Tag: decide

Cut One Out

Post author By jrlsage
Post date July 28, 2017

Being decisive often means deciding between two “better” options.

Going through that prioritization is hard. Every decision you make affects a complex system. Nothing is on an island, and my assumption is that you intend on doing the right thing.

It is rough to know that even a little attention to that other option would mean some good in the world.

That is a trap. Eliminate it from your consciousness.

I know “no” when you know the cause is good is painful.

The alternative is a disservice to both. Letting something fall off could lead to someone else picking it up. That can’t happen if you are in the way.

Tags decide, good, priority

Blog Post

What Would Make You Change Your Mind?

Post author By jrlsage
Post date June 15, 2017

Before engaging in anything ask yourself this question

Our egos don’t like being wrong.

Because of that, they will bend, twist, and shake our memories into being right. This action leads to inflexibility.

We’ve sat in a meeting with our boss and seen this happen a thousand times. It is easy to see someone else do this.

Unfortunately, we do the same thing. You do it, and I do it.

One method I use when deciding is asking myself “What would make you change your mind?”

Then I write it down! (this part is essential)

When you ask yourself this question, you don’t let your mind play any games. When you write it down, you’ll have a checklist in front of you designed to help yourself get over your ego.

Whenever you check in on the project, you’ve built a list of questions that help you get over the hump and pivot.

Bingo, flexibility.

Tags decide, pivot

Blog Post

Don’t Let the Loudest Noise Win

Post author By jrlsage
Post date May 25, 2017

Always a million things to do

It seems if the world won’t let you go.

Every hour, every minute, every second there is another ding, another phone call, another project. A loud noise steals from you.

We hurt for it.

Every time we get lost in one of those distractions, we lose upwards of 20 minutes of our time to refocus. Not only that, the current thought or idea we had before is gone forever.

As Heraclitus said, “You can’t step into the same river twice.”

I assume if you’re reading this, something else is grabbing your attention, now.

If it is, I’d like you to ask yourself this question:

“Is the world going to end if I don’t look at this now?”

Remember, everything is a tradeoff, and if you don’t proactively decide, the loudest noise wins.

When have you ever been in a room and the most deafening noise was the most insightful?

My point exactly.

Tags attention, decide, Noise

Blog Post

Learning How To Start

Post author By jrlsage
Post date May 12, 2017

Do you want to get that next project out the door?

It’s not going to happen today unless you learn how to start.

How do you start?

Well, now. Do you have two minutes to spare?

Decide.

Tags decide, two minute rule

Blog Post

(S)He Who Decides, Wins

Post author By jrlsage
Post date May 2, 2017

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take

Go out and do.

There is a big difference between people who talk, those who do once, and those who often do.

The latter tribe is where people who ‘decide‘ end up,

Amazon wins the market because it is alway “Day One.” Win or lose – there is the next project.

They decide. You can too.

Tags decide, execute

Blog Post

Filtering

Post author By jrlsage
Post date May 20, 2016

Pick one

Take in a lot, make tiny mistakes, and improve our heuristics for filtering. This is uncomfortable.
Take in very little, get risk-averse, and don’t develop systems. This is comfortable.

The former option makes sure you can tear little holes in any ideological bubble. The latter leaves you trapped.

Experience is a choice until it isn’t. Life comes at you fast, and events like layoffs and death often leave us to remember the risks we didn’t take, instead of the comfort we had when we didn’t.

Tags black swan, comfortable, decide, heuristics, Improvement, uncomfortable

Blog Post

The Word That Will Make You Better

Post author By jrlsage
Post date April 21, 2016

Say “no” out loud.

Short, simple, powerful.

If you want impact in this world, you have to get used to saying it.

“Yes,” while sounding sweet, limits your ability to put your energy into projects that matter.

Time is the only thing we have. Our impact on people or our work relates to time shared or the amount of time we decide to share with the work. Each “yes” takes away from that.

While it’s important to put work in the world, to get better at it, you have to give your work the attention. That’s how you have an impact.

How do you want people to remember you?

Hurried and “busy” (yes)

Impactful and powerful (no)

Make it a point to say yes to Kate Harvie’s new website today! She is a terrific writer. Go!

Tags busy, decide, hurried, impactful, no, resource, time, time shared

Blog Post

Tribe Costs

Post author By jrlsage
Post date November 29, 2015

Great tribes enhance the people inside of them, they listen and try to understand the world around them.

The bad tribe does the opposite. Instead of growth, it emphasizes fear.

Both have a cost.

When you put yourself in a tribe, it doesn’t come free. You sacrifice some of your own opinion. No such thing as a free lunch.

If you are aware of the sacrifice, make it count.

Tags decide, opinion, tribes