When Will You Choose to Be Successful? An Irreverent Rant on Personal Motivation
Filed under: Career, Leading Change, Life and Business, Making Decisions, Performance, Social Commentary, Social Satire, Your Professional Development "To Do" List
You can distill an entire shelf of self-help books down to this simple question at the top of the post: “When will you choose to be successful?” Based on my calculation, I just saved you somewhere between $400 and $800 dollars or more at retail on self-help books. Make checks payable to…
It never ceases to amaze me how many excuses people have for not succeeding at something they view as important to them personally or professionally. While behavioral psychologists might label this as an issue of “external versus internal locus of control,” as I listen to the excuses flowing for not getting the job, not losing weight, not saving money, not making it to class, not writing a book, not keeping up with blogging, what I’m really thinking is (in very loud terms inside my mind), “YOU HAVE NOT MADE UP YOUR MIND TO SUCCEED!”
Just a Few Examples:
- Let’s take diets. First of all, we’re all on them. Eating is required for life. The type of diet that bedevils most people is the one that involves doing this less often. To my own knowledge, there are very few incidents reported every year that involve someone force feeding someone else donuts and super-sized gargantuan fast food meals. Given the lack of external coercion, we are left to conclude that free-thinking people with free will are jamming the extra calories down their gullets and then lamenting the struggles of dieting. My suggestion is duct tape over the mouth. For multiple reasons.
- Want to write a blog or a book? It’s darned hard to do without understanding the secret behind S.A.I.C. That stands for “Sitting Ass in Chair.” Quit talking, sit down and start typing.
- Interested in reinventing yourself? This is a common topic during these unpleasant economic times, and a few courageous souls are active in pursuit of this challenging activity. However, more than a few know that they need to do something, but suffer from too much S.A.I.C., and need to apply G.A.O.O.C.a.G.G. That stands for “Get Ass Out of Chair and Get Going.”
- Still smoking? Yeah, big tobacco got you. It’s a plot. It may well be, but why are you committing slow suicide along with your donut eating, super-sizing, friends. Same issue. No one is holding the gun to your head saying “smoke me.” I get the nicotine thing…but find some help and get on with it.
- Would life at work be great if only the boss would hurry up and eat/smoke/reinvent himself out of your life? Get over your boss and focus on yourself and your performance. Some of the best performers and most successful people you’ll meet got that way by using the motivation of a lousy leader to help them push forward.
- Sales down this quarter? The last time that I looked, there’s still a lot of money flowing through the global economy. Someone somewhere is selling something. Why not you? Maybe it’s time to reinvent your approach to getting clients to know, like, trust, try, buy and refer you. (Thanks, John Jantsch…those are part of his Marketing Hourglass terms!). Shameless plug…call me on this one, I can help!
The Bottom-Line for Now:
Just so that you know that I’m an equally opportunity pain in the ass, I’ve got a few challenges on my plate that I’ve occasionally found myself looking around for good excuses to attach to my lack of progress. However, I know better and the excuses only make me realize that my biggest failure on the issues at hand is that, “I’ve not yet decided to be successful.” OK, I’ve decided. Now back to work. Right after I take a lunch-time workout to make some progress on another goal.
It’s your turn. Have you decided?
Leadership Caffeine for the New Week: Power-Washed! Guest Post
Filed under: Career, Fresh Voices, Leadership, Leadership Caffeine, Life and Business, Management Education, Performance, Professional Growth, Your Professional Development "To Do" List
Note from Art: I read Mark Raymo’s inspirational e-Newsletter, Light4theWeek, every Monday morning and enjoy it so much that I asked him if I could share it with my blog readers. Mark agreed and what follows below is one of my favorite shorts in his great and motivational weekly anecdotes and stories.
I first read this “Power-Washed” piece after coming off of a weekend of doing just that at my lake house. The annual rite of bleaching and power-washing combats the natural forces of mildew and pollen stains and restores the deck and cedar siding to pristine condition.
One of the challenge that many leaders face in their seemingly endless string of days of teaching, leading, motivating, supporting, challenging and guiding their colleagues is how to refresh and recharge. It’s an important topic and one that is under-represented (in my opinion) in the leadership literature, including my own.
It’s difficult to be “on” all of the time, and for leaders, the stress fractures show through usually in the form of snapping or growling at someone. While never good form, the momentary break from behavior is indicative of the need to take a few deep breaths or to even look towards tomorrow as a chance to start over and get things right.
Sometimes what’s needed is a good Power-Washing for the leader’s attitude and soul.
–
Power-Washed by Mark Raymo
“Each morning, at the start of the business day, I see the same sight. Everyday. One worker outside of a storefront with a power washer, spraying down the sidewalks with a powerful stream of water. The motor is loud as it generates the water pressure needed to strip the sidewalk of all grime and mud from the day before. With one powerful spray, all of the dirt is washed away, down the street into the drain. With one powerful spray, the sidewalk is cleaned…like new.
It may sound silly, but that one routine scene always motivates me to start my day. In a way, I feel like the sidewalk has a fresh start, a new chance…washed clean. It reminds me of the newness and fresh start that I have before me…that I have a new day, a blank slate…a day that I can shape and mold in whatever way I wish. Sure, there will undoubtedly be challenges and things that don’t go according to plan. But each morning, the power washer comes out, and I get a fresh start to make it right.
This day, this week, was power-washed for you. It’s a fresh start, to make whatever you want. You can choose what you want to accomplish, who you want to spend time with, how you will react to each challenge. And, don’t worry. If today you get some grime and mud and dirt, the power washer will come out tomorrow. And you’ll get a fresh start to make it right. Each day, each week, we get a fresh start. Make it count.
Keep shining. And use your fresh start to be the light for your week.”
–
About Mark Raymo and Light4theWeek
Note from Art: Mark was a student of mine and a survivor of the first class that I taught at DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. I am eternally grateful for his patience with my initial and mercifully now much more polished approach to graduate school instruction. Mark’s bio and information about his e-newsletter follow below. I’ve politely nudged Mark to turn this into a blog and hope that he will sometime soon.
Mark Raymo launched Light4theWeek in March 2009 as a small project to encourage those in his social network. Noticing many struggling with business and personal transitions, Mark saw opportunity to provide an encouraging quote, story, or learning lesson. What started as a small list of recipients has exploded to include many from all walks of life, industries, and states across the country. The purpose, however, has always remained the same – to encourage others to live their best life. A weekly email designed to be received each Monday morning, Light4theWeek has inspired many to do just that.
Mark has exciting plans for Light4theWeek moving forward. Plans to launch a website and blog feed are in motion, and Mark aims to formerly publish some of the issues. To join the Light4theWeek network and receive the FREE weekly emails, please send your contact information to raymo.mark@gmail.com. Also, please feel free to contact Mark simply to network or connect. Be the Light for your week…
Mark Raymo received an MDiv in Ethics and Non-Profit Leadership from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and a MBA from DePaul University. He resides in the Chicago, Illinois area.
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