After knocking out your requirements, is what you are doing better for now or later?
Are you learning or relaxing?
If you aren’t doing either, and it isn’t a requirement, why are you doing it?
This is more question than soft statement, by the way…
Non-catastrophic failure is a path to knowing.
No different than opening a book or watching a video, other than it hurts a little more.
Ask yourself, when it happens, what can you do differently? My bet, if you do this enough in a year, you’ll be in a better place the next time the calendar comes around.
Did you do something today that will show up as value to you or someone else tonight?
How about something that shows up a month from now? What about a year?
We aren’t just playing the long term game or the short term game. At our best, it’s both.
This Presidents day, I am reminded of the power of status. Specifically, about the power your status gives, and the responsibility you have to wield it correctly.
As a leader, especially when designated as one (i.e. the office of the presidency) who you are is tied into that powerful position.
This is no different than being a manager or a founder.
How do you use it? Do you wield it as a way to execute “my way or the highway?” Or maybe you use it as a way to spotlight people that haven’t felt seen? Maybe you even have that power used as a cudgel against your enemies?
Whatever you do, remember the power of your status.
(Good reminder that there is no such thing as a “harmless comment,” either)
Here is a universal rule – whenever you think of a timeline, it’s optimistic.
We can’t see into the unknown, and as you add people and processes, it gets ever more murky.
Resist the urge to say you’ll turn that around tomorrow when you have the next two days to as well.
Added bonus: Let’s say you do complete it the next day, how can you take it to the next level? Remember, if it’s worth working on, it’s worth upgrading.
In fact, it usually never is, at first.
For good automation to work, it requires knowing the HOW, WHY, WHAT, and WHERE. This takes a lot of investment – and we are talking months to years.
Good automation is done for things that don’t change.
Don’t fall for the trap of “setting it and forgetting it” without having enough knowledge in the first place.
Our ideas have to explore. They have to go to the wilderness.
Perhaps they die, there are plenty of dangers there.
However, if they do return, they are hardened, and the best ones can even inform the other ideas before they begin their trip.
Send them.
Imagine your focus has transformed into the eyes on a stove.
For most of us, the eyes are constantly all over the place – two of the eyes are hot, one warm, one cold, and you can’t control them.
We use stoves to cook meals. No burner control means we can’t tell when we cook anything well. The outcome of our food(projects) Is up in the air.
Some of them are cooked, some undercooked, some burnt.
That is where we start.
If you cook enough, you’ll have a few that work well.
Given enough meals, though, you’ll become a better chef, even with he wild burners.
You’ll learn to see signs and move the pans when necessary.
However, this is wildly inefficient and a recipe for burnout.
The other knob to turn (ha!) are the burner controllers on the stove.
That way you don’t have to move the pan, you can just control the heat. If you can move pans, you can also move your hand down and control how fast they are burning.
Unfortunately, turning them isn’t as easy as twisting your wrist.
Maybe it is?
In our heads, we are certain.
In life, we never can be.
Embrace the mystery – remember, variety is the spice of life.
It takes people with you.
People are waiting on something to cheer, critique, or complain about.
They can’t do it on an idea for long.
So, half baked or not, get started.
