Why YOU Should Become a Control Freak

Why YOU Should Become a Control Freak - [The Freedom Through Control Series]

9/4/2017

By William Ballard

I was inspired to write this series after reading the 11th chapter of Grant Cardone's latest book, "Be Obsessed or Be Average," (AFF) which was a relatively short chapter, but still well-worth reading.

"The only people who don't like control are those who don't have control or who have misused it in the past." - Grant Cardone

Look, let's be real... Most people view being a control freak as a negative thing, but the truth of the matter is: The real negative is being out of control. I'm sure you can agree with that point, at least to a certain degree, right?

I mean, what you don't want is to be out-of-control. Why is that? Well, because being out-of-control will always lead to chaos and destruction. You see, a lot of people seem to have this belief that if there was no government, or no set of rules or laws to live by, that that's what they would consider to be true freedom.

But, of course, you and I know different. We know that without these particular parameters in place, what will actually come of it is an increase in violence, a rise in savage behavior, which will ultimately lead to a setting up of vigilante type groups.

Now, understand this: These vigilante groups are nothing more than out-of-control individuals trying to create something they know nothing about -- control and true freedom.

You see, most people operate from a false paradigm or a type of faulty programming. In other words, to be out-of-control and in complete chaos is not freedom at all, but actually a type of bondage.

To Love is To Be IN Control; To Hate is To Be OUT of Control

Actually, let me give that last point to you another way... You see, in the religious/spiritual world I hear a lot of people say that they don't want to go to church or be a Christian because they don't want to have to live by a "set of rules." The truth of the matter is: These types of people have a misconception or a misunderstanding of what going to church and being a Christian is really all about.

In fact, it was Paul who said in Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." In other words, it was the Spirit in Christ Jesus that made Paul free from the bondage of sin and death -- not a "set of rules." And it is through the love of God that brought life and freedom into the world (John 3:16).

Now, let me go at this point from a different angle. It was Jesus who said in John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Notice that love comes before "keeping the commandments."

You see, the ones that say the reason why they don't want to go to church and/or be a Christian is because they don't want to live by a set of rules are the ones that are actually going out of "order" (or out of control) of what Jesus said to do. They are trying to keep the commandments without the love factor being in place first -- this is similar to those vigilante groups I talked about earlier.

Think of it like this: When it comes to a marriage or being in an intimate relationship with someone, would you continue to act out or do certain behaviors that displease or would make your spouse or significant other unhappy?

Well, if you truly love that person, I would like to think and believe that you would want to do anything in your power to please that person and make them as happy as possible, instead of as miserable as possible.

I mean, isn't that what love would compel you to do? Or would you view that has having to live by a "set of rules" as well?

Look, understand this: To love is to be in control (and to ultimately experience freedom and abundant life), but to hate is to be out of control, it is to be a slave in bondage.

I know that this is going to be a difficult article (and series, for that matter) to read and accept, and I know that it is going to mess with your thinking a little. And that's because I know it goes against everything we've been taught or programmed to think when it comes to the subject of control and being a control freak, but once you get through this series you'll know exactly what control really is, and why you need to start developing a "control freak" mindset in your business and life -- starting today!

Having Control is Better Than Having a Leadership Title

"I don't care about the title; I just care about whether I have the power to determine, predict, and influence outcomes." - Grant Cardone

In Grant's book, Be Obsessed or Be Average (AFF), he went on to talk about how he is constantly being asked about his leadership style. However, he was very transparent about his feelings towards this whole leadership topic.

You see, we all know that leadership is a big subject in the business world. Just the sound of it seems to be more inspiring and uplifting, don't you think? Well, you may not want to believe this, and to some extent, it may be like splitting hairs; but the truth is: When things go wrong, what are you more interested in -- being in some leadership role or position -- or being able to control a crisis situation and come out looking like a hero?

Again, I know this may come close to splitting hairs, but I'm sure you and I both can agree that in today's workforce, not everyone who is in a leadership position really possesses the ability to control a certain situation when something goes wrong. In fact, this usually becomes the areas where they extract rather than expand -- react rather than respond.

