GarthBox

Surround yourself with people who are better than you, right?

If you think about it, it’s a broken strategy. An effective one, but a broken one.

By always striving to surround yourself with those better than you, you’re tossing away opportunities to connect with those who you can help grow into better versions of themselves.

When everyone tries to surround themselves with others who are better, we all get no where. It’s a paradox.

That’s why there’s something to be said for the ways you advance when you help others rise to a new level.

The real key isn’t who you surround yourself with, it’s how much you can help those you do.

Stay Positive & Need A Hand?

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There’s very few more productive hacks and time management spells than to arrive early and stay late.

Arriving early makes you visible, increases your chances of making small talk with critical attendees, ensures you’ve got started on a project and are ready with questions to keep things moving when others finally show up. Arriving early builds trust, credibility and status. Arriving early enables you to warm up, ease into the work and be present.

The other beautiful thing about arriving early – especially when you don’t want to – is that you’re never the only one, so you build strong connections with others.

And, as far as staying late, all similar benefits can be stated.

The challenge, of course, is ensuring there’s buffer time between tasks, meetings, events, etc. to actually arrive early and stay late.

A difficult challenge, but one very much worth conquering.

Stay Positive & Anything You’d Add?

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It might not be that you need to change things, upend a work flow or start with a fresh team.

It might be that you need to be more grateful for the work, the style, the opportunity, the people, and the impact you get to make right here, right now.

Somehow work gets better when we recognize, appreciate and lean into the parts of it that are already great.

Stay Positive & More Gratitude, More Good

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Many spend their time worrying about making or doing enough to survive.

They worry about competitors and immediate disruptions. They worry about getting enough people in the door to make ends meet. They worry about today.

Admittedly, some need to do that, but most of us don’t.

Most of us could be focusing on what things will look like a year from now and potential disruptions to our business. We could be planning for creating more value for those who enter our doors tomorrow than we gave today. We could be working toward doing something different than our competitors.

Two vastly different mindsets: worrying about making enough to survive or worrying about making enough to advance our offerings.

Again, it’s not a choice for everyone, but for some (you?) it is.

Stay Positive & Is Your Head In The Right Space?

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Since we’ve been handed the internet and can easily create any content under the sun for those out there we seek to serve, there are some actions to consider before, during and after creating content.

• Are you making the reader/customer/user the hero
• If you’re going to choose a pronoun (I, we, you) then stick with it
• Acknowledge that a lot of what you create will be shit. Then move on
• Reach out to others rather than waiting to be reached out to
• Don’t pay attention to the metrics of your content. It’s not why you started to create in the first place
• Nothing will get you to where you need to go than creating consistently. Quantity doesn’t matter and quality naturally grows, but only if you’re consistent
• It’s okay to steal ideas. Give a shout out when appropriate otherwise steal and riff
• Even when you don’t feel like creating, just start. Create for two minutes, then you can stop

This reminds me. Back in the day I wrote a Slideshare of Blunt Reminders To Be Bold. Might be worth clicking through.

Stay Positive & Keep Creating

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You might not need more time to work.

The solution might be more time with the target, listening and understanding her wants, needs and worldview.

It might be more time collaborating with others. Picking his brain. Hearing what she thinks. More time to ask others to poke the soft spots on an idea.

It could be more time away from the work. Letting the task marinate in the back of the head while you enjoy some well-deserved relaxation.

If you’re struggling, you have options.

The answer isn’t always more work, more effort, more pushing.

Most importantly, if what you chose to try more of isn’t working, move on sooner than later.

Stay Positive & Get Creative With More

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If you’re going to attend a meeting and don’t feel like you have anything to contribute, yes and or provide a value add …

Then at least show that you’re curious. Ask questions, admit you’re trying to get smarter on a topic. Show you’re engaged.

If you can’t promise value now, at least make it apparent that you’re promising value later.

Stay Positive & Get Smart(er)

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