Persistent means little without a direction.
You can endure adversities, continue despite opposition, resist most of what is thrown at you. And the best you can wish for is to end up somewhere that is not too bad.
Choose what to stick to before adventuring farther.
When you walk into a difficult conversation, check expectations, preconceptions, narratives at the door. You will have done 90% of the job.
That does not mean you are supposed to go unprepared. It just means leaving out the natural tendency to focus on things that reinforce negative ideas, and making an intentional effort to notice something positive that might be said, done, experienced.
It’s how you bring your better self into the moment. It’s how you unlock deep listening, sincere curiosity, empathic sharing. It’s how you build the connection that is necessary to talk about serious stuff.
It’s how you move forward.
Today is not a post like all others.
Because today I was given an award, and an unusual amount of people have turned their attention to my blog.
For a moment there I panicked. What am I going to write about? What can I say that is more meaningful than what I usually say? How can I make sure that I make no mistakes, that I find perfect words, that I give people what they want to read? How bad would it be to skip just one day?
And despite those thoughts still being there, I am happy I did not let them hold me back. I am happy I did not hide. Having a practice you can fall back on is comforting. It helps you fight resistance.
Tomorrow I will still be writing. That’s all that matters.
We worry about outcomes, about others, about our thoughts, about others’ thoughts. About projects and plans. About the world, the media, and the result of elections thousands of kilometres away. About feelings, about effects. About the presentation we are giving tomorrow. About the email we are about to send. About the future of our kids and of humanity in general. About the pandemic. About our favourite team. About the next job. About not having a job.
We worry about this and much more. And we gradually wear off.
Make worry last as little as possible.
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows. It empties today of its strength.
Corrie Ten Boom
First perfect the making of the dough, then go buy the perfect oven and tools to cook the best pizza.
First learn to communicate transparently and effectively, then go buy the app that makes your company more open and inclusive.
First establish a practice of running, then go buy the equipment that will make you feel more like a pro.
It’s easier to start with the details that embellish the core. It makes us feel as if we are doing something important, as if we are going in the right direction. But if you do not get the core right, you have nothing to fall back onto when you realize details are just details.
You've got this 