Deliberate Development

When I saw this quote, I had a flashback to my childhood and heard my dad saying this to me. He didn’t use this direct quote, but he did teach me that if you are not going to put in the effort to do it the right way, don’t do it. Sometimes we get to the end of the day or are just burned out and this is when we tend to rush through a task or take on the “good enough for government work” mantra. Instead, walk away from the task and take a break. Come back to it with a fresh perspective and you will be more likely to give it the appropriate attention it deserves.

I remember hearing a version of this as a child. Growing up in martial arts, we were not allowed to use words like can’t or impossible. We were constantly challenged to find the solution. When fighting for your life, there is no room for impossible or defeat. Most of the situations we face are not life or death; however, if we treat them like the challenges they are, we will discover an answer. The only things that are impossible are the things we refuse to try.

Have you ever noticed how much you plan to do tomorrow? I know for me, tomorrow is the day I am going to work out harder. Tomorrow I am going to read more. Tomorrow I will do a cool project with the kids. Tomorrow I will <insert yours here>. I think if we were honest tomorrow is going to be the most productive day for all of us. The only problem is tomorrow never becomes today. Instead of waiting for then, take the first step today. Once you put things in motion, they become much easier.

We look at failure as such a negative thing. We are so afraid of its negative stigma, we never even try sometimes. Many suffer from a failure to launch because of this fear. Although, if we keep doing the same thing and failing at it over and over again, that makes us insane not a failure. When we fail at something we can’t take it personal. Instead, we need to determine what we can learn from the situation and tweak the process for the next time we try. Never be afraid to fail; rather, your fear should be of never trying.

I always used to approach school as a checklist. Finish this history report and move on. Algebra II, Check. These were stepping stones on my path to freedom as a graduate. In many ways college was similar. It wasn’t until after I finished that I discovered a different view on education. Each time we learn something new it is fuel for us. We can continue to learn and shine bright or learn only what we must to get by. What sounds more appealing to you?

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” These are the words of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor whose private journal is regarded as one of the greatest works of wisdom to this day. He was teaching us that sometimes the things blocking our paths represent challenges for us to overcome in order to grow. Think about all of the times you faced a difficult challenge head on. Even if you did not beat the obstacle, you came out better. All good things in life occur after we conquer the obstacles in our path, not when we simply sidestep a challenge and leave it for someone else to deal with.

I remember playing in the woods a lot as a kid. Sometimes we would find a path that was cleared taking us from one area to the next. Clearly, someone had come before me and did the work to take us where they thought we should go. Occasionally, we just accepted this and left the path as is and just maintained it to ensure it didn’t get overgrown. Other times, we wanted to go somewhere else and blazed a different path. Look at where you are and ask if the path you’re on is still good or was it only good for the travelers who came before.

Integrity First. It has never been harder to be the person we were raised to be. All of the social pressures and flip-flopping politicians make it easier to align with public opinion and blend in with the crowd. Although, this is not new; it is broadcast on a larger stage when we do not align. As a leader, it is easier (at first) to go with the popular decisions; however, the popular vote will make sure your team never gets ahead as you will teeter back and forth. We need to come up with the vision for our team and chase it. The decisions we make might not be popular at the time, but they will be the right ones for our overall success.