Every day won’t go as planned. There are days when plans must be abandoned and a crisis dealt with.
But not all crises are real. You must learn to tell the difference between what is real and what is perceived. The real must be dealt with. The perceived crisis should be ignored or it will only steal your time and attention from the work you’re doing.
If you’re trying to think something through write it down. Writing is thinking.
Trying to crack an idea open. Start writing.
Trying to understand a concept better. Start writing.
Trying to figure out what you should be doing. Start writing.
Put your thoughts down. They don’t have to be organised. As you write you’ll figure things out. If needs be you can write a more organised draft when you’re done.
If you have a problem, write through it.
You’re pursuing a goal. Are you ready to achieve it? Have you prepared enough?
If you met someone who could give you an opportunity that would bring you closer to your goal, would you be able to show them you’re ready?
Much of achieving a goal is analysing the potential paths to it and then making sure we have the skills to walk those paths. That could any number of things. It might simply be making sure you are trained to use the right equipment or software. It may be realising that you have a better chance of achieving a goal by moving abroad. To France for example. So you learn to speak French to enable you to take that particular path.
What potential paths can you take?
Be ready.
Last night I started reading An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield. Towards the beginning of the book’s introduction there are two powerful lines:
I wasn’t destined to be an astronaut. I had to turn myself into one.
Hadfield did turn himself into an astronaut and ended up spending time on the International Space Station. But the power in those lines is not in what they say about Hadfield himself. The power comes from the insight they give to everyone else.
We are not marked by destiny. If we want to become something we must work at it.
Change the word astronaut to whatever it is you want to become and the two lines serve as something to motivate you personally. A reminder that only you can create your future. A description of the job you must do. A destination and a path to be taken.
I wasn’t destined to be a(n) [ ___________ ]. I had to turn myself into one.
Fill the blank…
Do you jog in place?
No, I don’t mean while you’re going for a run and are waiting for the pedestrian light to change.
I mean you’re working hard, giving the impression that you’re taking steps towards your goal but you’re not actually moving. Your legs are going up and down but they’re not moving forward.
Running in place tires you out, make you look busy, but it doesn’t get you closer to your goal.
If you’re only working on the urgent you’re jogging in place. You need to work on the important to move forward. Even if they have to be tiny steps make sure you’re moving forward and not just standing still.
The lull is dangerous. Deceptive. It gives a false sense of security.
The lull is a test. It questions you, silently. What should you be doing now? What can you do now? Are you taking steps to improve, to get better, to excel? Or are you sitting on your arse waiting for the next thing to happen rather than making it happen yourself?
The lull is an opportunity to show your commitment. An opportunity to dive in and do the hard work, the work that will get you noticed.
The lull is a trap. Don’t fall in it, exploit it.