"Most people fail in life because they major in minor things." - Tony Robbins
This is going to be a fast post, but hopefully insightful. I'm challenging myself, by giving myself exactly 10 minutes to see if I can come up with something that might just help you for the rest of your life.
Let's roll ...
Here are 10 questions that I think if you strive to answer these well in thought and action, they will pay you back over your life-time, and multiply your results.
1. Who do you want to be and what experiences do you want to create?
You are not who you see in the mirror. And, you are not your job title. The better you can answer this question, and the better you can root your identity in who you truly are, the better off you will be, in dealing with the ever-changing world.
Long ago, I asked one of my colleagues how he managed his career. He said, "Simple: I figure out what experiences I want to have for this next year."
Several years ago, one of my managers asked me one day, "Who do you want to show up as?" I didn't want to show up like a chicken with it's head cut off. I wanted to show up more like James Bond. Related, another manager asked me the question, "How do you want people to experience you?"
When you put it all together, it's such a simple question that we can guide us on a daily basis:
Who are you, and what experiences do you want to create?
2. Why do you do what you do?
When you know "WHY" you do what you do, you are unstoppable. Why? Because your purpose gives you power. It fuels your body, mind, and spirit in powerful ways.
It's your simplest way to become a relentless force of power.
It's your fastest way to renew on a regular basis.
It's your best way to get on path and to get back on path after you've fallen off.
Why do I do what I do? I want to improve the quality of life for as many people as I can, as long as I can. It's that simple. But here is an elaboration on why do I do what I do, for you.
3. What are your values?
Your values light up your life. They really do. The problem is, most of us don't walk around with awareness of what our most important values actually are.
Here are a few of mine:
Adventure
Excellence
Empowerment
At one of my leadership trainings, we did a deep dive on finding our values. Once I figured out that Adventure was important to me, I baked it into work and life. At work, instead of driving projects, I started leading epic adventures. I would have the team draw the movie poster of our future victory to inspire our quest. And I made it a point to take at least one amazing cross-country road trip each year.
All in the spirit of baking more Adventure into my life.
Need help find your values? Here's a simple exercise to help you find your values.
4. What are your strengths?
Your strengths are your natural talents that you can do all day. You get better and better in them, and they come naturally to you. In fact, they come so easily to you, that you might not even realize that they are strengths.
They are easy for you.
But hard for other people.
And that's the twist that makes them so valuable.
