Effort

Worth It?

Garth Beyer

“Was it worth it?” is a question we ask ourselves quite often. If you’re like Seth, then the answer can always be “yes” if you look at the effort you put in as the reward.

While I have that attitude most of the time, some things aren’t worth it and I can’t trick myself into believing the effort I put in was rewarding. So here’s my back-up mentality.

“Can I still make it worth it?”

I don’t give up until I do.

When you or anyone else asks you if it was worth it, “it” doesn’t need to signify an end of effort.

Just as you have the choice to look at effort as the reward, you can look at effort as an ongoing endeavor.

 

Stay Positive & It’s More Work…But It’s Worth It

In The Box Podcast

Episode 12: Startups, Rewards Points, Staying Humble And More – Podcast

Garth Beyer

On this episode of In The Box Podcast, we talked about the state of things like everyone wanting to start a business, the continuous rise of rent, and if rewards points are better than cash back.

We lightened things up when chatting about why it’s hard to change our minds, how we can stay humble and embrace humility, and discovering our own balance.

Subscribe if you haven’t already, and enjoy.

Episode 12: Startups, Rewards Points, Staying Humble And More

Startups – Does it feel like everyone wants to start their own business?

Rent – Despite a ton of housing going up in Madison, why has the price of rent continued to go up?

Rewards Points – what are the advantages of having a credit card with reward points as opposed to cash back?

Change your mind – Why is it so hard to change a mind?

Staying humble – What does humble and humility mean to you? (How can we be more of each)

Input vs Output – How does one know when its time to focus on output vs. input? (should they be balanced?)

 

Stay Positive & How Do You Balance?

Working To Make It Work

Working To Make It Work

Garth Beyer

People are turned off by opportunities they feel others will have to work hard to make work. They’re willing to put in the effort, but they assume (wrongly assume) the other party isn’t willing to work either, thus they pass the opportunity up.

If I avoided every opportunity, If I didn’t send in every application knowing it would take effort on their end to work it out, If I didn’t ask for what I wanted even knowing the other party would have to make a sacrifice too, I wouldn’t be where I am today. (And I love where I am today.)

Not so surprisingly, when you’re human, you show you care, when you work to make things work – in other words, when you give the other party a reason to put in the effort to make an opportunity work for you – they put in the effort too.

 

Stay Positive & People Care When They See You Do

Cut The Thread Or Make It Work

Cut The Thread Or Make It Work

Garth Beyer

Make It Work

There are those who need to be fired. Certainly those, be they individuals or groups, who you need to cut the thread to.

The majority of time, I would argue, you can gain much more from making it work.

What no one may have told you about “making it work” is you do not need to make it work in the way you had originally imagined it working.

Making it work, by definition, involves moving variables, involves changing expectations, dates, deadlines, numbers, email responses. It involves facing a new direction from where you stand when you decide to make it work rather than to cut the thread.

Often times “making it work” means turning the efforts into a one-man show.

Often times “making it work” means trying something different, something never done before.

Often times “making it work” means taking the risk you should have taken at the start.

 

Stay Positive & The Show Must Always Go On

Photo credit
Monopoly, Anyone?

Monopoly, Anyone?

Garth Beyer

Monopoly

I’m not particular to “what if” situations, but I’ll make an exception here.

What if you looked at all the barriers, all the red tape, all the content creation you have to do to get ranked high on Google search results as a way to challenge yourself, to prove your or/and your business’s value, to exceed expectations the gatekeepers have set for you?

What if, instead of trying to find a loophole in the search engine’s logic, instead of posting ads on craigslist to pay people to click your links, instead of trying to skip ahead in your journey, you play the game and play it better than everyone else who is playing it.

We’re all just about past the age when we are impressed by those who hack in the untraditional aspect. We’re more impressed by those who can hack success while playing by the rules.

Anyway, the system rewards those who stick around for the long run. Rather than cheating or flipping the board over on the winners, why not see if you can get to their level first.

 

Stay Positive & Do Not Pass Google, Do Not Collect $200 Adsense

Photo credit

					

	
	



			
				



	
	

		
You Know What They Say About People With Big Shoes


					

				Garth Beyer			

			


			

			
Odd connection here, but I was fortunate to have ordered big shoes with my tuxedo for my best friend’s wedding this weekend. Who would have guessed I would jam my toe the night before the wedding and be in pain with my nicely-fitting gym shoes? (I’m still not convinced it’s not broken.) I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to bust a move on the dance floor because my toe would be pressing against the side of the dress shoe. As I said, fortunately the shoes I ordered were big and gave my foot space to move and slide around without the pressure leading to pain.


The experience made me think how it really pays off when we have big shoes to fill: when we put ourselves in positions above what we believe we’re capable of, when we take on more than we think we can handle, and when we put ourselves in large uncomfortable situations.


I’ve taken a freelance job that requires more skill than I have, that someone older or with more years of experience could do better, and that has made me a bit nervous. Big shoes to fill.


Yet, I’ve got space to explore, room to stretch (and grow), and nothing to lose. Great thing about big shoes to fill is no one expects you to fill them. Great thing is you now have a great source of motivation to fill them. It’s not so much about proving them wrong as it is proving yourself right.


 


Stay Positive & Remember, You’ve Got Room To Breathe

					

	
	



			
				



	
	

		
Can You Do More?


					

				Garth Beyer			

			


			

			
For most, doing more doesn’t matter.


In fact, if you go to pitch to a client, they’re likely not to notice if you had two more strategies than planned. What’s the point when you can say quality over quantity?


The thing is there’s so much evidence showing those who do more (without sacrificing quality) succeed faster, grow more, and move forward past those who just do enough. On top of that, the most important judge knows if you did all you could do. That judge is yourself.


Wouldn’t want to get on the judge’s bad side, right?


 


Stay Positive & Impress Yourself