I am sitting in the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Newark. Earphones in. I put on music as I get in state to process the experiences and lessons from the past 6 days.
The song that starts to play is Something New, by Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso.
I see the dawn of a new beginning. This time, this time we can’t go home.
It reminds me of something that Chuck Hogan, one of the Senior Trainers who led the Event Crew for Tony Robbins’ Unleash The Power Within, said at our first meeting:
After the event, we don’t go back home; we go forward home.
Language is so crucial. The distinction resonated with me, perhaps because I’m currently home-free.
I literally don’t have a home to go back to.
At every event I attend — whether it’s an industry conference or a transformational experience like Unleash the Power Within — I see the same trend:
Participants run out, racing to “get back” to what they left behind.
Work. Projects. To-Do List. Email.
It makes no sense to me.
In theory, you go to a seminar, conference or other event because you want to move forward in some area in your life.
So why are you in such a rush to “get back” to the life you left behind?
If you’re in such a rush to get back, why did you come in the first place?
This brings me back to why I’m sitting in this hotel lobby. I always allow myself at least one day after an event to reflect, process my thoughts and journal.
It may seem indulgent to allow an extra day to journal and reflect. But I consider this to be a part of the event itself. Here are two reasons to do this:
Reflection Creates Success
I’ve seen that this is the difference between those who integrate the lessons and move forward and those who don’t, and who return to the same event to learn the same lessons again.
Whether it’s after a conference, an event, or even a meeting or phone call, successful people create space to harvest the lessons and wisdom before moving forward.
This is part of the process of constant and never-ending improvement that leads to mastery.
Otherwise everything you learned is just information.
Environment is More Potent Than Willpower
Another reason this is so crucial is that old habits are hard to break. Environment is more potent than willpower.
The shifts you make over a weekend event require consistent and constant conditioning to maintain. You’ve discovered a muscle you haven’t used in a long time, if ever. It’s not immediately strong enough to fight off the forces that are pulling on it “back home.”
Here’s the thing: if you step into the life that you had before without a deliberate intention of how you’re going to show up differently, you increase your risk of getting pulled back into what you were trying to leave behind.
You may have changed over the weekend, but your life circumstances at home are the same. The same triggers are there. How will you respond to them differently?
If you don’t plan for that, you’ll quickly find yourself back in old habits.
Make Your Investment Pay Off
Given the amount of money and time that you’ve already invested in attending a conference or event, doesn’t it make sense to invest a little more to harvest the wisdom and set an intention for how you will respond to the triggers in your life?
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