Author: cbarney.45

If something goes wrong, don’t pass blame to others (especially if you’re in a leadership role). Take ownership of what has happened and understand how you could have helped improve the result. Did you not give them the tools to succeed? Did you not give them clear direction?

Conversely, give praise to the team when the job is completed successfully. It is not because of you that this project succeeded, it is the collaborative efforts of the team that did it.

Don’t worry about yesterday. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Focus on today. If it is a bad day, you can always push through till the end of the day. If it’s a great day, enjoy it now because not all days will be as perfect as this one.

Most of us think that we will be happy when we reach a certain milestones. When you’re a kid, you say you can’t wait to grow up. When you’re an adult, you can’t wait until you’re able to retire. But then when you retire, you look back wistfully, wishing that you could be young again. Live in the now. Be happy with today.

Don’t get complacent. If you’ve worked hard to get to where you’re at, don’t set cruise control. Realize that there is always going to be someone hungrier than you, willing to do things that you used to do, but grew tired of. Always have a goal in mind.

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

Be a dreamer. Be an optimist. But have a game plan to actually achieve your goal. It won’t happen on its own or because you want it to. You need to be able to take some action every day/week to get you closer to your goal. Stretch yourself. Don’t pick easy goals just so you can say you reached your goal. Goals, in addition to being S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable/achievable, relevant, and timely), should be exciting and a little intimidating.

“No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity, for he is not permitted to prove himself.” – Seneca

Think of the best stories, whether in fiction, in history, or in sports. They all follow a similar story arc, which has affectionately been coined “The Hero’s Journey.”

In the hero’s journey, the hero has a calling that takes him/her on an adventure (whether it is willingly chosen by them or reluctantly accepted). On their journey, they meet friends and make allies to join them on their quest. At some point on their quest, they experience hardships and doubt. But, when the situation looks like it can’t get any worse, the hero keeps moving and is able to overcome their adversity. They return stronger than ever and triumph over their enemies.

This is the basic premise for all great action/adventure stories (starting with Jesus/The Bible and continuing on through The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter), but if you look carefully, you’ll see this throughout history and sports as well (the making of the United States as we know it, the 2004 Boston Red Sox overcoming a 3-0 series deficit to defeat the New York Yankees, etc.).

We love The Hero’s Journey whether we know it or not. But guess what? You’re living The Hero’s Journey! And you’re the protagonist – you’re the hero! Life is an adventure. You pick up friends along the way and have many ups and downs. You have to find ways to keep going when you feel that you can’t take another step or that the weight of the world is on your shoulders.

Overcome adversity and be the hero of your own story.