Tag: Success

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2017 In Review: Success

Let’s Build :-).

Don’t forget your success.

Our successes are critical to remember because:

  • Our brain has a natural tendency to forget the positive and focus strictly on the negative.
  • In our successes lay keys to more success (think – MOMENTUM).
  • The network and community we live in want to see us grow.

So, this is why I am taking a moment to document my three biggest successes of 2017, and what I intend to do to build on them moving forward.

Success

Working out

I’ve worked out more than I thought this year.I set the goal for three times a week, and as of the current moment, I’ve averaged over five days for the last six weeks of 2017! (That includes the dreaded holidays 🙂 )

Improvement

I want to move “working out” to be a daily ritual no different than making my bed or brushing my teeth. My hope is by making that mental shift; I now can focus on more interesting physical skills like a martial art.

Success

Community

I’ve been blessed to work with Farnam Street, AltMBA, and Startingbloc to varying degrees. My input has shaped communities and brought me into contact with some amazing people.  Events like “Open Mike Night” in the city has widened my network. I’ve been able to get people jobs, create new friendships, and create opportunities for others.

Improvement

I want to turn coffee meetings and lunch into an everyday event. I want to work on my skills of connecting people.

Success

Content

I shipped a “season” of video content on YouTube, written two essays, and have been able to be interviewed.  Through my job and my content, I’ve been able to put in more hours into presenting my findings and material to teams, and from that, I’ve learned much more about the work that goes into an excellent presentation.

I got a chance to record the next “season” for 2018, as well.

Improvement

More exposure, focusing on how I “sell” what I make to different audiences. I’d like to also get in front of more people live, do more Q&A, and test out what I know.

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2016 in Review: Successes

At the end of the year, I take the time to reflect. This post, and the others like it, are my lessons for 2016. My hope is by reading them; you get a sense of what my overall lessons were. My hope is by writing them; I’ll have a place to archive my memories. In the future, they are quickly sorted and filed when someone looks for insight.

Success is Fun

It is also surprising.

At the end of last year, I had an inkling of where I wanted to go in 2016. Here, at its end, most of the success I got I didn’t know until it happened.

Here are my top 10 successes in 2016.

  • Quitting my job – In 2015, I realized that I wanted to try something new. At the beginning of the year, I decided to leave my job at DTCC and see where this year took me. I left, ending one chapter of my life and starting a new one.
    • The lesson – When you aren’t into what you are doing, figure out a way to leave, and leave. There are more adventures in life, and you stop yourself when you decide to stick around out of “obligation.”
  • Giving value– In May of 2015, I started a journey. I wanted to increase my network. At the end of the year, I did that. This year, I wanted to work on giving better value to my network. I’ve gotten better at that through using my newsletter, one on ones with people, and holding office hours.
    • The lesson – Attaining numbers is easy, learning where you give value is much tougher. It forced me to narrow my focus and listen more. I also found out that people want to help as well, so I better be ready.
  • Cofound Harlem – I found Cofound Harlem last year. They hosted events. I even volunteered. One of the things I got from that was a chance to build with John Henry.After the first cohort, we went our separate ways. Fast forward eight months and they announced the second cohort. I just closed up a few projects and loved the mission. A few coffee chats later, I joined to help John with Cofound as the “director of strategy. ”
    • The lesson – Keep contacts warm and clear your schedule when needed. Things start to happen.  Your failures can create value. Some failures I had from this year (like Barbershop Books and Arcade School) prepared me to help John with the second cohort.
  • Writing Everyday – Last year, I wrote on this blog over 300 times. This year, I had a goal to write every day. I’ve done it. Through sickness, hectic schedules, travel – you name it, I’ve done it. I’ve become a better writer in the process.
    • The lesson – Consistency is a fantastic teacher and “busy” is no excuse. It’s doable.
  • Life as Usual Video – I made a couple of videos last year. I made them around my apartment. It was an experiment, just something I wanted to try. It didn’t “blow up” (no video is over 100 views). However, I learned a lot.
    • The lesson -I got better at talking about what this blog is about and connecting with people (some people just love video). It also gave me the confidence to “step it up.” The second season of the “Life as Usual Video Blog” premieres here next month.
  • Newsletter – I started 2015 happy I launched a newsletter.This year, I wanted to make one people enjoyed. It went through a ton of changes, however, by the end of the year I think it’s starting to find its footing. It has its voice with a long-form piece of writing from me and some links I find useful.  I’ve increased the subscriber count by 70 (200% growth) and get more feedback on Facebook and email.
    • The lesson – Don’t be afraid to try new things. Everything is a scratchpad, particularly in the beginning.
  • altMBA – For a program, I didn’t think I could get in (which applies to the last two “successes” as well), I was surprised at how welcoming the community was. altMBA is a challenge, and if you attend, you’ll have the pleasure of being around some smart and driven folks. However, the biggest surprise is how quick you create a bond and how much work you get done in such a short period.  This program shifted how I thought of work and group projects writ large.
    • The Lesson – Always apply. Show up. People want you to succeed. Projects can create a bond with pressure.
  • Coaching altMBA – I had to give this a separate space because coaching was its “beast.” The amount of work increased as a coach, I now had to add guidance counselor and mentor to the list of duties. As much as I grew as a student, I got the opportunity to double down as a coach. It was an honor to be selected and have a chance to help shape this program – one that will help students for years to come.
    • The lesson – Show up every day. Your opinion matters. Be sharp. Work with people. Sometimes those around you need time to vent. Communicate.
  • Harvard Business School CoreX – This was hard for other reasons. I think there would be little overlap between altMBA and this, however, the workload was about the same. The difference with this was it was less about my creativity and more about the details. It turned me into a better entrepreneur regarding X’s and O’s.
    • The lesson – Consistency matters. Number matter. Studying matters. Study groups help. Don’t be afraid to go over things multiple times.
  • StartingBloc – After being told about this, I didn’t know what to expect. What I found was a leadership institute much different than the ones I’ve previously attended. This had a bite to it I’ve rarely seen. Every day I was exhausted. I didn’t even attend the “party.” I walked away from it a changed leader that understood himself more, along with a network of fantastic people who have become a new tribe.
    • The lesson – Try new things. Seek adventure. Give value. See what happens.
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Don’t Push Back Pushback

