Long before Garrett became my co-author for Portal to Genius, I had burned out on my business and just wanted to focus on my family.

I told my husband, “Garrett’s still passionate about this, and the work he’s done takes our message to a whole new level. He’s also got the energy for the media appearances. I don’t care about getting recognition — what if we just put his name on The Jackrabbit Factor and let HIM take it from here?”

But after the three of us talked it through, what happened next was the LAST thing I expected…

Here’s the whole story:

(If you didn’t already know, Portal to Genius is the sequel to The Jackrabbit Factor.)

After releasing Jackrabbit in 2005, I learned so much that if I had to write it all over again, I’d make a few changes — not because it was wrong, but because my understanding of the laws of success and principles of prosperity had deepened and evolved.

What I’ve come to know leaves me 100% certain of this: I will never learn everything in this lifetime. Just when I think I’ve got it figured out, another layer reveals itself.

How exciting is that??

Nothing brings me more joy than learning, growing, living, and loving more completely — and each challenge reminds me how far I still have to go. That’s good news… it means life never has to be dull. What an adventure this is!

So, near the end of 2008, Trevan (my husband) and I met with Garrett while he was in town. I was overwhelmed, juggling business and our seven kids, feeling like I had taken on too much. Garrett’s business had become, in many ways, a “Jackrabbit Factor 202” — next-level training for people ready to go deeper.

Torn between two passions — one to share these principles far and wide, the other to shut the world out and just clean a toilet, read to my preschooler, try a new recipe, or finally organize our family photos — I longed for a way to do both.

A bit of trivia: When Bob Proctor mentored us in 2006, he said bluntly, “Leslie, you’re conflicted. There’s conflict all over these goals of yours.”

I answered, “I know, I know!” but honestly didn’t know how to resolve it.

To cope, I ran in one direction until I had to pivot back to the other. Back and forth, back and forth… but still, progress.

Then Sharon Lechter (co-author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and a guest on one of my tele-classes) offered me a huge shift in perspective. She said something like, “Balance is bunk.” Her point? If you’re perfectly balanced on both feet, you can’t move forward. You have to shift your weight back and forth to walk the path. That visual stuck with me.

So back to Garrett. During that visit, I was clearly in a “swing away from business” phase. As much as I loved the work, I needed to refocus on my family.

I was almost ready to say, “Garrett, you’ve got the fire and the team — what if we just put your name on Jackrabbit Factor and let you carry it forward?”

But instead, something else emerged.

Both Trevan and Garrett felt it was time for a sequel. I wasn’t sure I was ready. I mean, I figured maybe I’d write another book after my two-year-old started college.

Still… somehow, I agreed. (Don’t ask me how.) We decided to team up and co-create it. Garrett knew I was overextended, so he offered his team, his cabin, and — most importantly — his insights. His counsel shaped the entire project.

We wove what we were learning from Garrett into the new story. He helped me understand how these principles apply in the corporate world, and we both agreed: success really takes off when your goals align with your soul’s purpose — your gifts, your talents, your unique contribution.

I set a goal to finish the manuscript before January 1, 2009 — just under two months away. I didn’t want another two-year process like the first book. So I carved out a couple weeks in December, holed up at my mom’s house, and gave it everything I had.

I believed — and still do — that when you’re in the flow, ideas can come quickly. That was the plan.

But… January 1st came and went. I hit a major wall. With The Jackrabbit Factor, I knew the ending before I even began. This time, I had no clue how the story would unfold. I just started writing, hoping it would reveal itself.

Sometimes, goal achievement is like that. You start with an idea — or maybe just a feeling — and move forward with faith that the path will appear.

When I got stuck, Garrett often had clarity on what should happen next. And sometimes he got stuck and I was the one with the insight.

The story came together — not how I expected, but exactly how it needed to.

And then, in a quiet moment, I got a very clear impression: You can’t write the ending of this story because you haven’t lived it yet.

It caught me off guard… but it made sense. So I put the book aside. And I lived.

The rest of the story? We waited 10 years to tell it.

Watch the video here:

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•   To discover how to start choosing more effectively now, read The Jackrabbit Factor (FREE!)  
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