Most of us are critics. We form opinions of professional athletes, politicians, company leaders, performers etc. We stand back and judge even though our own talent is so far from having similar success.
The reason is simple. It is easy to sit in the stands, watch and form opinions. Our opinions are often based on absolutes. We can say that we would have done better or we could say, “If that was me I would have done something different.”
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Most people get motivated and set goals based on the rewards they hope to obtain at the end. They see the benefits of accomplishing something and then set goals around those benefits.
They get an advanced degree to make more money from a higher position at their company. They go on a diet to be able to feel better about their body when it is bathing suite season. They save money so they can go on an expensive vacation.
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When I started using the systems and habits approach to improvement I noticed something. I noticed that I was finally starting to make progress towards my goals.
But that progress was at such a slow pace it would have been easy to disregard it. I was inching forward when in my mind my passion wanted me to be sprinting towards the reward at the end.
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Everyone has a routine for how we start our days. It could be that we wake up early, grab coffee and rush out the door. It could be that we have a list of things to do before we even head to work.
But I feel that the morning is a very important time in our lives. It sets the tone for the day. On days when I wake up with something on my mind at work, I tend to have a more difficult time getting going and staying positive throughout the day but when I wake up excited for something the morning routine seems to float by with me getting everything done and feeling optimistic about the day.
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Years ago I stumbled upon an article on Entrepreneur.com. I was in the middle of running a business and always looking for insight into how to improve.
The article talked about successful businesses. The author said that he had researched many businesses and the ones that were successful had one common element.
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It seems that every so often we hear about an extremely successful person who falls from grace. It could be that they were violent against others, that they tolerated unethical behavior from those around them, that they built a culture of corruption etc.
The news media pounces immediately and brings forward any information that catches the headlines. People form instant opinions on the situation based on their personal beliefs of the person.
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We all get complacent from time to time. We get to a comfortable point at work and slow down a bit. We might even slack a little and get bored with what we are doing.
This is normal and happens to everyone from time to time. It may signal a time to make a career change or simply point to a reason to take some time off to get a clearer picture of why you are doing what you are doing.
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What are you curious about? What situations seem strange or seem to hold answers you have never heard? Are you the type of person that always wants to know why?
Curiosity is a trait that many people feel is an annoyance. Ask too many questions to your boss and he or she might tell you to just get back to work. If a child asks too many simple questions that the parent doesn’t know how to respond the child will often get discouraged from even asking or thinking of those questions.
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I just finished reading Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss. In the book he interviews successful individuals and asks them a series of questions.
Some of the questions are specific to their area of success and some are just general questions or curiosities. One question that he asked many of the people on in the book made me think, “How would I answer that question?”
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When you are really pushing yourself with the systems and habits approach to improvement you will certainly come across obstacles and tough times. You will feel it isn’t worth it or simply say to yourself, “this sucks.”
With most improvement strategies this signals the beginning of the end. This is when most people lose interest and decide that it isn’t worth the effort they have to put forth.
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Do you typically represent doing things right? When you do some basic task, do you do it just to get through it or do you do it to do it right?
Having worked with some great people over the years I have witnessed first hand how our attitude transfers between tasks throughout the day. Those who work hard to do things right and focus on the small elements tend to be able to transfer that to big projects and other aspects of their work.
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One of the most difficult aspects of improvement is the first step that you take. It might be to start trying to get healthy or start budgeting your money to pay off credit card debt.
It could be to decide on a school for continuing your education or applying to your dream job. It could be to quit smoking or begin writing a screenplay.
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Life is complicated. Every day more information is shared online, on TV, through conversations etc. Scientists are always stretching human understanding. Professors are always finding new ways to research what makes life tick. Startups are constantly finding new innovation and pushing technology past our wildest dreams.
With this expanding knowledge-base, it is no wonder why life is complicated. We all experience the complexity of life on a daily basis.
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I’ve met a lot of people in my life that are so focused on being right that it gets in the way of their success. They don’t understand that always trying to prove your point has you too narrow-minded to see that there may be a better way.
I think the reason is because we are all risk-averse. We want to avoid risks that could result in pain and discomfort. So we avoid areas that have the potential to improve because we would rather be able to say, “see I told you.”
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Luck is a very interesting topic. When I talk to people about the idea of luck being responsible for success I tend to get one of two perspectives.
When we are talking about a success in their life, then they almost always point to hard work and their own effort. They minimize the impact luck had and assume their success was due to their work not some outside force.
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Most people think of changing as a grueling, painful process that forces us to use our willpower to the max in order to change some aspect of our lives. If we want to improve, our only option is to be miserable until the change is complete.
This is a horrible perspective on change. With this perspective, it is no wonder why most people fail to make significant improvements in their lives. They put the odds against them by assuming that willpower is the key to lasting change. It isn’t.
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I’ve worked with many people, in many different work environments. I’ve come to realize that I hate the word lazy.
One reason is because people define it differently. Sometimes people say if you aren’t doing physical labor you are lazy. Some people say if you aren’t willing to get an education you are lazy.
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A lot of people put happiness at the end of a long journey as the prize for completion. They assume happiness will come upon reaching their goal.
They say they will be happy when they finally meet someone special. They say they will be happy when their children finally move out, get a job, or get married. They say they will be happy when they can finally retire.
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The other day I stumbled upon an article that talked about a very common feeling among the workforce. She described a sort-of corporate malaise that people feel. They feel bored at work, unsatisfied and are fed up doing something that they don’t want to do.
Her message was simple. Stop doing it. Stop doing anything that isn’t perfectly aligned with your passion. Doing anything else is giving in and you will never truly break away to be happy.
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There is a saying that comes from the Tao Te Ching 2500 years ago that says that when you gain you also lose and when you lose you also gain.
The concept is that there are pros and cons to everything. So when you win, there are still cons. When you lose, there are still benefits. Sometimes people say you win when you lose and lose when you win. Either way of saying it, it comes down to the same idea.
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