dont-push-back-pushback

Face it. Then you win.

Pushback happens.

When you delegate, it is inevitable.

Pushback isn’t the issue, in fact, it’s a good thing. A difference of opinion is the bedrock of growth. New perspectives mean new ways of “seeing.”

The issue is how you handle it.

Our initial reaction is defensive. We get nervous, and our inner critic sees an opening to verify “conclusions.”

It feels like the inner critic has control, it doesn’t.  Let it pass.

On the other side, there is room to listen. When you listen, you enhance trust.

The quality of the pushback doesn’t matter. If it’s bad, then you can respond with research and help align the team. If it’s good, then even better.

Trust leads to better quality pushback because your team is ok with telling you their bad ideas.

Bad ideas + trust = better ideas, more alignment, more buy-in. This is an equation for growth.

Don’t let your inner critic stop your success.

 

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Some Things Professionalism Is

Professionalism has a wide berth

Yesterday I went over some byproducts of professionalism, but not professionalism itself. I did that because I am a huge fan of subtraction. Getting rid of the stuff around you is a great way to increase focus, and by focusing on what professionalism isn’t is a chance to increase the focus.

So, once you’ve read that post, take on this one.

The great thing about adding things with focus is that you can experiment. I’ve seen professionals in a lot of disciplines, and a lot of their habits are different. Since I have that experience, this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are just too many things I see professionals do. With that said, I consistently see these three behaviors.

These are the three behaviors

Rituals – Rituals get professionals in a mood to work. The great thing about rituals is that they are anything you want. Maya Angelou famously got a hotel room to sit in and work. Twyla Tharp gets a cab every morning to work out.  George Gershwin wouldn’t take off his pajamas when he sat to compose. Rituals work – because they get you to execute without expending precious willpower. [Read this: Daily Rituals: How Artists Work]

Questions – Professionals question as often as they need. Questions bring understanding, allowing the professional to see boundaries.  If you take what someone gives you without investigation and you allow fear to creep in and take over your decision-making (by not asking questions) then it’s the opposite of professional. [Read this: A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas]

Respect – Professionals use respect to build relationships. Respect people’s trust, time, and energy. Saying thanking, having gratitude, keeping negative energy away, and most importantly, listening all give professionals the chance to keep the people around him feeling and working well.   [Read this: Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone]



It takes some time


I’ve had trouble with all three of those behaviors throughout my life.  I am striving to add more professionalism in my life daily. They aren’t easy to maintain, especially when trouble strikes. I’ve noticed, though, if I follow those three things, I get through troubling situations with much less headache. To keep them up, through, I have to stay vigilant and recognize that when they do fall apart, how can I  get back on and get back to work.


The great thing is, this isn’t an exhaustive list. Some professionals are big on calendars, some are big on assistants, some need to run every day, and some need to get some Call of Duty gaming time in. There are a ton of behaviors that make professionals tick.  That gives you a wide berth to try things out, understand your own ticks, and build on this list to make your own professional chart.


But, there is no better place to start than the list above. If you want to become truly professional start here.  


 


		


	


	

		
		


			

		


		
	


	






	



	


		
			

				
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What Professionalism Isn’t

		


			

		


		
	





	


		


			
I strive for professionalism


This isn’t an accident. Being a professional doesn’t come by luck or happenstance, it comes from deliberate action. Deliberate action is difficult, because it comes at a cost of comfort and space.  


