We all do it.
With the best of intentions.
We tell ourselves that this is the year we will turn things around.
Finally.
We even tell the world.
And then we move on with our lives and ‘forget’ about it.
A year passes, and we wonder why nothing has changed.
And we always find something or someone to blame.
Our greatest accomplishments and our greatest disappointments are well-planned.
People are good at setting themselves up for failure, and good at setting themselves up for success.
It starts between the ears.
Winners understand the power of planning.
Whiners live from day to day.
Winners say:
And then there are the whinners, those people who are always complaining about getting too much work!
Another great post, Paul!
Oy vey… If you’re getting too much work, it’s time to raise your rates!
…swing–and a HOME RUN!! Great post, Paul…
Thank you, Herb. Unfortunately, being a blogger doesn’t make me as much money as being a professional baseball player.
Paul,
Thank you for another weekly dose of motivation and inspiration.
Perhaps I’ll become a self-help guru in my next incarnation… Thanks Derek!
Paul,
You’re right on the money…especially about being willing to ‘pay the price.’ I’ve always wanted to succeed in broadcasting, voiceover, writing…but have had to take it slower than most because my family always comes first. Please understand, this is in now way a condemnation of anyone who has lived their life otherwise; I’m not judging anyone. However, if I succeeded at my career at the expense of my wife & kids, I’d feel no success at all. In some ways it feels almost MORE difficult to not be constantly focused on my career, because of the steepness of the hill – but at least I can sleep at night.
That makes perfect sense, Matt. To me, this country (the USA), seems particularly hard on families. I see some parents working double shifts, while their parents take care of the kids. It’s not nearly as family-friendly as my motherland, The Netherlands.
Even though we’re supposed to be family-oriented here, work often comes first. And when the parents do come home, they’re exhausted and long for some quiet time in front of the television.
Oops, I hope I don’t sound like I’m whining!
Your example goes to show that we have to define success in our own way, and find a balance between work and play…. unless you do what we do for a living. My work feels like play all the time!
Paul-
While working at Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos during a company meeting said the world was full of people who had good intentions but what he wanted were action and results. I’m paraphrasing Jeff, but I totally got what he was saying, he wanted less whining and more winning.
Another time at Amazon I was in a meeting with a manager discussing the performance of a contract worker. The manager said to me, “Tell me what you want her to do, not what you don’t what her to do.” I mistakenly thought by pointing out the processes that were incorrectly executed I was indicating what needed improvement. Nope. It took me a while to grok what the manager was saying but it finally clicked. I was too focused on the negative and needed to move my energies to the positive. Hard to do sometimes but necessary to progress forward.
Thanks for the post!
-JCD
Thanks for sharing these great lessons, Christopher. I see mothers do this all the time: they tell their kids what not to do and then they’re surprised that it’s not working.
Staying healthy is not the same as not getting sick. “Don’t lose the game” is not the same as focusing on winning. “Stay out of trouble” is very different from “be on your best behavior”.
Another brilliant post, and love the Lorax reference!
That was such a gift for Steve Jobs’ sister to share his final words, “Oh, wow.” That right there is what makes me not fear death (or life). I was there for two family members’ “crossing over” and the look of amazement and feeling of peace was beyond words to witness.
And by the way, you’re already a self-help guru – at least in my book. I learn so much from you!
Hi Tisch, the best thing self-help gurus can tell you, is that they can’t change you. They can inspire you, but you have to do the work yourself. But I’m sure that that’s no news to you.
It’s great that we can talk about “crossing over” on a voice-over blog, isn’t it? Why not? Death is part of life. I’m planning on staying around for a while, but when my time comes, I’m definitely ready to be surprised!