There is a little story about a big business idea that captured my attention called "The Go Giver" written by two amazing people called Bob Burg and John David Mann (you can connect with them and me on Twitter - @ellegb @bobburg and @johndavidmann if you're interested).

One of the premises of the book relates to the condition under which the "hero" of our story must abide by. The condition says (and I paraphrase) - he must put into practice the lesson he has learned on the SAME day he first hears about it - or he'll turn into a pumpkin (read the book you'll understand what I mean)...actually if he hasn't put into practice the lesson by the end of the day - the lessons will stop.

And that's when it hit me. We think we are doing OK, we think that by reading and going to courses we are getting on, we are getting ahead. Well yes and no. We may be buoyed up by the information, we make noises about how we're going to make changes to this, and this, and this. But we don't. A few days after reading the book or attending the course we've virtually forgotten we were going to do something.

Human nature says that unless there is a reason for implementing change, unless we have a condition imposed on us (the pumpkin test) few of us will make a difference to their current life plan.

Every time we read and don't put into action those thoughts and suggestions that resonate with us...we're failing the pumpkin test.

If you consider that every lesson is like a brick in a wall, each one laying the foundation for the next set of lessons, you can see how important it is to practice what we read.

Reading the books, going to classes and seminars - they are important - because that is where you will find the suggestions, the glimmer of something that will make a difference to you and your life plan. But you've failed the test if you don't implement.

So today's pumpkin test:

1. Did you read this post and dismiss the words as ramblings of someone who has probably lost the plot?

2. Did you read the message and recognize yourself?

3. Did you read the message and decide that next time you will do things differently? or

4. Did you read this and do something? (And hitting the delete button does not count).

Did you fail the pumpkin test?

With many thoughts
Elle

p.s. if you haven't got a copy of the go-giver - I got mine from Amazon

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Today's additional thought for the day - Do me a favor!

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