Motivational Archives - Pick a DirectionPick a Direction

Content vs. Satisfied

They’re synonyms, but we reflect the differing meanings in our posture.

Satisfied – “happy and finished.” You’ve taken action, you’ve gotten uncomfortable, and you’ve accomplished your goals. You are ready to rest on your laurels.

Content – “happy but still laboring.” You’ve started, you’re improving, but you haven’t arrived. You’re still hungry and you’re not ready to pat yourself on the back.

When you strive for satisfaction, you begin to look for an end. And when there is an end to your work, you allow yourself to think about cutting corners to get there. Instead, try striving for contentment. You’ll be okay with realizing your work is never done. That realization will give you the energy to put out your best work day after day.

What If…Overcoming “Scared to Death” Syndrome

I’m scared to death of pushing forward with this book.

I said it. I can back out anytime. I can give up and walk away, in a few weeks nobody will ever care… except me, of course. And no offense to y’all, but in this instance, y’all don’t matter.

What if I’m not interesting?

What if I make a mistake?

What if I bore people?

What if I quote someone wrong?

What if I don’t look professional?

What if I don’t seem authentic?

What if everyone finds out I’m not that smart?

What if I’m called out for not playing much?

What if I’m ridiculed by my peers?

What if nobody cares?

What if the school won’t back me?

What if nobody understands my perspective?

What if I blow the deadline?

What if I’m laughed by real authors?

But then again… What if I don’t try? Nothing. Nothing at all will happen. And I’ll be left with the curse of “what if…” running through my head until it drives me insane.

How To Fill Big Shoes

A few weeks back I was eating lunch with a friend. Besides the amazing pulled squash sandwich, nothing was out of the ordinary. The conversation, which is par for the course, touched on topics ranging from sports to life to books and all the overarching themes that go along with each.

We came to the topic of work and she explained that she wanted to create big shoes to fill. When she came into her job a number of years ago, the bar was set low. Embarrassingly low. So low that I became intrigued and we carried on with this topic. Her career had take a turn for the disappointing… Or so you’d think.

What Would Seth Do?

It’s no secret, I love Seth Godin. I write about him all the time. He mentors me, he helps me think creatively, and he’s opened my eyes to a number of impactful insights. Among these are the problems with the education system, the need to take risks ~~in your marketing~~, and how to be consistent.

Most importantly, Seth has taught me about being a Linchpin. Being a Linchpin means being an artist, not just doing what is listed on the job description. Being a Linchpin means bringing your best self to work and giving effort where it’s not expected. Being a Linchpin is about challenging the status quo and not being afraid to stand out.

Peaks and Valleys: How To Endure Hardships And Win Championships

Man, this is embarrassing. I don’t want to tell anyone, but it’s driving me crazy. It’s such a burden and I have to get it off my chest, get some help, ask for a second opinion.

Should I see a professional? These things don’t just take care of themselves. I think… Or do they just get worse? The last thing I want is to be numbed by a prescription.

Should I tell Katie? Terrible idea. But she’d understand, wouldn’t she? She’d help me through this. But she might think less of me. I can’t do that. If I did tell her, would she come to the doctor too?

Some days I get depressed. There, I admitted it. Whew, not so bad.

There are ups and downs to any journey. Nothing is all rainbows and roses. The valleys are what make the peaks so special. The peaks are what make the valleys worth enduring.

How To Quit Your Job

Mike & Mike

“Do I really need a new pair of shoes?”

“Yes, they’re cool.”

“I agree, they are cool. But do I need them? I am trying to save money right now. I don’t know if or when this metaphorical tap will be turned off and I’m going to be income-less. I’m planning on the end of the year but…”

“Go head, they’re on sale for PLUS they’d be awesome for the 4th of July party! You’re not gonna quit anytime soon, you need to stay through the end of the year to get your bonus. You’ve got at least 8 more months before that even happens. And you know they won’t have your bonus ready till February.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be on the hook for another tax season after that. There’s no way I’ll be able to walk away during February, I’d be an idiot to stick around that long and no reap the benefits of tax season.”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“That I might never leave?”

With a simultaneous, forced exhale, “Sh*t…”

Timing Is Never Perfect

This is a legitimate conversation I had with myself during the spring of 2013. I was torn because I wanted to leave and it was one of the scariest things I’d ever done. I knew my time had come and I was ready to move on, but I didn’t know when it would happen.

How To Accomplish More in 2015 (My Goals)

How To Accomplish More I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, New Year’s “Resolutions” are a waste of time.

Yearly Goals, however, are something I highly value. I firmly believe that once you set your mind to something, the only thing that can stop you is you. There is no other time in history which has offered more resources or connectivity than right now. This goal setting process (I’ll be sharing the full monty in a couple months if you’d like to learn how to accomplish more) helps me define my year and set my focus.

WRITE IT DOWN

It starts with reflection and moves on to action steps. You’re currently reading something in between those two pillars: the act of writing it down. Many people’s New Year’s Resolutions dissipate because they don’t put their thoughts into a physical form. That, plus the fact most resolutions are vague and unmeasurable = resolutions broken in record time.

Writing down your thoughts is one of the most powerful activities you can do if you’re trying to figure something out. This goes for work problems, relational challenges, daddy issues, and especially your goals. You have over 50,000 thoughts per day. The only thing that separates the junk from the gems are what you choose to articulate in a physical form, i.e. write down your goals if you are serious about them.

Why We Sacrifice Pride (and why it’s worth it)

Getting what we want in life takes sacrifice.

Some people sacrifice comfort to pursue dreams. Others sacrifice pay, opting for more time with the family. Still some forgo opportunities today, in favor of potential tomorrow.

What we’re willing to live without says a lot about who we are. We live in a day and age when we can have nearly anything we want, anytime we want. This era of ultimate convenience allows us instant access to nearly every bit of information conceivable with the push of a button. So if we’re living without something, that decision is likely intentional.

For example, I don’t watch TV. It’s not because I don’t enjoy TV or that I can’t afford it. It’s that I would rather spend my time doing more productive or rewarding activities.

Success Comes From Delayed Gratification, or Does It?

Delay Gratification & Pursuing Meaningful Work

Work can be draining. It can break you down & beat you up. It can be your most loathed activity… If you let it.

On the other hand, meaningful work lifts your spirits. Meaningful work challenges your ring of competency to expand. It taps into new curiosities & flings open new doors of opportunity.

“Quit your job & find your passion” is a phrase that gets tossed around with ease. The truth is, we have the capacity to be passionate about things with which we’re not even familiar.

Meaningful work inspires passion. It fulfills our hierarchical need to be challenged. Difficult tasks often require us to be creative in our efforts. If our best efforts bring about achievement, we build self-esteem.

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