I have a friend who is a badass scientist (I mean a real badass).

What lights her up is when she is talking about her passion. If you listen to passionate people talk about what they love, it’s contagious and inspiring. Great conversations get that one pound piece of grey matter sitting on top of your head fired up with ideas. Then it hit me: Newton! No, not fig newtons you food freak, Newton the scientist.

Way back in 1686, Sir Isaac Newton developed three laws of motion. The first law is often referred to as the Law of Inertia. The law states that every object will remain at rest or continue in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force.

In other words, things stay the way they are unless something comes along to disrupt them. This law has the power to make us or break us. And it is at work in your restaurant (and life) all day, every day whether you are conscious of it or not.

When we kick a ball down the field, it heads in a specific direction until it is acted upon by a force greater than the force that is currently propelling it downfield. Like that ball, your restaurant is moving along a path that is taking you to a particular future intentionally or not. And it will continue along that path to its destination until you do something different. It’s not about what you want. It’s about what you are doing. Good intentions mean absofuckingultely nothing. It’s a law, and as such, it is objective and indifferent to your good intentions.

Looking at this year, it’ll be just like last year unless you exert a massively disruptive force to change your direction that is greater than the comfort zone you enjoy by continuing to do what you have always done producing the same damn results again and again. No extreme force, no extreme change. Your days and years just repeat over and over and over again. Just like a real-life version of Groundhog Day or what is known as a living hell.

If you’re not where you want to be, change your direction with massive action. Get on a new path. New actions will produce different results.

Here’s some good news: You can use another one of Newton’s laws to your advantage. Newton’s third Law of Motion, which states that “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This could also be referred to as cause and effect.

If, for example, you were were to jump off a tall building (the cause) the effect would be sudden stop when you hit the ground! Falling itself isn’t what kills you, it’s the second part of the equation the effect that does...the stop.

For every cause, there is an effect. Today is connected to tomorrow. Every action you take and everything you say is taking you somewhere. You just need to be sure you’re going exactly where you want to go; a path that is taking you to the person you want to become.

If you work harder than you did last year, then you will do better.

If you sacrifice now, then you are investing in our future.

If you take time to read, then you will grow.

If you improve your leadership, then people will follow you.

If you are courageous, then you will inspire.

If you are curious, then you will learn.

If you avoid the trappings of the ego, then you will stay connected with those you serve.

If you surround ourselves with the right people, then you will be enriched and will lift others up.

If you are authentic and humble, then you will build trust.

If you don't improve, then your circumstances won't improve either. You can’t tell yourself that it’s going to be alright if you are headed in the wrong direction. That’s just bullshitting yourself and we do it more than you think.

Now life will naturally push you off-course and takes you on tangents. Anything meaningful in life is produced by moving upstream. You must fight against the current of mediocrity. When you find yourself where you don’t want to be, you must acknowledge the fact that you have drifted (oh, and we all do); you have gone with the path of least resistance. You’ll need to make some course corrections...like now.

Believe me that we must make course corrections from time to time. 

Of course, this implies getting uncomfortable. It’s helpful to have a mentor, a coach, or a program that will keep us accountable, because we tend to say, “I worked hard today.” (when if fact) we’ve barely touched our potential.

As we look at our life, we all have directions that need to be changed. It helps to begin this process by asking ourselves questions and giving serious (and honest thought) to the answers.

The big coaching questions I like to ask are:

• What worked for me last year and what didn’t?
• What habits are holding me back?
• What three things do I want to accomplish by 2021?
• What is that one thing I need to accomplish this year—your BAG—those Big Audacious Goals?
• What does an outstanding day look like?
• What routines keep me on track?
• Why do I do what I do?
• And most importantly, what am I grateful for?

If you can’t answer these basic questions then you are not focusing on the right things!

Now if you did, congratulations because you are in the 2% that actually takes action! Now it’s time to drill down even more into specific areas of your life:

• Do I make time to study and feed my brain good stuff?
• What habits are draining my time and attention?
• What activities recharge me?
• Am I taking time to relax and grow in other areas of interest?
• Am I getting quality sleep?
• Am I eating healthy and avoiding processed crap foods?
• What do I need to change in my diet?
• Am I exercising regularly?
• Am I drinking enough water?
• Is my morning and evening routine setting me up for my best day?
• What weaknesses do I need to minimize?
• Am I where I would like to be in my work or career?
• How can I increase the value I bring to others?
• What relationships are building me up?
• Are any relationships taking me off-track?
• Any relationships sucking the life out of me?
• Who do I take for granted?
• Do I support those around me?
• Do I support and encourage others?
• Do I focus on building others up?
• Do I make time for others?
• Where do I need to grow?
• What strengths do I need to improve on?
• What do I need to learn?
• What books do I need to read?
• What seminars do I need to attend?
• What can I learn from the mistakes I made in the past?

The key to moving forward is taking the first step forward.

Every destination needs a M.A.P. or what I like to think of as a Massive Action Plan! You need to know where you are and exactly where you want to go. Then you plot a course of action to get there. You cannot drive from LA to New York City in one day. You must make strategic stops along the way to hit your end goal.

What is the first thing you need to do to get you moving in the right direction? As you begin, focus on the actions required and not the end result. A small step is easier than a leap. Once the first step is made, it is easier to continue down the right path to your desired destination.

To help my clients maximize their potential I have created a signature coaching M.A.P. that will get you from Mediocrity to the Summit of Outstanding!

The first step is to admit where you are in your journey. Many start off in the land of average or what I refer to as The Valley of Mediocrity. Here you are pretty much surviving. Sales are up and down and so is your cash flow. The staff manages you more than you manage them. You are living a life of stress and overwhelm.

The most effective way to move out of the valley is to surround yourself with people that have a desire to succeed and are on a similar path. The Restaurant Coach™️ Nation is the first stop. Here is a group of Industry Brothers and Sisters who are committed to getting the restaurant and life they desire. You see there are others out there who want it all and this Private Facebook Group allows us to inspire and help each other. TRC Nation even has a FREE 8-week Mentor Program designed to help you get results and take that first big step to a better life.

If you are not a member yet, then click the button below to sign up. It’s FREE, all you need to do is answer a couple of questions before getting access to the private group.

If you are not accepted, most likely it’s because you didn’t answer the questions. You see, that was test number one. We want to have only people dedicated to following directions and committed to becoming better inside TRC Nation.

APPLY NOW FOR TRC NATION