Why Try To Get Out Of Your Box, When You Can Use What's In It?
The other day I felt like I got a lot done, but I still ended the day short on good feelings.
I realized that being productive isn’t the same as making progress. Being productive feels good in the moment. Checking items of a to-do list always puts a smile on my face, but what matters in the world of “doing” is that we feel good at the end of the day, like we’ve made progress.
What type of work did you do today?
Stay Positive & Do The Work That Matters
I’ve worked at places where very few put their heart into the work they do.
I’ve also worked at places where everyone puts their heart into their work. (I’m there now.)
If I could go back in time, when I worked at the former, I would tell myself to get to the latter place faster, and the fastest way there is to put your heart into your work even when you don’t want to; you find a reason to love what you do even if you have to make it up.
Get there faster…because it’s the edge, it’s where great work is created, it’s where you’re meant to be.
Stay Positive & Follow Your Heart
Photo credit
I’ve written a bit about looking at the work you do each day as your first time doing it.
What if we carried that mindset over to our relationships.
What if you treated every client like it was your first time meeting them, trying to win their business.
Or how about your co-workers, would you do a little more to make a solid first impression?
The mindset gets you out of the rut you’re in, it leaves the ego at the door, it lets go of grudges.
You’ll be amazed at how smoothly you’ll begin to work with, interact with, connect with people when you think of each time a fresh start at building a remarkable relationship.
Stay Positive & Extend Your Hand Daily
On this episode of In The Box Podcast, we talked about the point of reflecting on memories, how to address a team member who is doing something that bothers you, leaders playing bad cop, what one makes art special and knowing the best timing for a decision.
Enjoy the episode and remember to download on iTunes here.
Episode 28: Team Trouble, Leadership, Memory And More
Memory – How much emphasis do you place on reflecting on memories from the past?
Team – One trick to addressing a team member / co worker who is doing something that bothers you?
Leadership – Do you think leaders ought to ever play bad cop?
Art – What is one thing that makes something art?
Bonus – One method to recognize when the timing is right for making an important decision?
Stay Positive & Now Now Now
Everything you share says something about who you are.
Content is social currency.
It’s not what people think of you when you create content, it’s what others think of those who share what you’ve created.
Are you building people up? Breaking them down? Getting them to think about things differently? Encouraging them to follow the status quo?
Stay Positive & Create Something That’s Value Increases When Shared
Clients care about measuring success with numbers. Your boss cares about numbers. You’re evaluated by the metrics you share each quarter. Every rating is a stat.
Stats provide a lot of direction. They can show you what’s working and what’s not. They can make you smile and they can make you panic.
While I’m a lover of stats, I think the greatest stats are the ones we don’t need to see; the one’s we only need to stop and think about.
Are people being moved by our message?
Would you open the email if you saw it in your inbox?
Are you receiving thank-you letters that tell of you for exceeding expectations?
Stay Positive & Don’t Get Lost In The Numbers, Get Lost In The Movement
Consider every New York Times best seller ever. Not everyone loved it.
Think about the greatest fashion designers in the world, Olympic winners, Victoria Secret Models. Not everyone loves them.
In the fight for attention we rate our quality of work by poor metrics.
When I took an Uber to Boston airport, my terminal was backed up with traffic and the driver said, “some people are shocked, did you think you were the only one flying today?” He’s right and clients and marketers and business owners fall into the same mental trap.
Did you really think everyone would see what you offered? Did you think everyone who saw what you offered would click-through, would fall in love, would want more? Of course not.
I bring this up for one very important reason. When we only think “just one person” or “every person” we lose out on the some people.
It is some people who love the book Daring Greatly. It is some people who love Chuck Close. Some people who lift Karlie Kloss up.
Are you rewarding the “some” of the attention you’re getting? Or are you leaving them behind in hopes to get all the people?
I’m a firm believer that no campaign is a poor campaign that shines light on some people. Whether it gains you 5 new Twitter followers or 5,000, as long as you respond to them when they say “this…this is for me.”
Stay Positive & It’s Also Okay To Say “This Isn’t For You”
Photo credit
