Acknowledge, learn from, and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. I’d rather work with someone who isn’t afraid to make mistakes than those who are. Not admitting mistakes doesn’t mean you don’t make them. It means that you’re either oblivious or arrogant, neither description that I would want to be used when others talk about me.
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Adversity viewed as a good thing
From a devotional I recently read:
“As a parent, it’s difficult to see our children struggle. We’d prefer to shield them from the trials of life. So intentionally placing our children in the path of mockery, persecution, and self-denial does not come naturally. But we need to be reminded of James’ words that trials should be a cause for rejoicing because they produce character and make us into mature people who lack nothing (James 1:2–4).”
My thoughts:
This is similar to what Marcus Aurelius says regarding obstacles and how we need to lean into them. Embrace the challenge. It may be difficult to face at first, but eventually we will see that we become better, more complete people by facing adversity. Instead of finding a way to avoid the obstacle, the obstacle becomes the way. And we will be all the better for it.
Respecting others isn’t about honoring your wishes, it’s about theirs
You can judge a man’s character by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. Treat everyone you meet with respect. Be kind and compassionate. But don’t confuse respect, kindness, and compassion by “helping them” with unwanted charity.
Some people don’t want your help, at least not in the way you intend to offer it. Don’t let your ego get in the way (“I helped X amount of people last year” or “I donated Y amount to charity.”) Don’t patronize those you are “helping.” If you openly show others pity or give them charity, it can be demeaning.
The “treat everyone you meet with respect” line in paragraph one includes respecting their wishes. Because at the end of the day, you get to go home. But if you’ve taken away their dignity or their pride by giving them charity they didn’t want, you’ve actually left them in a worse position than where they began.
Pay yourself first
Just like with investing, you need to “pay yourself first” by making time for self-improvement. Everybody has the same amount of time in the day. Most of us fill up that time with work, housework, watching tv, or going on social media. But how many times have you heard people say that they are too busy to exercise or that there aren’t enough hours in the day?
Many people feel that they have a shortage of time. I understand this and feel that way too. But our problems often stem from poor time management and how we can rearrange our schedule to make it work optimally. For me, I like the idea of working on self-improvement first thing in the morning. My thought process is that just as you should automate paying the first 10% of your paycheck to yourself (saving/investing), you should also automate spending the first part of your day improving yourself. I like using the morning for working on myself because it’s quiet, the day hasn’t started (so there are no “fires to put out”), and my motivation is at its highest (I’m not tired from a long day of work). Not only that, but it feels good to start your day off right. It’s easier to keep the momentum going by starting right as opposed to starting and stopping throughout the day.
Although it can be daunting to feel like you have to do a lot in the morning before heading to work, you really don’t. Start with a little at a time. Read one page of a book you’ve been meaning to read. Do ten pushups. Stretch. Plan your day/set your intentions. Think about/write down what you’re grateful for. These are just a few examples. Just remember, every little bit counts. If you can improve yourself even fractionally each day, you’ll amaze yourself at how much that adds up over time. There is no greater return on investment than investing in yourself.
Cutting corners
“How you do one thing is how you do everything.”
If you cut corners in one area of your life, it is much easier to justify cutting corners in other areas as well. Don’t give yourself permission to cheat in anything, no matter how trivial, otherwise it may lead you down a slippery slope to cheat on big things later. Even if you do something that isn’t considered cheating, is it reflecting your best work? Is there a cleaner, better, or more effective way of doing something and you just don’t want to put in the effort to do it correctly?
Practice doing things the “right way.” (Note: there are several correct ways to do things, you have to try to be objective in determining what is the best way to do something.) Don’t give into the temptation of doing what is easy, or if cutting corners when nobody is looking. Because if you do that, eventually it will erode you’re standards in everything you do. Remember, how you do one thing is how you do everything. Choose your actions wisely.