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Category: Challenge

Good morning

Now get to work.

Real work.
It’s a new day. Yesterday’s failures aren’t so important. Tomorrow is still sleeping.

WAKE UP.

Work that matters isn’t going to come to you.
They may never call.
Your project might not be accepted.
He isn’t going to change his mind.
Make a list of what you want to accomplish — the things that really, truly matter. Outline the steps you need to take to move closer to those dreams, no matter how small. Focus on what you can control.
It’s going to be a great day.

Honoring the pivot

A pivot can be one of the most powerful moves on the basketball court. Performed correctly, one step can leave an opponent grasping at air, move a player out of a sticky situation, and provide a better perspective of the game.
The move is also recognized as a strategy for entrepreneurs, transforming a borderline idea into a championed achievement (think PayPal, Instagram, Groupon, Nintendo).
In relationships, in business, in career, true success often requires a reroute — or several. Flexibility in thought can mean the difference between mediocrity and a grand slam; however, switching gears isn’t always easy. Anyone who has “abandoned ship” knows ego and pride are at stake. It takes the hearty soul to admit error and take necessary steps to get back on track.
Reframing the abandonment of past work into an advantageous step can pave the way towards long-term gains and a promising future. Course corrections don’t necessarily mean failure. In fact, intentional pivots can lead to a stronger, more resilient, more creative return.
Questions to ask before making a pivot:

  • What is driving the move? Is it hard facts, instinct, boredom, temporary circumstance?
  • If “I win,” what happens? What does success look like to my business, my relationship, my product, myself?
  • Am I making the kind of progress I’d like? Is subpar acceptable or am I looking to go the distance?
  • Am I afraid of failing? Of admitting I’m wrong?
  • What am I holding onto and why?

Big visions require determination and gumption. Inevitably, uncertainly accompanies change. The trick is to remain grounded while altering your course, keeping one foot rooted in place while the other finds new ground.
Start something, figure out what isn’t working, and use what is to move forward. In the end, you won’t know until you try.

Should you be doing that? 6 questions to ask

  1. Is this stealing my time?
  2. Is my attention being diverted from what I actually need to be doing?
  3. Is meaningful communication being traded for superficial connection?
  4. Am I distracted?
  5. Am I using this to procrastinate?
  6. Am I on __[insert favorite social media site here]__ ?

Many activities we participate in happen automatically, impulsively, without much thought. Take stock of your day and observe areas that suck up your time. Tomorrow, make it your mission to claim an extra hour for yourself by eliminating frivolous habits and unnecessary distraction.

Read this when you actually want to get it done.

Writer’s block. It happens to the best of us. Procrastination, exhaustion, complaining, and straight up avoidance isn’t unique to you, either. When you’ve had enough wallowing and decide it’s time to actually get things done, here are 10 steps to lead you onto the path of production.

And yes, I followed my own advice to write this post (see image).

  1. Get off Facebook.photo
  2. Step away from the computer.
  3. Go for a bike ride.
  4. Take a shower.
  5. Sit somewhere new. Or change your desk around.
  6. Get reacquainted with pen, paper, markers, tape, glue…
  7. Turn off the phone! Really!
  8. Realize that everything will still be there in one hour. Emails can wait. Voicemails aren’t going anywhere. No one will die.
  9. Chunk it. Break it down into bite-sized pieces. Set mini goals if you must.
  10. Stop trying to be perfect. Write crap. Come up with terrible ideas. Just start.

In 5 years…

I see this again and again with my clients. I’ve even done it myself.

We have so many choices, so many options, it’s difficult to settle on long-term decisions and commit. Paralyzed with indecision and uncertainty, we get in our own way and waver from one idea to the next. A helpful exercise:

Envision the person you’d like to become.

Think about your work life.

Your home.

Where you’d like to live.

Who you’re spending your time with.

Get detailed and really imagine it. Write it out so you can refer back to this dream often.

When you allow yourself to imagine an overall vision, it becomes an umbrella under which daily decisions can be made and choices become easier to manage.

Your future has an exponential number of possibilities. Don’t cheat yourself out of any of them.

Tipping the scale

The first [move, action, event, product, decision] is always the scariest, most anxiety provoking, most intimidating. Getting beyond that initial hump becomes a matter of mettle and courage as you muster the courage you need to leap over fear.

Can you build a framework that sets you up so that if you don’t do x-y-z, you can recognize that fear has won? Fix your gaze, define your goal, and work backwards to develop concrete steps that corner you into action. Make it impossible to do nothing.

Once you have a plan in place and you’ve deliberately chosen to ignore it (develop excuses or suddenly become “too busy”), your work is then to name your fear and dive headfirst into your beliefs about yourself and the world.

Get out of your own way. You can always choose to do nothing, but I dare you to tip the scale. Let me know what steps you’re taking to move the needle.