You see, leadership must go beyond just having a charismatic personality; being able to control a situation when something goes wrong depends heavily on competence.

In other words, having a handful of people like you doesn't really mean a hill of beans if you are not able to quickly assess a crisis situation and control its outcome before gets out of hand.

Look, it is time that you fall in love with being IN control and use it to improve your current situation and finally be able to make your dream a reality. The ones that are not able to live out their dreams are the ones living out-of-control. You must understand that things do not happen to you, they happen because of you.

Be willing to be a control freak, and never mind the haters and naysayers. The haters are going to hate, but we've already covered their motivations.

The Out-of-Control Mindset and How Destructive it Can Be

Look, being a control freak and being IN control isn't a bad thing. The truth is: Out-of-control people are the ones that have given control a bad name. Always remember, the very thing people criticize about are they very things they have given up on.

Let me put it to you like this: People that complain and criticize those that have a control freak mindset are the ones that refuse to take control of their lives and circumstances. And, in so doing, would rather complain about their circumstances and blame outside influences such as the economy, politicians, the boss at work, and so on.

These are the types of people that have misused control in the past, and now refuse to take control because they don't trust themselves to use that power for the good of themselves and others. You see, it is those that are out-of-control that refuse to lead and be responsible for controlling their situation or circumstance.

Look, if you refuse to take control of your life, guess what... Someone else will assume the responsibility. And you can trust me when I say: They won't have your best interest at heart.

Every day that the good Lord gives us is another opportunity to start fresh and and anew. Another day to take the responsibility (control) of our lives and circumstances.

Rule The Morning, Don't Let The Morning Rule You

Let me put it to you like this: Those that always struggle to get up in the morning are living with an out-of-control mindset.

You see, every day I try to beat the sun up because I want to be in-control of my day. In fact, those that hate their job and are always, either arriving right on time or always late, are the ones that are out-of-control. The ones that are IN control are the ones that arrive early and are enthusiastic about what the day has to bring.

Control Your Physical Health & Live a Long Life, Or Don't and Reap The Risk

I made the investment in a personal trainer and workout with her twice a week (not to mention my personal workouts that I do at home, alone). I made that investment because I want to be IN control of my body.

You see, I actually had a conversation with my personal trainer not too long about why people continue to do things that they know are unhealthy for them. I mentioned to her how it is has always been easy for me to give up things, that I know are bad for me.

You see, I could always tell myself, "Well, I am not doing that anymore." In fact, it was NF who said, "Everyone wants change, but no one wants to change though."

In other words, everyone wants to have a different outcome or situation in life, but no one wants to make the life changes necessary to achieve that objective. They want to keep doing what they've always done, but experience a different outcome -- it just doesn't work that way.

Get Control Your Professional Life So You Can Experience Freedom In Your Personal Life

At work, I always exceed targets and deadlines because I want to be IN control of my work life. In fact, to be a professional service provider in high demand is to be a professional service provider that exudes control.

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Look, if you are a manager or boss and you are continually experiencing employees that are constantly late more than two times a week, and you haven't exuded the authority that comes with your position; and you're wondering why you are having such low performance ratings...

The problem is because you have been working as a leader who is out-of-control. You see, your performance issues will change once you change and take responsibility (control) for the office culture and work ethic within your workplace.

Look, when it all comes down to it, being a control freak is not the bad thing here -- being out of control or having no control at all is the real issue. Society wants to complain and criticize those that are in control because they want to take the camera off themselves and to put it on others. This is an out-of-control reaction rather than a in-control response.

Trust me, if you come across people that struggle with this idea that I am sharing with you here, you don't want them around you -- and if you already have these types of people around you, then do everything you can to get them out of your life as quickly as possible. And if you are one of these people, then I challenge you to do some serious soul searching, and decide to make a change today.

Look, those who resist control are those who have something to hide. And those that speak badly about those that are in control are usually low performers and often times are surrounded by people operating below their God-given potential. Don't be that person! So many people don't think enough of themselves (have low self-worth) to believe that they can control their situation and actually live an abundant life -- full of joy and passion.

