Why Try To Get Out Of Your Box, When You Can Use What's In It?
The signal that you care is one of the kindest ones you can express.
Of course, we don’t really think about the act of telling someone we care so they know.
We show. They can see hear. Hear it. Experience it. Feel it.
It’s risky to ask, but next time to do: “can you tell how much I care?”
Risky because of what we may have to do if the answer is no. Risky because we might just be hiding from doing that which would send the signal of care.
Stay Positive & Caring Is Everything
I probably need to go back and edit a number of blog posts on the topics of asking others for help, finding mentors and coaches, and doing the reading before diving in.
AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are here now.
Help is merely a prompt away. A friend is right there to help and there’s no excuse. It can be what you need it to be if you give it the right prompt.
These tools are helping people have better conversations with their significant others, colleagues, and bosses. They are helping them talk to others about pay raises, overcoming addiction, and apologizing.
Need mentoring around writing a novel? Ask it.
Want to understand the basics of Standard Accounting to help you sell software? Interact with ChatGPT or Claude.
People used to get away with not learning something because access was limited (not in the sense of it being available, but in it being easy to find). That’s gone now.
It’s more clear than ever before that if you want to advance in your (insert whatever matters to you here), help is merely a prompt away.
Stay Positive & Leveling Up Is On You
There’s an end before a legacy begins. A fin. Black screen. Done-zo.
How something is sunset counts for almost the entirety of the legacy regardless of the length of existence leading up to it.
There’s a distributor that I’m working with that I’ve heard is dissolving. They aren’t forwarding emails. My contacts are being let go. No communication has gone out. Orders placed are responded with questions of “which account are you?”
We’ve had a 5 year partnership and you can guess the interactions are leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
They could have a legacy worth sharing but I’m less keen on it right now.
The first most important strategic business move you can make is smartly entering a market. The second most important strategic business move is how you exist.
Stay Positive & No One Likes An Irish Goodbye
Here’s what no one tells you about danger: it shows you care.
It shows professionalism.
It signals intent of impact.
An uber driver that drives slow and patient may get you there, but I’d bet you’ll tip the one that goes a few MPH over the speed limit more.
The coworker who does exactly what they are supposed to is a great colleague to have. But a better one takes a little whack at doing what wasn’t asked.
The examples are endless. Dangerously endless.
Stay Positive & Live Dangerously (In Low Dosage)
Asking questions is underrated.
It’s not having answers that makes you stand out as much.
It’s not having answers that proves you the leader you are.
It’s not having answers that makes the work better.
No one ever says “Damn, I’m so happy you shared the answer.”
But they do say “Damn, I’m so happy you asked that question.”
Stay Positive & You Know What To Do
How urgent is that ask?
How important is it to you?
How much impact will it have on the audience?
What’s the likelihood that they’ll remember it in two weeks?
What’s the likelihood that you’ll remember it in two weeks?
How aligned is it to your mission, OKR, goal?
What you’ll find is that the actual rating doesn’t matter to your effort as much as pausing to rate it does.
If you want to end your day feeling fulfilled, rate your work throughout the day.
Stay Positive & I’d Give Writing This Post A 9
I’m a fan of the expression that when one door closes another opens.
But it misses a dose of reality in between it.
Most doors of opportunity are locked.
Which implies you need a key.
And the key to a new door is shaped with how you close the other.
How an owner closes their brewery is indicative of the opportunity to follow.
A friend of mine recently sunset his monthly marketing educational networking series (after 6 years) and it couldn’t have been done in a more classy and heartfelt way. He has a well-fashioned key for the next endeavor.
How we react to a door closing on us is no different than one we close ourselves, either.
The more intentional you can be about the closing of a door, the better the key you’re branding for the next door.
All to say… the door that opens? That’s all on us.
Stay Positive & What Key Are You Shaping?
