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Tag: choices

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.

Nepal

While fundraising for the Discover Outdoors Foundation, I learned Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. One quarter of its people live on less than $1 a day and barely half of them are literate. After some research and plenty of emails, I found a local agency that places volunteers in projects across the country. My bags are filled with crayons, games and animal balloons, and I’m teaching English to kids before trekking to Everest’s Base Camp.

You won’t see quite as many posts in the upcoming weeks. In fact, as you’re reading this, I’m on one of several flights leading me to the Himalayas.

I feel incredibly blessed to have the freedom to connect and converse and discover and explore with people around the world. And I’m filled with a deep sense of gratitude for the confidence that comes with the support, love, and backing of so many. This journey has been magnified by the monumental encouragement I have received from friends, colleagues, clients, and strangers. It’s an incredible gift to do work you love, from anywhere.

I’ve debated whether or not to post while I’m away. I’ve toyed with the paranoia of disconnecting for an extended period of time. “But the momentum…but the readers…but…but…” I’ve considered the risks that come with automated content, as I’ve witnessed scheduled generalities firsthand during Hurricane Sandy. I remember sitting in a trembling NYC apartment, listening to water slosh around in the toilet bowl, and reading tweets advertising “10 creative ways to green your kitchen.” There’s a sensitivity and presence that is oh-so-irreplaceable, and fresh and timely cannot be undervalued.

I’m not quite sure what my access will be while I’m away, but I know I want to be present to my experience and not worried about technical malfunctions, open rates, or traffic. Absence alone can be lighter fuel for ideas, dreams, creation.

That said, you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be blogging the “ole’ fashioned way” while I’m traveling — via journal and pen. You’ll find a few posts in your inbox (if you’ve signed up to receive them), but with less regularity. And if the mood strikes, I’ll pop into an internet cafe and post a few thoughts.

Count on a treasure trove of goodies upon my return. Project Exponential has some incredible, very exciting changes in the works, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Until then, go find adventure, plan a few dinner partiers, put yourself on a weekend sabbatical, and become an explorer in your own neighborhood. Your community needs it. You need it.

95% of the battle is showing up

Some days you won’t be great. You’ll feel less than your best, you’ll deliver a “B” performance, perhaps even a solid “C.” Your “C” may be someone else’s “A” — maybe not.

Maybe no one notices you’re not your best. Instead, they see you there, present, ready for the job, sitting in the chair, showing up for work.

Statistics begin to lean in your favor. The more ticks you make by simply showing up, the less one day’s performance can disrupt your overall grade. And that’s where the job begins: showing up, day in and day out; giving your all when your “all” can sometimes vary.

True value lies in your persistence, your reliability, your dogged determination to be there, regardless of circumstance.

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.