Uncategorized | The Caleb Barney Collection

Be the thermostat, not the thermometer.

Be the person who sets the tone by their actions, thinking proactively, instead of the person who is reactive to everything around them. The thermostat sets the temperature, while the thermometer tells you what the temperature is and has no influence over it.

Don’t let someone else set the temperature for you. You can only control so much in life, but some of the things you can control are what actions you take, your attitude when you take them, and how you respond to external events. Be more like the thermostat, not the thermometer.

Be yourself

It will always be easier to blend in with the crowd or to disappear by not speaking an original thought. When you’re different, it makes people uneasy. They want you to believe the same things they do.

In years past, it seemed like people were more understanding of differing opinions and realized that while others may not believe the same things they do, they’re still not “bad” people…

But in today’s world, where cancel culture reigns supreme, if you disagree with someone, instead of having a debate on the topic, they try to get you fired or silence you in some way. They try to pressure you into speaking or acting like everyone else.

Your challenge is to stand up for what you believe in. Don’t take the easy way out and fall in line with the crowd. Be able to think things through on your own and articulate your reasoning. And if others disagree with you? Don’t try to silence them. Try to understand them. Once you understand their viewpoint, it will be easier to try to persuade them to your way of thinking (or for you to change your thinking with the new information you have). Sometimes others just need to be heard – and nobody can hear what the other person is saying in a shouting match.

How to think about goals…

For any goal you have, you need to think of four things. They are as follows:

1. What is the main goal you have in mind? (What is the end result you are looking to achieve?) Start off thinking big, then we can break this down into more manageable goals later.

2. What obstacle is in the way – what is preventing you from achieving that goal? (Hint: There is always a barrier to something you want, otherwise you/others would already have it. If you don’t know what it is yet, guess…can you anticipate what may get in your way?)

3. What is your plan to overcome the obstacle? What do you need – time, money, experience, help from someone else, etc.? How do you go about getting those things? What actions do you need to take to set you up for immediate success vs long-term success?

4. What will the result be by you taking/not taking specific action? Will you reach your goals or fall short? If you fall short, that’s ok. Just realize that you either didn’t take the right actions (you need to change your strategy) OR you didn’t take enough action (try doubling your efforts if you believe you were on the right track).

Responding to failure

“Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.” – Mia Hamm

How do you respond to failure? Do you mope around or let it get you down? Or do you learn from it – what not to do or where it went wrong? What actions can you take in the future to avoid making the same mistake?

Be ok with failing. Everyone will fail at something. But just make sure you’re making adjustments along the way so as to not make the same mistake twice.

Dressing appropriately

Dress to impress. You decide what that means…just keep in mind that first impressions count. Keep the setting in mind with where you are going/what you are doing. If you have any doubt in your mind between what you should wear, choose the “fancier” of the two options. I’d rather be overdressed for an occasion than underdressed (trust me, I’ve done both).