Reignite & Realign: From Comfort Zone to Purposeful Calling

Photo by Johnny Thorpe on Unsplash

I have a confession to make… I haven’t been living up to my full potential. Over the last couple of months, I’ve been drifting to a place of comfort, and it’s left me feeling stressed out and anxious. There was a fire that was lit under my butt when I found out I was going to be a dad, but it’s been a struggle to keep that flame burning. Maybe you can relate. Maybe there was something in your life too that sparked a desire for more, but now you’re left wondering where it all went… Well, no more drifting. It’s time to reignite the flame.

The Wake-Up Call

It was about two weeks ago.

I was playing Skyrim in my office and half-listening to YouTube videos in the background. I couldn’t tell you the first video that was playing—it was pure background noise. But the second one definitely made me perk up. It was a video by Natalie Dawson explaining how to become financially free and start living the life you want. Her message hit me with three key points:

  1. Think Big – make big moves and aim for big results
  2. Think Bold – envision the version of you who can actually do it
  3. Work Your Ass Off – no explanation needed. It speaks for itself.

While money isn’t my main motivator, the way she expanded on designing the $100M version of herself really stuck with me. That’s when it hit me. I had done something similar years ago but never kept up with it. I needed to reconnect with Jon 2.0.

Lighting the Spark

I first heard about the “2.0 You” concept from people like Clark Kegley and Bedros Keuilian. This is the ideal version of yourself—the person who does what you dream of doing and lives your bucket list on a daily basis. It had been years since I’d done this exercise. I needed to not just reconnect with Jon 2.0 but completely reinvent him. Looking back, I did accomplish several things from that first version:

  • Finding a career I’m good at.
  • Getting married.
  • Having a kid.

But there were things I didn’t do:

  • Travel the world for a year.
  • Own a Mitsubishi Lancer MK VI.
  • Own a Savannah Cat (the wife was definitely not going for this one)

Admittedly, some things in that first version were just wishful thinking. This new 2.0 version needed to be rooted in more than just things and experiences. He needed to be grounded in values and mission.

Step 1: Get Real With Yourself

I first had to have a “Come to Jesus” moment and get honest about my life so far. While I was doing some things right, I knew I was leaving a lot of potential on the table. I was:

  • Unmotivated and putting off my studying and lessons.
  • Doing a “good” job at work (but not a great one).
  • Excessively gaming.
  • Not working out.
  • Just doing an “okay” job overall.

This step is all about taking stock of the habits, actions, and internal scripts that are holding you back. What are those things you’re doing that you know aren’t serving you? What are the thoughts? Who are the people?

After getting clear on where I’m at now, it was time to get clear on who I could be.

Step 2: Design The 2.0 You

Like I said before, the old Jon 2.0 was outdated. He needed a new OS, CPU, and GPU. The old version did serve me well, but it was time to think bigger and deeper about who Jon 2.0 truly is. I needed to answer questions like:

  • What are his daily habits?
  • What does he do for work and how does he approach it?
  • How are his relationships with others?
  • What are his core values?
  • What does he stand for?

Understanding who that man is and writing it down helped me chart the direction I want to take my life. This isn’t just daydreaming—it’s strategic life design with purpose at the center.

Step 3: Mind the Gap

When you’re traveling, you need to know three things:

  1. Where are you now?
  2. Where are you going?
  3. How are you going to get there?

The “how” is the gap between who you are now and who you want to be. During my assessment, I needed to take honest stock of the qualities I already possess and the ones I’m lacking.

A great example is how I want to excel as a Solutions Architect/Sales Engineer (my title goes by many names). My technical knowledge is strong when it comes to understanding how different systems communicate. But based on my goal to become the best, I need to improve my salesmanship. I need to transform how I have conversations with execs and technical leaders—be a consultant and less of a waiter.

For you, this gap analysis might look totally different. The key is identifying what stands between your current self and your 2.0 version in each area of your life.

Step 4: Give it to God

This is probably the most difficult step for me.

I believe in Jesus and the power of prayer. I’m also a recovering control-freak and min-maxer (some like to call this over-optimizing).

This last part is all about taking your best-laid plans and giving them to God. I strongly believe that God has a purpose for everyone’s life, and if you’re willing to surrender to Him, He’ll take you where He needs you to go. Admittedly, some of the things you wrote down for your 2.0 self may not fully align with God’s will. But He’ll make a way for the things that do.

You’ve just got to be willing to let go, and let God.

The Journey Continues

This isn’t a one-and-done process. Reigniting and realigning is something we need to do periodically as we grow and our circumstances change. For me, creating Jon 2.0 has been about moving from comfort to calling—from doing what’s easy to doing what matters. And while I don’t have it all figured out yet, I’m committed to the journey.

What about you? Are you ready to reignite your flame and design your 2.0 self?

Until next time.