GarthBox

Fake it and then you make it, right?

What if what we’re faking is the story we tell ourselves about our fears or the feeling of risk – so we do nothing – or that the world is against us again and again.

The narrative we tell about where we’re at is a powerful one, and constantly telling it again and again to ourselves and to others gives it more power until it’s solidified.

We don’t have to fake that reality, though. Better to fake a story of optimism and allow the repetition of doing so strengthen our minds and increase the likelihood of a better future.

It’s worth checking ourselves on what we’re actually faking.

We might be making things worse than they need to be.

Stay Positive & Fake The Good To Make The Good

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Too often we wait to be told what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

We need to give ourselves more agency.

More agency to ask for what we want, reach for it when we want it and to level up in a way that works for us – not a way that the program lays out.

I often make the argument that people are waiting for you to deliver your work, to choose yourself and to rise to the occasion rather than waiting to have a hand reach out.

Perfect example happened today when I received a message from someone with interest in becoming the manager of a brew bar I’m opening.

I haven’t put my openings on indeed yet or reached out to those in the industry who I have kept business cards from or made a timeline or questionnaire for, but I will be meeting with him to discuss the opportunity.

Yes, because he has the base level skills to do the work that matters, but even more so because he has agency not to wait for me to ask for a show of hands.

Stay Positive & Choose Yourself

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It amazes me how little time people make for things – and I write this in a bittersweet way.

More often than not, we don’t need as much time as we tell ourselves we need. Our default setting is to build in time to surf the web, be distracted, multi task, etc,.

But then we make even less time for things of importance.

Less time for understanding the target on a deeper level, exploring industries outside our own for inspiration and visualizing how what we’re about to do or create can have legs beyond the one touch point.

Time is precious and there are opportunity costs to it.

If we spend time here, we can’t spend time there.

If we do too much of X, we can’t immerse ourselves in Y.

As humans, we love to hide from opportunity costs because an analysis forces us to double down on the difficult work, the emotional labor.

But leaning into it is what sets those who are remarkable apart from those who aren’t. Making the time for what’s truly precious can be your differentiator.

Stay Positive & It Doesn’t Get Easier, But It Gets More Worth It

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Simply because it wasn’t the right way before doesn’t mean that it’s not the right way now.

We’re so quick to latch on to a new status-quo and routine for handling things.

If you think about it, it’s a time saver and it removes the feeling of risk that we despise so much.

The truth, however, is the more difficult situation or more important of a decision, the more it’s worth approaching it without the bias of how you did something in the past, right or wrong.

Today is a new moment, a decision with different variables. There’s no guarantee of doing the same thing today as you did yesterday and getting the same result.

Stay Positive & What Makes Most Sense Now, Now Then

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Awareness is the priority for many a brand, but there’s a problem with more awareness – there’s no guarantee of more conversions because of it.

What’s more is that many brands fall short of providing the experience that matters and fail to their promise when they have too many to keep it for.

You see it when brands grow too fast and crumble under the pressure of trying to serve every new person the same remarkable experience the first ones received. It’s simply not sustainable.

Better to focus on those who show than on getting more to show.

Stay Positive & Aware

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Every action or plan you have to interact with someone, it’s worth checking the box on it making them feel good.

Sure, the outreach needs to be on brand and part of what it takes to reach your goal and empathetic of the person you’re reaching out to.

But just as important is how that interaction leaves them feeling.

Stay Positive & It Feels Good To Feel Good

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When the structure isn’t working, the habit’s staying a struggle, and no one’s happy with the work

break it.

Break the borders, the status quo, the colors they expect.

Most importantly, though, make breaking it fun.

Stay Positive & Start Again Excited

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