What do you want to get better at?
It doesn’t have to be innovative.
Just iterative.
Introduce something little.
Stop doing one thing.
Start small.
Start slow.
Take one step.
Then another.
If it doesn’t work, step in another direction.
Improve gradually.
But constantly.
Do it a little better than yesterday.
Keep growing.
Self-iterate to self-improve.
“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” – Stephen R. Covey
The hunch was right.
Your instincts were dead-on.
Going with your gut worked out.
Your perception was accurate.
That little inkling proved to be correct.
A sixth sense that avoided the situation.
Sometimes … you just know.
Listen to the inner voice, rather than the inner critic.
“The only real valuable thing is intuition.” – Albert Einstein
“Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.” – Oprah Winfrey
Less hate.
More joy.
Less naughty.
More nice.
Less taking.
More giving.
Less offense.
More forgiveness.
Less screens.
More people.
Less talking.
More listening.
Less sadness.
More laughter.
Less judgment.
More acceptance.
Less being connected.
More connecting.
Less about yourself.
More about others.
When …?
All year round really!
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – Charles Dickens
The more directions you are pulled in.
The less distance you will cover.
The more you try to do.
The less you will accomplish.
The more areas of interest you have.
The less focused you will be.
The more you pour into a full glass.
The less you will retain.
The more your attention is divided.
The less you will take in.
The more priorities you have.
The less you can prioritise.
Doing less can achieve more.
“Believe it or not, it is not only possible to accomplish more by doing less, it is mandatory. Enter the world of elimination.” – Tim Ferriss
“Less ego, more excellence. Less talk, more do. Less gossip, more guts. Less busy, more productive. Less hate, more love.” – Robin Sharma
They won’t necessarily remember how you started.
They may remember some of the middle.
They will certainly remember how you finished.
It’s not over yet.
Give it everything.
Finish it strong.
The year.
The game.
The presentation.
The race.
The speech.
The assignment.
The performance.
The task.
The production.
The report.
The contract.
The event.
The project.
The quarter (business … or sport … or both).
Finish like you mean it!
“It’s not where you start but where you finish that counts.” – Zig Ziglar
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – C.S. Lewis
I know what to do.
I know I should do it.
I won’t.
Resistance.
I see the need to do it.
I cannot see why I need to do it.
I don’t.
Denial.
I believe I’m doing it.
I do not realise I’m not.
I can’t.
Self-delusion.
“After living with their dysfunctional behavior for so many years, people become invested in defending their dysfunctions rather than changing them.” – Marshall Goldsmith
“Anybody can change, but they have to want to change.” – Marshall Goldsmith
Triggered by reading “Triggers: Sparking positive change and making it last” by Marshall Goldsmith.
Progress is slower than anticipated.
The implementation is not fast enough.
The new business is not growing as planned.
The weight is not dropping quick enough.
The culture change is sluggish.
The business is taking time to turn around.
The recovery is slowing.
Still …
Progress has been continual.
There is forward movement.
Always advancement.
Constantly making headway.
It has not stalled.
Which is better than no progress at all.
“We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a month.” – Tim Ferriss
“Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.” – Plato
You’ve nursed them.
Nurtured them.
Provided for them.
Guided and advised.
Protected and prepared.
Now they are ready to make their own way in the world.
Ready, set, let go.
A friend and mentor once shared some wisdom with me, “we only have them for a short time”.
Now I understand.
“Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” – C.S. Lewis
“The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.” – Denis Waitley
The direction is not clear.
There is not enough information.
Not enough time.
Too many unknowns.
Too much uncertainty.
Embrace the ambiguity.
It opens up options.
Enables calculated risks.
Encourages exploration.
Exposes potential opportunities.
Then it’s time for action.
To pick a direction and move.
Movement in the wrong direction even.
Then pick again.
It is now less ambiguous.
Ambiguity cannot remain where there is action and movement.
“As you start to walk out of the way, the way appears.” – Rumi
You bring an energy.
Energy you bring to the workplace.
To a room.
To a task.
To your conversations.
So what kind of energy is it?
We all recognise negative energy.
That person who shows for the meeting but is forever on their phone.
Someone looking at you when you speak, though they are miles away.
The heavy feeling as you walk into a room.
A short or sharp retort.
Positive energy is contagious.
It lifts and boosts those around you.
It engages, influences and inspires.
So, think back to yesterday.
What kind of energy were you conveying?
Is it the kind of energy you want to bring to the world?
“It’s the energy you expend, not the time you spend.” – Tony Schwartz
“Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.” – Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor