Life Lesson

If you’re like me, you’ve entered moments of reflection where you question how you can care so much and others so little.

Or that you shouldn’t care as much as you do.

Or someone else says that you care too much.

In every instance, there’s layers of comparison (which doesn’t do anyone any good) and narratives (that are completely up to us). Funny thing is, there’s no scale for caring. It’s not measurable; it’s subjective and defined by our own stories.

When we feel bad about caring too much (or if someone doesn’t care as much as we think they should) – that’s on us.

You know how it’s just a generally good way to live to give others the benefit of the doubt? The same can be said about you caring too much. Far better to care too much (by your own subjective evaluation) than care too little.

Hell, I’ve even found for myself that when I think I’m caring too much, there’s still more caring I can do.

Stay Positive & Outa Your Head

The fact that you shouldn’t have to is never a good excuse to not.

In fact, it’s often the things that we shouldn’t have to that actually create our legacy, get us our promotion, connect us with others, create remarkability, and so on.

Stay Positive & No You Shouldn’t Have To, But Do It Anyway

That’s what so few will tell you. And if they tell you, they try to buffer it or detail a scenario that tension worked wonderfully; as if it’s easy.

The one way I’ve seen it function best to create tension where it should be and not where it shouldn’t is by being clear on expectations at the beginning.

It’s easier to have a tense discussion with a sales rep if you remind them of the shared goal you have at the beginning of the conversation.

It’s easier to get stakeholder buy in on a piece of content that challenges the target’s status quo if you remind the stakeholders of the brief you all agreed on (positioning, pain points, etc.,).

Note that I’m not saying it’s easy. Tension never is. (And if someone says it is easy, I question the impact it had.)

Stay Positive & But It Is Easier

I imagine you’re like me in that you never feel fulfilled at the end of the day when all you’ve done is respond and react to the inbox. When the day is all about satisfying requests made of you, it’s not that enthralling. Don’t get me wrong, it fills the bucket a bit and needs to happen, but a day solely dedicated to it is no good.

The same can be said for a day that all you do is make requests, do follow ups, send stuff out. A day of shipping and only shipping is exhausting, demoralizing even.

The reality is that many of us fall into the first camp far more often than the second.

It begs a reflective question to ask at the end of each day: what percentage was I operating like an inbox versus an outbox.

It’s fair to say 50/50 is a great goal. 60/40 is fulfilling, too. 70/30 is cause for concern. And any more split than that? We need immediate course correction.

Stay Positive & What’s Your Split So Far Today?

Even if it’s half-assed.

Even if it’s at the end of the day.

Even if it’s not exactly how you wanted to do it.

It really doesn’t matter what followed the “even if” …

What matters is that we do it. Drip by drip.

Tomorrow is another day to try to get to do it better than today.

But at least we can go to sleep knowing we did it today.

By all means, if you can full-ass it, do it.

But half is better than none.

Stay Positive & Drip By Drip By Drip (No Matter The Size Of The Drip)

At the agency I was at, there wasn’t any slack. No options to input my .25 into ideation or connecting with a coworker or trying something new – the immeasurable. Sure there was a catchall bucket, but they tried measuring that and there was a limit on how much was permitted.

A little slack goes a long way and it’s best we recognize it and offer it when possible.

Beverage distributors can measure and track every element of a sales reps day, but it behooves them to leave an hour not to scrutinize. If the rep wants to use it to have work life blend or to chat longer with an account or go out and sample a competitor – so be it. It’ll add to the longevity of their tenure.

The scenarios are endless of course. Heck, there’s even some slack in part of the story of the novel I’m writing; offering freedom for mental exploration by the reader.

Give others slack when possible, of course. But give yourself some slack, too.

Stay Positive & Forward Faster

I had an incredibly nice customer service rep when I called a national appliance store. One of the nicest I’ve spoken to when calling about an issue (not just with this specific business).

Without her taking the right actions to correct the issue with the appliance and delivery, niceness wouldn’t have mattered. In fact, her tone would have been more aggravating than not.

Niceness can’t make up for bad decisions, but it does make right ones way more right.

Stay Positive & Thankfully Niceness Is In Our Control