Why You Shouldn’t Be The Hero
Being a hero is sexy.
Everyone grows up wanting to wear a mask and have super powers.
The trouble is that while the idea of super-hero powers is attractive, it’s not functional.
Unless you have found a glowing vat of toxic waste and survive contact, you can probably kiss this dream goodbye. In fact, you can also kiss other types of heroism goodbye. Like:
- Working 100 hour weeks.
- Never taking breaks.
- Missing your kids’ baseball games.
The list goes on.
You don’t have to suffer to be productive or successful.
I’m going to say that one more time to help it sink in. You don’t have to suffer to be productive or successful.
If your work requires heroism to get the job done, your process is broken.
There are plenty of people who are more successful and productive than you and who are also happy.
2 Minute Action
What is something you really love doing?Take 2 minutes right now to carve out whatever time you need to do that thing. It can be for this week or for next month. Just carve out the time and look out for yourself.
Why No One Cares About Iowa, And Why Everyone Should Be Like Iowa
No one cares about Iowa.Specifically, I'm talking about the University.And specifically, I'm talking about people who aren't interested in the neuroscience program.And, of course, specifically, I'm talking about people who aren't interested in the neuroscience of decision-making.Because it was here, at The University of Iowa, that the Iowa Gambling Task was developed.But truly, who cares about all that? Few people even know what that is!Without going into the mechanics of the experiments, it's important to note that no one cared . . . unless you were a very specific kind of person interested in a specific kind of thing.
It's not for everyone, it's just for some.
And Bechara, and the Damasios, and the other researchers at The University of Iowa didn't want everyone.They only wanted a specific, small group of people who cared intensely about the neuroscience of decision-making.What do you care about?Does anyone else care?Who else might care?Where might you find someone like that?
This is a principle.
You can use this idea in your marketing, in the way you talk to the people you love, or the way you find your passion.
2 Minute Action:
Choose your own future.Pick one of these three questions to answer in the next 2 minutes:
- What's something specific and small you can do to move you toward a goal you have?
- What's something specific that would make you more valuable to your field or your team?
- What's something specific that would turn away those who aren't obsessed with the same specific thing you are?
Okay, the rest is up to you.You've got this.