Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky famously said that he doesn’t skate to the puck, he skates to where the puck is going. This seems like a useful analogy.
Communicate, behave, and dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Consume macronutrients in the amount that your ideal body and not your current one requires. Proactively look for business and tech trends to anticipate outcomes and look for what’s next, as opposed to what’s hot right now. The smartest and most forward-thinking world changers are living where the puck will be in five years from now.
Yet another useful cliche that prompts you to move in the direction of achievement. Whatever that means to you.
Tag: goals
Learning how instead of what
Thanks to Google there is little value in memorizing facts. Critical thinking – the ability to analyze facts to form judgements – might be the most valuable skill to come out of any academic system.
We should be careful we don’t simply educate people so they know just enough to repeat what they heard, but not instill the importance of analyzing and questioning.
It’s hard to exaggerate the difference between teaching someone what to think, versus teaching them how to think.
The plight of perfection
Seeing ourselves as perfectionists can lead to a failure to take action out of fear that something won’t turn out ideal. Aiming for perfection and being attentive to detail is admirable. But do-ers do. Perfectionists can hold themselves back in a state of non-action and analysis.
There is no perfect time to start a business, lose weight, or commit to learning a new skill. Most often, fortune favors those who boldly take action rather than waiting for the certainty of perfection.
Daily focus
Never underestimate the compounding effect of repeatedly doing small things that push you toward your goals. Ten minutes of daily focus for six months adds up to 30 HOURS. In six months from now you could be near functional fluency in a foreign language, looking and feeling healthier, or free of some annoying habit…
Or you can simply be a half a year older.
Making huge habit changes fast
Aircrafts use most of their fuel during take-off. Starting is the most difficult part of creating new habits or making life changes.
Here’s a hack to help create a new habit: if you want to meditate start by taking only three mindful breaths every day. Wake up just five minutes earlier. Floss only one tooth. Write just one paragraph of your novel. Do three push-ups.
Do this and you’ll have done the hardest part. You’ll see that doing a bit more doesn’t burn much fuel. Most importantly, you will soon subconsciously see yourself as the kind of person who flosses, meditates, writes, exercises…
High quality questions to help you get unstuck
- What would be ideal? (I find this to be MUCH more informative than “what do you want?” or “what would make you happy?”)
- What one thing can I let go of such that my level of stress will be significantly reduced?
- Can I convert this thought or belief from shame/fear to hope/compassion?
Dependability
Dependability is a high-ranking “soft skill” that employers, colleagues and customers desire.
When it comes to your career, there are many worthwhile investments you can make to sharpen the saw of your particular expertise. On top of this, try to cultivate a reputation for being dependable. People want to know that they can count on you, and that your word is reliable.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that so-called soft skills are not trainable. All of them are. For this particular skill, all you have to do is make sure you always do what you say.
Desires
It’s healthy to have desires, goals, and hopes for better versions of the future. But so often we fall victim to as-soon-as syndrome, making our desires much like contracts we make with ourselves to be unhappy until we get what we want.
Defining and striving for things in line with our desires is essential. Just be sure you’re not trading a possible future for an unmistakable now.
Negativity bias
My music has received over 50 million streams and downloads, hundreds 5-star ratings, and the kindest reviews and compliments. Yet I can recite verbatim the ruthless critique of my voice from an anonymous user 10 years ago. A decade-old review from one person.
This is negativity bias in action. We’re all susceptible to it. We too quickly forget the praise we receive and tend to highlight the cynical people and opinions.
I keep an email folder called “inspiration” where I file the kind words I’ve received from people who clearly value what I do. It helps to keep a reminder that most of the time you’re doing a stellar job.
This too shall pass
Life has ups and downs. Where you are right now, and how you feel about it, is much like a balance sheet. It’s just a snapshot of your emotional assets and liabilities for a moment in time.
The most important thing to remember is that where you are right now (physically, financially, emotionally) does not reflect what you are.