the time, willing to put in time and work to reach it. Here, the most important thing to remember is: If you desire something big, you have to think BIG.
Dreams are created when thoughts are combined with emotions. How do you feel when you think about your desires? Imagine yourself already being the kind of person you desire to be, as vividly as possible. The stronger the emotions you attach to your dream, the more you will be motivated to pursue it.
Do. Taking action is the most crucial step. Empower your desires and dreams to create epic sh*t. Dare to be different and courageous in your approach. Remember, “Different isn’t always better, but better is always different.”
Jeff’s inspiring story taught me that the impossible is achievable through self-awareness, perseverance, and the pursuit of meaningful dreams. Embrace the power of the three Ds—Desire, Dream, and Do—and unlock your potential to turn the seemingly impossible into a tangible reality. Remember, your journey starts with a single step, so take that step today and see where it leads you tomorrow. Hopefully, these insights made it clearer to you what aspects are holding you back to unleash your full potential. As you start DOing something about it now, let me end with with 3 questions that will help you get clearer about your path:
- What is your greatest challenge keeping you from the type of person you want to become?
- What are the tools and skills you need, that will help you with your dream?
- How does the role you play fit in all of this?