Personally, I refuse to be that person because I am obsessed with being IN control of my life and not allowing someone else to take over. God gave me this life, why would I not want to take care of it? Why would I not want to be a good steward of the life He gave me? If that means you call me a control freak, than so be it. From ensuring my personal safety to wisely managing my personal finances, I want control!

Don't Wait For Someone To GIVE You Control; Just TAKE It

"I don't need to be the smartest person in the room -- I don't even need to be right -- but I do need to control." -- Grant Cardone

It has been said that it is always better to give than receive -- and even though that may be true in some cases -- the fact of the matter is: You should never wait for someone to give you control, you should just take it whenever you see an out-of-control situation present itself.

Look, you don't have to be given responsibility or promoted to some position of leadership to exert control. Believe it or not, in most cases I have never been "given" control, I have just taken it. You see, I take possession of control because I trust myself to be able to get the job done. It's not a matter of anyone giving me permission to take control. You see, as the trust I have in myself and my own abilities and competency level rises, the more those that are in leadership positions are able to trust in my abilities as well.

Look, don't make the same mistake that many people do when equating intelligence (or being smart) with leadership and being in control. It's not about being smart or even about being right. In fact, in Be Obsessed or Be Average (AFF), Grant says, "If someone is right but doesn't have control, they will ultimately be unable to prove themselves right ... and will therefore be wrong!"

In other words, even if you are right and possess superior intelligence, but lack control, the lack of control overrides yours superior intelligence and how "right" you are, and ultimately makes you wrong in the long run.

To Control Your Results, Control The Process

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Look, as a business owner, if you are not obsessed with results then you are a business owner operating out-of-control. You see, it is one thing to establish a vision and mission statement for your business, it is something entirely different when you control the process (the journey) you take to get there.

If you are not constantly looking over the numbers, assessing your successes, keeping an eye on where your money is coming from (inflow) and where it is going (outflow), monitoring your employees performance and their behavior with customers, then you are operating an organization that is out-of-control.

You might be asking... Well, shouldn't I be able to trust my employees? Shouldn't they be able to hold themselves accountable? Shouldn't the right systems be in place so I don't have to be so immersed in all these "tedious" areas of the business?

Look, I'll be honest with you. Yes, your employees should be trustworthy. And, yes, they should be able to hold themselves accountable. And, yes, systems are beneficial and should be able to keep your boat a float, but a boat still needs a captain. And, this might be difficult to accept, but shoulda, coulda, woulda, never did anything.

In fact, have you ever heard people say, "Well, he could have done this...." or "She should have done that..." or "I would have done this..." The funny thing about those statements is that out of each of them, neither he, she, or you did anything, or did what was expected to be done.

In other words, personally, I refuse to assume anything. You see, anyone who ends up assuming things always ends up regretting it later. No thanks! I can find better ways, faster ways, smarter ways to do business when I take responsibility (control) for myself, my company, my employees, and ultimately my life.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, by now you should be able to see how important it is to be in-control of every aspect of your life. You should be able to clearly define what it really means to be IN control as appose to OUT of control. And by now you should be ready to embrace the idea of being a control freak and start taking back responsibility for your life and current situation as well as for the life you desire and dream to experience in the future.

Next, we will be covering how to experience true financial freedom by first learning how to control our personal finances. Until then, make your way down to the comment section of this article and share your thoughts. Then I want you to do me a BIG favor and share this article with as many people as you can -- you'll be glad you did!

Digital Marketing Specialist - William Ballard

William Ballard is an entrepreneur, international best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, and direct-response marketing expert. He is a highly respected and sought after master copywriter whose passion is to help local churches (ministries) and entrepreneurs get more for their hard work regardless of economic climate. His books, audio packages, membership programs, and seminars provide readers, just like you, with the practical tools necessary to finally answer the call to ministry or to launch their very own businesses and help propel them towards their path to true financial freedom.

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