Tag Archives: Life

Sweat the Big Stuff

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Grade school taught us through graded assignments to sweat the little stuff. As we get older, the sweat never seems to dry away: monthly bills, quarterly reviews, weekly status meetings, to-do lists, deadlines, and more. A constant influx of “urgent tasks” and minutiae attack with little patience. It never ends. Stressed or overwhelmed? Ask yourself: “Will it matter in five years?” Odds are, probably not. Day to day, we preoccupy ourselves with problems that cease to be relevant long-term. Invariably, we solve the issues, or they go away. No big deal. So why hurt ourselves?We need to put daily burdens at bay. We need to raise our children and teach our students to see the big picture. We need to learn to invest in the long-term. We need to learn to live in the higher context of our own lives and appreciate how every beautiful moment adds to the greater whole.

Don’t sweat the little stuff. There are bigger and more important things going on.

The First Sign of Great Leadership

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A great leader can make decisions quickly. Better than most, he or she can efficiently break a complicated problem down into its component parts and take action. Without hesitation. Without fear of being wrong.

Do not be afraid of being wrong. While leaders can only build great things with higher batting averages, it takes practice to hit the ball. With enough experience and mistakes, you should have better chances at making good choices. Over time, two wrongs can make a right.

Opportunities for decision making start small. If you cannot decide where your indecisive group of friends should dine together, then you probably cannot make important product, market, or life decisions.

No Regrets

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You made the choice and took action. There’s no turning back. You are where you are now because of it. What’s the point of dreaming back to that decision and wondering how your life could have panned out differently? You cannot wish your life back, so do not waste your time. You can only take a new action and move forward. It if means recreating that choice again and choosing the other road, great. But that opportunity rarely arises again, so you may very well be stuck on this path.

Dare not reflect on your past, unless it helps you discover a positive life lesson or take pride in the path you chose. Embrace every choice you made in life; those choices define you today. Regrets are a waste of time and a damper on your soul. You cannot undo what has already been done. But don’t forget: you can always make a new choice.

Decide When to Grow Up

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Growing up is not about age or education; it’s about reaching your next milestone. After college, milestones get fuzzy and unique to each person. For some, marriage is the next logical step. For others, a job promotion. What’s your next logical step? It’s okay if you do not know right now. You’ll know when the time is right.

One thing is certain: you’re the only one who can decide when it’s time to grow up. No one else can decide for you. It’s really rare to be promoted without you asking for it first. You’re the only one who can decide when you’re done paying your dues. Likewise, successful marriages build out of mutual consent – each partner agrees it’s time to take the next step together.

Other people can make suggestions, but only you can put one foot in front of the other.

Full Schedule, Healthy Mind

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When you have nothing to do, your mind wanders. Sometimes that’s a great thing, especially if you’re in a good place in life. Other times, a wandering mind is a bad thing. When you are in a rut, you can spin yourself deeper by thinking too hard about your situation. Most individuals diagnosed with depression tend to be less active people. Simply put, inactive people have time to think about how unhappy they are.

The mind never stops, no matter who you are. So rather than sitting around spinning it aimlessly, put your mind to something. Anything. A hobby, a game, a project, a better job search, a sport. It all counts. Fill your schedule until you have no time to think. You should never be bored unless you choose to be (after all, no one can keep going without a break).

With a full schedule, you will find yourself considerably more stimulated and inspired (especially if you are able to choose your own activities). If work hours have you beat, you must take the reins of your free time and keep the party going. Don’t just come home at night and go to bed. The mind is healthier when it is free to make its own choices, so use what time you can to do things you want to do.

Happiness and health directly correlate with the amount of time you spend doing things you want to do.

Be Your Dream

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Don’t wait until you’ve grown up to be who you want to be. I understand the value of working and learning under someone. But be careful doing that too well and for too long. Other people will have difficulty seeing your potential because they see you as an expert servant. Try to avoid being the best at anything out of line with your goals. Focus on your dream, and pursue it with a vengeance. Live it, breathe it, and ignore anyone who stands in your way. Break the hierarchy. Skip steps. Knock the ladder down. Do not compromise. Do not wait. Be who you want to be NOW.

Automate the Mundane

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Life’s too short to waste on boring tasks. In your own daily life, what mindless activities can you automate or delegate? Folding laundry, filing taxes, commuting? How can you optimize your routine to compress time and energy invested in these things? Is it worth money to have someone else do these things for you?

The first step to living a better life is to question the aspects you do not like. Spend time thinking about how your life could be without them. And then strategize. In an effort to live a rich life, we all should work together to waive the mundane.

Go to Bed

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I know you have a lot to do. And I know you think there’s plenty of time to sleep when you’re dead. But there’s really not. You can try to milk your waking hours dry while trying to top the world. Or you can be a human being and get some sleep. I spent my teenage years ignoring everyone’s advice. And now I’m paying for it with slight memory retention loss, heart strain, and then some. But now, I’m looking the other way. I’m face down in a pillow eight hours every night I can get away with it. I’m in business to bank some Z’s. You know what? I feel better for it. Don’t take sleep for granted.

Meaningful Work

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A quarter of the average American’s week is spent on the clock and a third is spent asleep at night. Many work even longer hours than that. With so much time and energy devoted to one thing, it’s worth it for our health and sanity to make sure our jobs are fulfilling.

Everyone wants a job he or she can be excited to wake up for in the morning. For me, I need a job that I can believe in. A company building things I believe in. Leadership with strategy I believe in. But that’s just me. Most people can find joy in their work without being tied to the higher context of their employment.

So what constitutes “meaningful work?” I think it’s simple. A job where you’d rather do nothing else with that valuable time. Perhaps a job that satisfies your need to create or relate with the world. Perhaps a job working to solve an important problem. Or perhaps a job that’s plain and simple fun.

In any case, you choose to do the work over anything else. Do what you want to do for a living. Find a job like that, and life will be good.

Decide What You’re Worth

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Want to make more money? First, you need to believe that you’re worth more. If you believe it and exude confidence on the subject, everyone else will believe you’re worth more, too. Believe it deeply enough and you may not even need to ask for a raise.

It’s very helpful to know what you’re worth. To the dollar. Not some random number, no abstract figure counts – the exact amount to cover the cost of living the life you think you deserve. Add up your expenses, your lifestyle costs, your health costs, your travel costs. Cover your responsibilities. Price out your dreams and your hobbies. Set a structured savings plan and contingency for accidents. Add them all together over a year period. With simple math, you can conclude your annual salary. That’s what you’re worth. No less.

Be open to quoting that number to others, and do not be afraid to itemize the costs for them. If you can justify every price point and sell your needs, it will be difficult for anyone to argue. Make sure your employer understands this number. If it’s not possible for your company to match, find alternative means to cover the difference (freelancing, for example) – or find a different job.

Know what you’re worth. Believe you’re worth that much. Fight for it if you need to. Do not sell yourself short.