Every great journey begins with one crucial step: knowing where you are. In this episode of The BIGG Success Show, George and Mary-Lynn dive into Step 1 of the Life Map Course—Your Baseline.
They reveal why this “You Are Here” marker is the foundation that powers your goals, how to assess your personal, professional, and financial starting point, and the risks of skipping this essential step. You’ll also learn practical strategies—from self-assessment and outside feedback to journaling and SWOT analysis—that help you capture a clear picture of where you are today.
Be sure to download the podcast companion for this episode - a free one sheet with a few reflection questions to help you put today’s ideas into action. Click here to get it.
Thanks for listening!
Here's to your BIGG Success,
George & Mary-Lynn
BIGG Takeaways:
Your baseline is the crucial starting point for achieving your big success; knowing where you are is essential.
Understanding your current position allows for clearer goal-setting and prevents aimless wandering in life.
Gathering insights from trusted friends and mentors can help uncover strengths and blind spots in your self-assessment.
Regularly journaling your thoughts and progress transforms your baseline into a tangible reference for growth.
Setting realistic goals aligned with your true priorities prevents burnout from chasing unattainable dreams.
Utilizing a SWOT analysis can deepen your understanding of your current status and guide your success path.
BIGG Highlights:
[00:15] Understanding Your Baseline for Success
[00:58] Understanding Your Baseline
[01:59] Starting Your Journey: Self-Assessment in the Life Map Course
[03:09] Defining Your Baseline for Success
[03:56] Turning Self-Assessment into Future Vision
On this episode of the BIGG Success show, your baseline, the foundation that powers your goals.
BIGG Voice Guy:
BIGG Success with The Professor and Mary-Lynn.
George:
Picture this. You just got out of a concert. And what a concert it was. Now, here's the thing...One of your friends was at the show, too.
You want to meet up with them. What's the first thing you need to know to make that happen?
Mary-Lynn:
Well, you definitely need to know where you are.
George:
That's absolutely right, Mary-Lynn! That's called your baseline. It's Step 1 in our Life Map Course because the starting point of all BIGG success is knowing where you are.
Mary-Lynn:
Welcome to the BIGG Success Show, where we help you create the life you want. Hi, I'm Mary-Lynn.
George:
And I'm George, The Professor.
In our last episode, we introduced you to the Life Map Course, our 7-step system for building a clear, actionable plan for your personal, business, professional and financial lives.
Mary-Lynn:
And today, we're diving into Step 1: Your Baseline. This is where your Life Map begins, understanding exactly where you are right now. And why is that so important, Professor?
George:
Well, think about it Mary-Lynn, If you don't know your current location, you can't get accurate directions. Whether you're driving across the country or building the life you want,
you need a starting point. That's what your baseline is. It's sort of kind of like that 'You are here' little marker you see on the maps occasionally.
Mary-Lynn:
Ah, yes. And when you know where you are, when you know your baseline, you gain clarity. You see your strengths and weaknesses.
You can set realistic, meaningful goals instead of chasing a vague wish list. And that clarity gives you focus and momentum.
George:
It also helps you make better decisions.
When you understand your personal, professional and financial positions, you can prioritize what matters most, avoid distractions, and allocate your resources more wisely.
Mary-Lynn:
Step 1 in the Life Map Course is self-assessment. Take a good, honest look at your skills, resources, habits and mindset. Ask yourself: what's working for me right now? Where do I need to improve?
George:
And don't stop with your own perspective. Ask trusted friends, colleagues or mentors for feedback. Sometimes we're too close to ourselves to see our own strengths or blind spots.
Mary-Lynn:
Once you've gathered that insight, write it down. We recommend journaling. It makes your baseline tangible and gives you a reference point to measure your progress against.
George:
And if you want to go a little deeper, you can use a SWOT analysis looking at your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We cover this more inside the Life Map Course, but you can start today by jotting down a few thoughts in each category.
Mary-Lynn:
When you skip this step, you risk setting goals that aren't realistic or aligned with your true priorities. You can work really hard and end up nowhere near where you wanted to be.
George:
We've seen people, I'm talking good, smart, hard working people - they burn out because they chased goals that didn't fit their life. Knowing your baseline helps you avoid that frustration and stay on a path that actually works for you.
Mary-Lynn:
So now you know why your baseline is so important and is the foundation that powers your goals. And now you also have a few strategies to start defining yours.
George:
So start today. Take 10 minutes to jot down where you are right now in your personal, professional and financial lives.
This is your first building block towards BIGG success.
Mary-Lynn:
We also created a quick podcast companion for this episode. A simple one-sheet with a few reflection questions to help you put today's ideas into action.
Check the show notes for the link to get it. And make sure you're subscribed because next time we're going to cover Step 2 of the Life Map Course. We're going to take that Baseline that we talked about today and start shaping your Vision. Your North Star.
George:
It's where we start turning your self-assessment into an inspiring, concrete picture of your future.
Mary-Lynn:
Well, thank you so much for listening today and until next time...
