There are two types of slogs.
The first is trying to get through something (ie. like starting the work week and finishing it.)
The second is trying to get to something. You don’t get to the top of Everest without putting one foot in front of the other.
If you are just trying to make it through, you might be slogging for the wrong reasons.
Having the ability to describe something that others can’t see is a tremendous gift.
One that can be abused.
There are two types of people here.
The first lie when it is convenient to do so and the second group understands that they don’t compromise on their values just because they can.
Explanations are a tool to help us lead.
Yet, we must understand words are not enough. We must lead with action.
The boss will preach to their team to come in early, a leader will set the tone by showing up again and again.
Set the example and fewer explanations will be needed.
The late, great Zig Ziglar used to say, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”
But what if we dropped the first part.
“Just help other people get what they want.”
Bingo.
You can’t save everyone.
Perhaps though, if you work hard enough, long enough, help enough…
In that practice, you might find yourself.
And in that moment you might even save yourself too.
Getting good at social media, that takes practice.
Practice that could have been used to get better at something else.
Like writing a book or a song or programming…whatever your craft is.
Is it better to be good at something or to lead people to believe that you are good at something?
Many are surprised to find out that once they have been discovered they are not actually that good at executing, delivering what they have promised.
Careful what you wish for.
It’s okay to be in the shadows getting better each day.
Hitting 3 out of 10 baseballs can get you in the Hall of Fame.
So…
If you are waiting for the perfect pitch by picking the perfect projects, that don’t have a chance to fail, you are playing it too safe.
By contrast: If you are picking a project that is sure to fail, it maybe impossible.
While the world likes to focus on home runs, learning to hit singles consistently can get you pretty far too.
Every alpine climber’s schedule is around the weather.
No weather window, no summit.
Your work is similar.
You don’t need perfect economic conditions or perfect timing, you jut need enough of a window to finish what it is you have started.
Imagine white water rafting and somehow you manage to fall out.
Your first instinct is to try to get back on, which you shouldn’t do.
What you should do is get on your back and ride the water with your feet facing down.
The simplest way to remember this is “Toes to nose.”
Toes to nose is a quick way to remember what it is you need to do.
And it turns out, you can use other phrases to help remind you what it is you are trying to accomplish.
“Remember Rule #6.”
“It’s all invented.”
“Give them an A.”
We don’t need to relearn new habits, we just need to reinforce them. Every day. Often. To become the person we are trying to be.
HT The Art of Possibility
The next option available isn’t likely to be the perfect one or your favorite one.
But it is an option.
Waiting around for perfect options just means you are going to be waiting a long time.
The people you matter to can’t wait around forever. If you choose to matter, choose the best available option and continue to move forward.
Your work is too important to be inhibit by perfect.
Keep going.
Working from home has been a huge adjustment for many of us this year.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they are able to pick their own hours is that they don’t set an alarm on what time they need to get up.
No alarm means you will stay up later.
No alarm means there’s no guarantee when you will be up.
No alarm means theres no urgency to finish a project.
No alarm means you are letting the day come to you.
It hard to be productive all the time. You can’t sprint forever. But establishing a practice and building a routine around it maybe your single best asset you have to being more productive then the rest.
Important to note: Your ability to be productive and to make difficult decisions decreases as the day goes on.
Value your time in the morning as the sun comes up and the kids are still in bed. This is the time to build your cathedrals.
The goal is to matter to those you serve.
You can’t matter unless:
You create work. (Which requires time, energy, resources.)
You ship your work. (To have the guts to publish. Send it to ten friends you care about.)
Your ideas spread. (Someone has to read what you wrote.)
You have the resiliency to ride the storm.
You have the imagination to see a world of possibility.
You have vulnerability. (Someone is bound to reject it.)
You have ran out of excuses. (Time and money are not excuses.)
Josh Allred's Blog 