The Power of Words
Starting Each Day With A Little Thinking...Doubt
You can learn a ton from kids. “I’m going to be President when I grow up”, “I’m going to be an astronaut”, “I’m going to win the Masters”, “I’m going to own my own island”, “I’m going to do an Ironman”, and the list goes on and on and on….
Somewhere along the line, all too many of us transition to the “There’s no way that I could do that” mentality. To a mentality that is dominated by doubt. That’s too bad. Because that ability to dream coupled with a good dose of determination is a powerful combination that has the potential to make both the world, and our lives a better place.
With that in mind:
Why would you ever doubt your ability to do something?
As always, thanks for the time.
(Credit to Sandra Ford Walston for motivating this post)
Neglect
The Spanish have their siesta, kids like to talk about “chilling”, and Steven Covey talks about the concept of “sharpening the saw”. All three address the same issue: taking a little bit of time to focus on renewing yourself. Failure to do so is where neglect comes in to play.
Covey’s probably got the best framework to address this topic. He focuses on two dimensions: urgency and importance. Together they make up a coding system for all of our activities:
- High urgency + high importance – The fires you face on a daily basis
- High urgency + low importance – The illusion of achievement / the doing to be doing something where it really doesn’t matter
- Low urgency + low importance – The why are you even considering this tasks
- Low urgency + high importance – The tasks that will build the foundation to success
The low urgency + high importance is what Covey refers to as “quadrant 2”. His hypothesis — which I have tested and verified! — is that if you focus on the quadrant 2 tasks/activities you will get more done in an easier manner. Unfortunately, most individuals neglect to heed Covey’s guidance; and, accordingly, are caught in a viscous cycle of daily fire fighting. You can not break this cycle until you step back, prioritize what’s important, and spend the time working on those key items that will allow you to reach your long term goals.
With that in mind:
As you look at today’s tasks, will you choose fire fighting or focus on sharpening the saw?
As always, thanks for the time.
(Credit to Sandra Ford Walston for motivating this post)
Defeat
While I’m not a huge sci-fi fan, I think Yoda summed up this topic pretty well: “Do or do not. There is no try”. The key is in the second sentence: “There is no try”. If we say “I’ll try”, what we are really saying is I do not believe I can. We are giving ourselves an out: “I didn’t say I’d do it, just that I’d try”. In all likelihood, by uttering “I’ll try” you’ve just committed to defeat. Ugly.
Yoda’s guidance in the first sentence — do of do not — outlines the key to overcoming defeat. To achieve success and overcome defeat, you must first make a commitment to the task at hand. You will either “do it” or “not”. Don’t waste your time “trying” as going after the task at hand with this attitude starts you on the wrong path. Committing to “doing it” sets you on the path to success. Your brain’s aligned with your actions and good things are likely going to happen. It’s a powerful concept that can motivate billions. If you doubt this see how Nike’s sales have done since they adopted their “Just Do It” tag line.
Now I’m not naïve enough to believe that simply committing to a task at hand will ensure your success. However, I do truly believe that without commitment you are in all likelihood not going to achieve what you intend. That’s why I’m in agreement with the little green guy: either make a commitment to accomplish the task or put it aside — don’t waste your time trying.
With that in mind:
What will you do today?
As always, thanks for the time.
(Credit to Sandra Ford Walston for motivating this post)
Invisibility
No we’re not talking about ghosts. Well, we’re kind of talking about ghosts…
How many times have you seen something new and thought, “Man I thought of that!”? You then spend the next few minutes lamenting all of the lost riches that could have been yours and promising “The next time I come up with an idea for something, I’m going to act on it!”. And six months later you repeat the process.
What’s this have to do with invisibility? Everything. Today you will be faced with thousands of choices and situations. Each time, you’ll choose how to act or respond. In most cases, the “do nothing” alternative will be your choice. You’ll be invisible in the situation. And guess what? If that something involves the opportunity to influence someone/something, your “invisibility” will have just hurt two people. First, you. If you don’t take the action when you know it’s right, the disconnect internally is going to tear you up just a little bit more. Second, the other party. You just lost out on the opportunity to share something that could have helped them.
Notice that in the above scenario, it’s all about doing what is right for you and the other party. A win-win situation. No where did I mention the opportunity to earn dollars from the interaction. However, the reality is, by losing your invisibility, you’re likely to find more financial freedom.
With that in mind:
Are you going to act like a ghost and remain invisible or are you going to let your true form show through?
As always, thanks for the time.
(Credit to Sandra Ford Walston for motivating this post)
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