GarthBox

Ever notice how sports players with wild hair often get a little extra air time?

Or when you open a meeting with a quirky fact or self-depriving joke, the tough conversations are a bit easier?

It’s not just rocket science. These emotional triggers are what we gravitate to and what makes something a bit more memorable than not.

We’re attracted to the weird. Mesmerized by it, even.

The real question remains: when was the last time you infused some of that into your work? Your relationship? Your kids?

Stay Positive & We’re All Weird (That’s Why It Resonates)

Before you hit send on the email, think about if you were them. Should you make some edits?

Before you spend $5,000 on a print ad, think about if you were the reader. Is it worth it?

Before you say what you’re feeling, think about if it’s in the communication style of the recipient. Will it resonate?

Before you wait until the last second, wouldn’t it be better to do that thinking sooner?

Stay Positive & Start With The End Target In Mind

You can self-gamify any one of your goals. Ever recall putting fruit snacks in chapters of a book that you got to eat once you got to that chapter? Perk of gamifying tasks for ourselves is we know exactly what we like. Maybe it’s not a fruit snack, it’s a beer or a motorcycle ride or…

You can self-motivate yourself every morning. You’ve likely heard a quote or a speech that moved you. Maybe even a motivational video on youtube. (This was mine.) I’ve yet to hear anyone say reading a motivational prompt in the mirror has hurt more than helped them. Perk of self-motivation? You know exactly what will motivate you. Maybe the quote is about your legacy or your family or beating the competition or…

Are you picking up the trend on all the good things that move us forward?

Stay Positive & It’s On Us, Always Has Been

An artist makes it look easy to others.

At dinner the other night with friends and our daughters, someone said how great they are while eating out. I couldn’t help but laugh. We made it look easy. They didn’t see the conversations we had about timing of dinner, the analysis of the toys we brought, the food schedule we applied, the seating placement we considered, the expectation-setting we had in the car leading up to it, the amount of steps we put in to tire them before dinner….I could list another dozen decisions we made to ensure a smooth dinner.

That’s the work of an artist who knows what they want, though.

A friend of mine is an actual artist (the kind of artist you thought when you read the post title). He’s been quoted in the local newspaper about how easy he makes spray painting look. But I’ve seen behind the scenes. I’ve been someone he’s vented to about how much work he’s put into just being able to afford better cans of paint so his work looks better. …Again, I could give a laundry list.

That’s the work of an artist who knows what they want, though.

It merely begs one question: are you an artist that knows what you want?

Stay Positive & Keep Makin’ It Look Easy

Even the word upfront makes us feel uncomfortable.

But that’s what we’ve gotta be if we’re going to make progress.

Upfront about what we want. Upfront about what’s holding us back. Upfront about why we want it.

The magic of vulnerability is that once it’s present, it can’t be ignored.

And 9.9/10 times, someone is will to listen, to assist, and to respectfully challenge.

Stay Positive & Have You Been Upfront Today?

You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

There’s no point in measuring vanity metrics.

The quantitative data is missing the qualitative edge.

Your perception isn’t the same as the target audience’s.

Your target came in frustrated today because someone cut them off.

You’re trying to be better person, which means growing in your career, which means trying to manage your work better.

But you can’t manage what you don’t measure…

Stay Positive & Sometimes The Answer Isn’t The Point, The Thinking Is

Sometimes better is defined by bigger.

Sometimes when it comes to mistakes, more is actually better.

Sometimes better is better.

One thing is true about mistakes though: fewer is not better, smaller is not better, unimpactful is not better.

Stay Positive & If You’re Not Making Any Mistakes, You’re Not Pushing