I love being around professionals. There are some great byproducts that come from it, like getting better results, having an impressive group of friends, or being well liked by powerful people  through getting to know them. All of this is well and good, but they don’t make you one.


Here are a few things professionalism isn’t


    

  • Results-based – Just because I get to a million dollars* doesn’t mean I am successful. I made this first because results are the most visible. If I see a millionaire I, and the world I project, will most likely see him as professional. This is wrong. The key distinction here is that successful doesn’t mean professional, because luck plays a role in results, but not professionalism.
    • 

  • Friends-based – Powerful friends don’t make you a professional. I can’t call someone to improve my professionalism. Being around professionals helps, lets me see the model, but there is no such thing as professional osmosis. The key distinction here is that being seen around professionals or hanging around professionals doesn’t make me a professional.
    • 

  • Magic-based – You don’t just wake up one. There is no knighting ceremony or ritual. There is no time need. There is no pumpkin turning into a horse-drawn chariot. The key distinction here is that no one can make me a professional.  No one casts “a spell” and creates “a professional.”
    • 



Don’t confuse the byproduct with the product


It is far more comfortable to leave it alone and just hang out with the byproducts,  or stick around the same conferences, or buying things that will “transform” you. Becoming a professional is tough. It gets confusing. It is often a scary process, filled with dark nights and wondering if it’s worth it. If you do want it though, you should put your effort into the work.


Note: Tomorrow I will get into what professionalism is.


*Insert any resource here.


		


	


	

		
		


			

		


		
	


	






	



	


		
			

				
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A @marcmaron Conversation With @JasonSegel

		


			

		


		
	





	


		


			
I Love to give people books! Enter Now For Free Books


Here is a conversation between Comedian Marc Maron(host of the wildly successful WTF Podcast) and Jason Segal (How I Met Your Mother, The Muppet Movie, Forgetting Sarah Marshall).


Jason Segel was drawn to acting because of a quote from The Muppets. Now that he’s been on a hit TV series, starred in several successful movies, and helped resurrect those very Muppets, what’s next? Jason talks to Marc about the changes in his life, the debt he owes Judd Apatow and the challenge of playing David Foster Wallace.


They discuss career, growing up, and how Jason dealt with being an odd mix of being an awkward kid stuck between Christianity and Judaism. What struck me most however, was his work trying to understand and play David Foster Wallace in the film ‘End of the Tour’ and through that a powerful theme arises  about success, how we deal with it, how we consider it, and how it can ultimately control us.


Worth a listen.


Note: The movie, End of the Tour, is a piece built around a Rolling Stone Reporters visit to David Foster Wallace on his tour of Infinite Jest .


I Love to give people books! Enter Now For Free Books


 


		


	


	

		
		


			

		


		
	


	






	



	


		
			

				
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Getting Good Is Hard

		


			

		


		
	





	


		


			
Showing up is hard. Being honest is hard. Self Discipline is hard. Understanding the world is unfair is hard. Waking up on time is hard. Reading every day is hard. Writing everyday is hard. Keeping a schedule is hard. Turning off the TV is hard. Sending out thank you notes are hard. Writing a calendar is hard. Taking meetings are hard. Doing your best when no one is looking is hard. Initiating conversation is hard. Thinking objectively is hard. Not eating sweets is hard. Being vulnerable is hard. Not boasting is hard. Doing homework is hard. Consistent meditation is hard. Listening to your own work is hard. Admitting ignorance is hard. Not letting others make you angry is hard. Picking up the phone is hard. Asking for feedback is hard. Doing laundry is hard. Boundaries are hard. Not joining in on negativity is hard. Failure is hard. Freedom is hard.


		


	


	

		
		


			

		


		
	


	






	



	


		
			

				
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Its Flow

		


			

		


		
	





	


		


			
I am spending my time trying to understand flow.


The term is powerful, falling into it is powerful, and staying in it is powerful.


If I can master the understanding, I can position myself for more success


		


	


	

		
		


			

		


		
	


	






	



	


		
			

				
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Success Town

		


			

		


		
	





	


		


			
The road to success is filled with failure and a lot of exits to go anywhere but.


		


	


	

		
		


			

		


		
	


	






	



	


		
			

				
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Failure and Success – True Balance

		


			

		


		
	





	


		


			
Not all failure is bad.


Not all success is good.


It is easy to succeed into mediocrity – no risks lead to little reward, a pat on the head, and a resting place in that cubicle.


It is hard to talk yourself into failure – there is a lot of questions – a lot of what if? Who wants to be fired?


I think the most successful of us all know that the key to exceptional-ism is to fail into success. Take those chances and stretch out into the breach.


		


	


	

		
		


			

		


		
	


	



	




			

		





	

		

	

		
		

		
		



		
	


			
		
		
	




 


		 	
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