Happy Monday! Thriving this week? Or just surviving? Do you ever wonder why some people seem to have their act together, and seem to get everything right all the time, despite how they feel? Think Helena Morrissey, Sheryl Sandberg, Beyonce, Michelle Obama etc… I’ve been thinking (and reading) about greatness and what it takes and I have learned a vital little something – knowledge is destroying a lot of our futures. What do I mean? You know you should read more… You know your career would be better if you enhanced your skillset… You know you need to expand your network… You know you would benefit from meditation and more exercise… The Problem with Knowing I have found that living in a society where we are bombarded by messages of what is good for us, has left many of us numb to decisions both good and bad, in favour of option Z: “I’ll do it later”. And as you know, later never comes. Unlike our grandparents, we have the luxury of endless information; and can know in an hour what would’ve taken them years to discover. With that, comes our sense of feeling like enlightened beings. Unfortunately, all of this knowledge and ‘enlightenment’ has become the drug that we use to make up for our lack of momentum. It’s like thinking; ‘if I watch enough baking shows, I’ll become a better baker.’ False. The Truth The key (obviously) lies in what we do with the knowledge we gain. I’m not talking about the doing of the big things, but about mastering the little things, the boring things, the little boring things that actually create big shifts in your mind-set. Beyoncé knows she can sing and dance, yet “she rehearses until her feet bleed” for every show. Sheryl Sandberg knows she has a lot to be grateful for, but journals daily her 3 gratitudes. Helena Morrissey knows she has staff, but still practices strict personal rules about her time and presence. Michelle Obama knows she has butlers, but still makes her daughters wash dishes. And it’s with that mastery of the basics, they generate momentum in other areas of their lives. I’m (very very) slowly learning that greatness isn’t about battling lions, tigers and bears or whatever metaphor we can conjure up. It’s actually about doing the boring stuff, waking up early, exercising, reading instead of TV, seeking out personal and career development AND seeing it through, taking time to plan, execute and create systems. Why the boring stuff? 1. Good habits usually breed other good habits and bad ones breed other bad ones 2. Doing one consistent ‘boring activity’ daily lets your emotions know who is in charge…daily 3. Doing one small thing towards your goal lets your brain know that you can master the little things and the big challenges will be no different 4. Boring stuff moves you one step closer to your goals 5. Your ability to master the boring stuff stops us hearing “I know…” when we can’t see the results. I’d love to know: In the area in your life you most want results, do you really know, or are you just playing pretend? |
| The ‘Do I Really Know’ Test Do you have a detailed plan? Are you committed to it? What consistent action have you taken to demonstrate your commitment to it? What habits (boring stuff) have you set up to reinforce it? Who else are you accountable to? What results has this produced so far? Take the test and make the change. |
About Me
Following her degree in Politics and International Relations and a Masters in Public Policy and Management, Michelle has spent her entire career engaging with senior leaders. Over the past 7 years in particular, Michelle has enjoyed working as a trusted advisor to over 200 CEOs in entrepreneurial businesses, as well as larger organisations such as Microsoft, BP, Rakuten, BT and Unilever.