Jim Carrey was struggling.
It was 1985. Three years earlier he had made the trek from his home in Canada to Los Angeles. His career as a comedian was going nowhere. He was broke and depressed.
One night while sitting in his old Toyota looking out over the Hollywood Hills, he took out his checkbook and wrote himself a check for $10 million. For “acting services rendered,” he wrote on the memo line.
He dated the check 10 years in the future and began carrying it in his wallet.
In 1995, Jim was cast in the movie “Dumb and Dumber.” His pay for the movie?
$10 million.
So far this week we’ve looked at getting stuck in the victim loop. And, we’ve explored the benefits of operating from the accountability loop.
So, how do we make the move from victim to achiever?
We set a clear intention.
We ask the magic question: What is the desired outcome?
The more details, the better.
Accountability is taking action in service of our desired outcome, say Mark Samuel and Sophie Chiche in their terrific book, The Power of Personal Accountability.
Instead of focusing on “the problem,” we set a clear vision. Doing so changes our mindset and provides motivation.
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Reflection: Think of a challenging situation in the past where focusing on a clear desired outcome was a winning strategy.
Action: Write in my journal my vision for my life ten years from today.
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