GarthBox

There’s limited space at the top of anything.

When you let your guard down, it’s easy for another to replace you (or an idea or business or a product).

The most unbelievable doers in our world keep a piece of paper with their goals written on them in their pockets and review them at least once if not three or four times a day. They keep those goals top of mind… and one might say that’s why they will accomplish them.

The smartest brands in our world vet every idea through a single lens of accomplishing something. Zappos keeps customer service top of mind by giving employees the funds to find new ways to make a customer experience better–making customer service always top of mind for them.

It’s worth reflecting, then, what are you keeping top of mind? How? Is it worth it?

 

Stay Positive & If You Don’t Decide What’s Top Of Mind For You, Someone Else Will

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With any financial planning or projections, it’s smart to showcase the best case scenario as well as the worst case scenario. What would happen if things didn’t go the way you hoped?

What if profits took a 65 percent hit from what you originally projected?
What if the vendor doesn’t show up and you’re out of your highest profiting item for three days?

I’ve found this to be a helpful exercise for any idea, not just financial planning.

What if people hate the theme of your brick and mortar shop?
What if people don’t share your blog post?

You’re better off role-playing these scenarios and working through the kinks yourself because you’re bound to have devil’s advocates in any room when you deliver or talk about your project.

In other words, you’ll have to answer them anyway. Might as well do it now when they’re not in the room and catching you off guard and distracting others from the value you bring.

The best way to zip the lips of a devil’s advocate is to speak for them early, to have all the answers and to share those solutions and workarounds first.

Why do any of this? Because from time to time, the devil’s advocate has a good idea.

But more importantly, it’s to shut them up and to stop them from stealing your time.

 

Stay Positive & Slow Down Now, To Move Forward Faster Later

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You can’t move a mountain in one day. You can’t really move a mountain at all.

What you can do is a move a rock on that mountain. Day after day.

Before you know it people will be saying you moved a mountain.

 

Stay Positive & Rock By Rock

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On your pursuit of doing and being more, you’re going to have people tell you that your goal is unattainable, that your expectations are too far out there, that you’ll have a much more difficult time than what you think.

More often than not they take that stance because they’ve never seen it differently. They don’t share you’re passion. They’re afraid for you.

In one sense, it’s worth listening to them, to double-check that the foundation you’ve built is strong enough, that you’re ready to work around the devil’s advocate. Listen to be prepared.

But by no means should you fall into the camp of it being undoable. It may not be in the sense that they see it and maybe not in the sense as you see it now. There will be pivoting. There will be sacrifices. But all that matters for you is the end goal, no matter how you get there.

On a day like today, it’s worth being thankful for all those who have said you couldn’t, and all those who will watch you do it anyway.

 

Stay Positive & Onward

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The project you’re working on?

You couldn’t do it without others (i.e., mentors, friends, customers, family, competition).

While you likely need more information to create a more remarkable project or business, don’t be too quick to think it’s information gathered from a book or by doing more.

What you’re missing is the information about your target’s story.

What do they do before they get to you? What did he eat for breakfast? He didn’t? Why?

What were the last four Google searches she made? Were they about credit cards? Why?

The why, of course, is only confirmed by observing, listening and connecting on a deeper level.

 

Stay Positive & Ready To Learn More?

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You can show someone the truth, but they’ll still believe the story they tell themselves.

No matter the possibility or the likelihood of a particular event occurring; no matter the amount of evidence you have to support the stance; no matter the gumption to show that your prediction is built on a foundation of reality–if it doesn’t align with a person’s story, they won’t believe it.

To persuade, you have to become part of another’s story.

 

Stay Positive & That’s The Best Part

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Most people have values they strive to uphold, but they’re lacking the checks and balances system to ensure they are upholding them.

We’ve all done something we said we wouldn’t do (and the other way around, too).

Like any good brand strategy, it’s worth assigning personality traits to each value.

Value honesty?
Have a personality of transparency.

Value craftsmanship?
Have a personality of getting down and dirty, hands-on, and filled with gumption.

Values are like worldviews. It’s your personality that gives them life.

 

Stay Positive & Personalities Are Easier To Measure (And To Connect With)

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