Motivation FOR 2021

2021

Sure 2020 has 2 more weeks left in it but who the hell wants this year to continue? Let’s get on with the new year and hopefully a new start for so many that have been impacted by COVID, the Election or any of the other events going on in life.

1. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. 
   1. This will always be number one for me. Rushing does not mean you are going to get something done faster or quicker. More often then not it means you are going to have to spend more time undoing whatever mistakes come from rushing. If you aim for accuracy then you will minimize the cycles needed to hit your target.
2. We All Need Information to Make Informed Decisions. 
   1. A hold over from past years… Life has always been and will always be about decisions. In order to make those decisions we need to gather , ingest and process variables and information from all available sources.
3. Don’t Be Afraid To Believe In The Person No One Else Believes In
   1. It’s easy for people to write off a person. Easy to say “they are who they are”. Yet sometimes in life all that you or a different person needs is belief. The feeling that someone is in their corner or that they won’t be judged for failing. You would be amazed at the happy, wonderful, exciting and fulfilling things that come from taking a chance on someone no one else will.
4. Situational Awareness Matters
   1. In a way , this ties into slow is smooth and smooth is fast. While hard to quantify situational awareness is the ability to take information in, both actively and passively , and form a coherent plant or thought from that information.
5. Don’t Be Afraid To Live life
   1. If the challenges of this past year have taught us anything it is that nothing is guaranteed and in the blink of an eye, things can change. So when an idea presents itself, when a thought comes to your mind, when an option is offered throw all you have into it. Maybe it works, maybe it fails, maybe it succeeds in ways you never thought of. Just don’t be afraid to try whatever that ridiculous thing is.

2020

So yeah 2020 has come in and hit hard. Pandemic leading to cancellation of all things. Motivation , fundamentals, words to live by have become even more important.

1. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. 
   1. This will always be number one for me as it’s the primary approach I take in life. Rushing does not mean you are going to get done faster or maintain control.
2. Every Voice Matters
   1. One of the 8 core values of the company I work for, the message I take from this is that solutions, knowledge, information can come from the weakest voice or the strongest mind. The responsibility we have with this is to always be willing to listen, to learn , to process and to move forward.
3. We need Information To Make Informed Decisions
   1. Information or knowledge allows us to make decisions that make sense for whatever equation we are trying to solve. Expect information from those you are dealing with or working with but I don’t count on that information because while foundational knowledge is important, as we know, nothing is guaranteed in life.

2019

New year and new thoughts that go to the motivation wall.

1. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. 
   1. This will always be number one for me as it’s the primary approach I take in life. Rushing does not mean you are going to get done faster or maintain control.
2. Get After It
   1. No one owes you anything or is going to give you anything in this life. It’s on you to figure out your targets and go after them as hard as you can. Doesn’t matter if it’s a short term target or something you have been working on for years, put your boots up and get after it.
3. Standby To Get Some
   1. You know that whatever you are about to do is not going to be easy . You know it’s going to hurt you physically, mentally, emotionally, in whatever way but it’s something you have to do to get to your target and you don’t let that stop you.
4. Discipline Equals Freedom
   1. Once you have your targets set you need the self control to achieve those targets. By controlling your choices then you control your options or possibilities.

2018

In life there are a few key concepts that keep me going and moving forward. It’s a mixture of military concepts , things I have noticed or things I have heard at places like CLUS or other points in my life.

They might not work for everyone but they have always worked for me so here they are for anyone interested:

1. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
2. You can’t always make the perfect decision but always try and make the right decision.
3. People say “work smarter , not harder” and I 100% disagree because to be elite you need to work harder and smarter then everyone else.
4. Develop, market and sell your own personal brand.
5. “No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.” No technical plan survives first contact with an unexpected problem.  “In planning for battle I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.” 
6. Create multiple professional relationships as having access to the knowledge set of other professionals is one of your greatest tools.
7. If you are confident and believe in yourself then redirect all praise to others while making sure to take as much blame away from everyone else.
8. As the pressure mounts your individual focus needs to sharpen while your personal calmness needs to increase.
9. Earn professional trust with repetition of words and acts.
10. Do not complain unless you have a viable possible solution.
11. Be passionate in whatever you are doing.
12. Seeing friends or co-workers succeed is more rewarding then achieving individual success.
13. Have fun , life is a beautiful thing and worth enjoying.

Some of those sound silly, some of those sound trite or forced but in reality they are , for me, words to live by. Last year someone heard me use one of them and they now believe in that same specific concept. The key thing, if none of these thoughts work for you on an individual level, create your own and let them direct you in life.