Tag: life

There are no shortcuts worth taking in the long run

There are no shortcuts worth taking in the long run. Of course, this is metaphorically speaking. I’m sure you could find actual examples of shortcuts that are beneficial to you. But in the way of thinking of trying to avoid putting in the hard work, it is almost always better that you go through that tough experience instead of trying to skirt around it. The hardships will help to develop you as a person.

So instead of cheating to get an A in a class or on a test, study hard and earn that A. That way you’ll actually learn the material and be able to use it in the future.

Or instead of taking steroids to get strong really quickly, build your body over time. It will be safer and better for your overall health.

Instead of lying or taking credit when you don’t deserve it at work, tell the truth and you’ll earn more respect. Share the credit with others when it is due to them. Be humble in your successes and gracious in your defeats.

Learn to enjoy the journey instead of only focusing on the destination. When you stop and pay attention, you’ll realize that the trials and tribulations you experience along the way are some of your best learning lessons.

On receiving advice

“Advice is one thing that is freely given away, but make sure that you only take in that which is worth having.” Excerpt from The Richest Man in Babylon

Everyone has an opinion on something and most people want to share their opinions, no matter how much or how little knowledge they have on the subject. It is important to keep an open mind, to be respectful, and to listen to other’s ideas, opinions, and advice.

But before you accept their advice and start putting it into action, try to understand if the source from which you’re receiving the advice is credible to listen to. Do they have first-hand experience in what they’re recommending to you? Are they intimate with someone who does? How far removed are they from the successes or failures of those opinions?

Be sure to always think for yourself. Use your critical thinking skills and try to play out best-case and worst-case scenarios on your head. Try to analyze the risks versus the rewards, and the likelihood of either of those extremes (as well as the middle-ground). Play devil’s advocate and try to punch holes in their advice. Does it still hold up?

In the end, understand that you can spend all day analyzing and not take any action. We all know someone who can see the faults of every decision, but is too afraid to make a decision of their own. Don’t be one of those people. Take actions (especially when it comes with asymmetric risk), learn from your mistakes, and keep moving forward.

To experience success, you must experience failure

Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.
“Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” – Arianna Huffington

Success is something we all crave. Failure is something we try to avoid like the plague. But to experience the most success possible, you must also endure many failures along the way.

Success is not about never failing. It’s not about never having a hard time. It’s not about making everything look easy/effortless.

Everyone who has done anything great or meaningful in their lives has had to overcome hardships. But here’s the thing, the people who toil in misery? They have faced those hardships as well, but instead of rising after they have fallen, they stay down. Don’t stay down…get up after you fail. Dust yourself off. Adapt and overcome. Eventually, you will turn your failures into success as well.

Goals, a vivid vision, and living proactively

Focus on living proactively instead of reactively.

What are you doing today to set your future self up for success? Are you going into each day by looking at what you need to get done for the day? Prioritize what has to get done for the day in order to hit your weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly goals.

If you’re not planning each day intentionally, you end up reacting to the day’s events. You’re very busy, but you’re not very productive. You feel like a chicken running around with its head chopped off or like you’re running around, putting out fires all day. You end the day exhausted, but not feeling like you moved the needle towards your long-term goals.

Set time aside to figure out what you want your life to look like next year, in three years from now, and in ten years from now. Do you have a vision of how great your life will be?

You need to have direction in your life. How can you get somewhere if you don’t know where you’re going? Have a roadmap with your destination showing and the route planned out (hitting milestones along the way).

Hiring rules

When you’re hiring, look to hire someone who is teachable, has a good work ethic, is trustworthy, and has a good attitude. They need all four of those qualities.

If they have a poor work ethic, the work won’t get done.

If they aren’t smart enough to actually learn (or they aren’t willing to listen/be teachable), the quality of the work will suffer.

If they aren’t trustworthy, you will never be able to fully concentrate on what you need to do, because you’ll constantly be wondering if that person is doing what they’re supposed to do.

And if they have a bad attitude, it will make your workday worse, it will give your company a bad reputation with customers, and it will slowly erode your company culture.

This is why your employees need all four of these characteristics. Don’t necessarily look to hire for someone who already has the specific skill sets you need. As long as you have the time to train them and they possess the four qualities listed above, they will do well and your team will grow.