A Little Piece of Wisdom

Photo courtesey of www.rogershipley.com

Everyday I aspire to be better than I was the day before. But some times it feels like there is only so much one can do. And some times it feels like there is just nothing to be done that will be better than the previous day. However, there is ALWAYS room for improvement.

I've been reading Forbes Great Minds of Business, it is a series of interviews of five of the most prolific CEO's/executives of the 20th century. From this book I've learned some valuable pieces of wisdom that will help with my daily struggle of striving to become great. I hope that they will speak to you as well.

• Avoid comfortable equilibrium - In other words steer clear of the status quo. It's very easy to become content with doing the bear minimum required to just make it by. However, that can lead to a very boring existence and you may appear to lack motivation and initiative, which are great qualities to have. I encourage you ask questions, go above and beyond your requirements, and challenge yourself and others.
• Make fear your friend - This is one of my favorites. You know the anxious feeling that you get when you are about to take on a new endeavor. When you're experiencing that feeling it's terrible, but in hind sight it's one of the best feelings in the world. This anxiousness/fear can serve as a motivator and with it you may perform better than ever before.
• Take control of your destiny - This one is pretty self explanatory. Make good decisions that will put you in a position to excel and prosper. Surround yourself with like minded people that you trust, who will help you to reach your goals.
• Think outside the box - Approach a tough situation or a problem that you may be having as if you were someone else. Pretend that you are not emotionally tied to the situation or as if you're helping a friend out and see what solutions you come up with.
• Discipline - We all know what it's like to not want to do anything. And we all deserve to be able to relax and/or do something leisurely when time permits. However, staying on task is very important in our fast paced world of timelines and deadlines. Sometimes we have to make the difficult decision of choosing work over play.
• Conviction & Commitment - Last but not least, do all things to the best of your ability. Chose projects that you are passionate about, if you can't chose your projects, become passionate about the work you produce. Those two words (converted to actions) will take you a long way.

I hope these tips are helpful to you, as I will be applying them to my life as well.

Sincerely,

TSH