My Coworker Said This And It Woke Me Up
All of this “rah-rah, motivation-guy” stuff?You probably don’t need it.
One of my colleagues had to remind me of this, today.
Some people need it.The people who have been stuck on the couch for 6 years need that.But that’s probably not you.
People who have been operating at 100 and want to be operating at 150 usually don’t need that.
The people who wanna be at 150 need something, too, but it’s not the “get off your ass and do something” mentality.Usually is mentorship, guidance, reinforcement, support, resources, or something related.It could even be some R & R.Where are you in your career/journey?It’s up to you to be realistic about your pace and capacity. It’s your responsibility to your mission to build “burn-out prevention” into your work-life.
2 Minute Action
What are the things that re-charge you?What are the things that make you feel alive?What are the things that make you feel proud or accomplished?Answer one of these questions and pick a day in the next 4 weeks to make sure that it happens.Call in a friend or accountabilibuddy if you need to.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
8 Things School Didn't Teach You That You Need To Know
The skills you were taught in school are mostly not that useful anymore.
- You don't need to know that the Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.
- You don't need to know that Neptune is a gas planet.
- You don't need to know that an isoscolese triangle has two sides of equal length.
What you DO need to know is now up to you.
Until we change what we teach in schools, no one else is going to teach you what you actually need to know.Here are 8 examples to get started:
- History has been written by the winners, and you can either sit still or help the rest of us re-write it.
- Good guys think they are the good guys and bad guys think they are the good guys, so it's up to you to question authority and question yourself.
- There is a 0% return on investment for complaining, so you'd better turn that into motivation or you'll be stuck.
- A spreadsheet is simple and incredibly useful--you need to know how to use one effectively.
- Heart disease is the most common (1 in 4) causes of death in the U.S.--so, yeah, learning to cook and eat healthily is a life-changer.
- The most common regret of the dying is "not having the courage to live a life true to themselves," so maybe you should figure out what that means and how to get it.
- There are a lot of different personalities out there and you're going to have to work with them, so you'd better learn to negotiate and operate alongside them.
- It's hard to know when to put yourself first and when to put others first, but with some practice, you can figure it out.
This is just a quick list of things that have been on my mind.These "soft" skills are so critical in our world and they're not part of any curriculum I've seen.Until they're taught in schools, it's up to you to teach yourself (and those around you).
2 Minute Action
Pick one from the list that is resonating with you.I want you to take real action this time--not self-reflection or setting up bigger tasks for later.Ask yourself right now what you can do to move closer to your goal in 2 minutes.It's okay if it's small, in fact, that's the point.Everyone has 2 minutes.Let me know what your action is in the comments or if you have any other life-skills that should be added to this list.
How To Finally Understand Motivation and Make It Work
There’s something special about the blank page. Pure possibility. And even more important: it’s what’s behind the page.
That’s the promise you made to fill it.
Whether your blank page is a computer terminal, a squat rack, or a sales call, it’s just as big of a promise.
The only trouble is that it’s never like it is in the movies.
It’s unsexy. There’s no montage. There’s no theme music. There’s no audience cheering you on.
It’s just you and your commitment.
It’s just the raw reality of what it takes. You have to stir up the motivation in yourself. You have to remind yourself why you’re doing it—because no one else is going to do it for you. It’s up to you to evaluate and crush your own excuses.
Every day.
Even though you don’t get any credit, today. Even though you don’t get any recognition, today. Even though you don’t get any return on investment, today. That’s the way the path goes.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Every day. No matter what.
2 Minute Action
What are you avoiding?I’ve said this before and that’s kind of the point. It’s not always going to be a new, shiny task or action item that shows up at your desk. Most of the time, it’s going to be the same, dull, boring task you don’t want to do. So, start with that. De-sensitize yourself to the dullness. Your compounding interest depends on it.