How is it that that some people seem enormously successful, yet astoundingly they have more free time than the rest of us? Have you ever noticed as well that some people who are incredibly busy are at best only moderately successful? Perhaps you’re one of them, always busy, but not having as much to show for your efforts as you think you should.
The typical human reaction to this apparent contradiction in the natural order of things is to assume that the successful person with all the time on his hands is a) lucky, b) has an “in” with important people, and even c) must be doing something unethical, immoral or illegal.
While each of those considerations isn’t beyond the realm of possibility, there’s a far greater chance that the successful person with all of the free time on his hands has found a way to maximize his results while minimizing his efforts. He manages to do this by saying “NO” to unproductive tasks, either by making it clear to others up front that he won’t engage himself in them, or by simply refusing to participate.
Logically, isn’t that what we should all be doing?
That is what Fortune (Charles S. Dutton) asks of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger near the end of the movie “Rudy”. This is after Rudy has been denied the opportunity to dress (be on the sideline in uniform) for the final game of his senior season at Notre Dame. Rudy was never good enough to be a member of the team, but he spent two years working harder than anyone as a member of the practice squad. At the end of his junior year, Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian promised to let Rudy dress for a game during his senior season due to his hard work and dedication.
But after Rudy’s junior season, Parseghian decided to retire.
The new coach, Dan Devine, did not know about this promise, nor did he intend to let Rudy dress for a game. Rudy went through the entire season checking the weekly dress schedule and never saw his name on it. After the schedule for the final game was posted and his name was not on it, Rudy decided to quit. He walked out of the locker room determined to miss his final practice.
Then he ran into Fortune, who had been a mentor to Rudy. And Fortune reminded him of who he was.
Rudy returned to practice. The seniors rallied to his side and convinced the coach to let him dress. He even got into the game for the final couple of plays. The movie ends with Rudy being carried off the field by his teammates. But it almost never happened!
I am really into setting an objective, quantifying it, putting together a plan, and then going after it with everything that I have.
That is cool to me. It gives me energy and excitement. Provides purpose.
When I was in elementary school, I set a goal of being 6’3” tall. I am 6’2”. Not bad. Almost got there. Betcha didn’t know height is controlled by goal setting! Are you short? Raise the bar, set a higher goal!
Sometimes, though, it makes me do goofy things. Take for example, “Gonzo’s Great Gold Quest”. This was my attempt to achieve my goal of qualifying as a Gold Medallion member of Delta Airlines Sky Miles program.
When careers and money become questionable foundations in our lives, what’s left? It’s often only in bad economies that we even entertain the question.
In 10 Ways To Survive a Down Economy (published on Christianpf.com June 1) we listed ten strategies to help us deal with the bad economy. Our topic for today, the final strategy, Strategy #10:
Seek fulfillment beyond your work. In a world where careers are no longer either peaceful or progressive, self actualizing through your work may not be the path it’s been in the past. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to find fulfillment outside of work. Take more active roles in regard to your health, family, faith and community.
It seems that in our professional lives, we’re constantly reaching for more and always looking for ways to push ourselves harder and increase output. Our seemingly insatiable need to force just a little more productivity from ourselves and from our employees can backfire though and leave us looking and feeling like tyrannical taskmasters. However, there are ways to stay productive that don’t always include longer hours, drooping eyelids, and angry employees. Whether you’re an entrepreneur with only yourself to keep on task or you have a staff to keep motivated and productive, these tips can help reduce expenses, increase profits, and keep your business operating effectively.
In 10 Ways To Survive a Down Economy (published on Christianpf.com June 1) we listed ten strategies to help you deal with the bad economy. Our topic for today, Strategy #7:
Reduce your cost of living. What ever level you’re at, this effort will be crucial in the years ahead, much more so than it’s been in the past. Don’t assume a quick return to the easy money debt of the recent past will once again make thrift unnecessary. That thinking is a huge part of how the economy landed where it is now.
Simply put, it may be time to lower our sights in regard to our standard of living. Does that mean we lower our goals and make a conscious choice to accept a lesser life? Not at all! It would be better to say that it’s time to transfer our aspirations away from acquisition of the things we hope to own, and redirect ourselves toward goals in careers, savings and life in general.
Our lives after all, are what we do, not what we own.
One of my guilty pleasures is watching the audition shows of the various performance shows like American Idol and Last Comic Standing. So, of course, I was in front of my TV last month to watch the American Idol audition shows.
Some very talented people who auditioned received the golden ticket to Hollywood.
Some really bad singers did not and they were legitimately surprised when they failed to make it to the next round! (Don’t you think some of them just had to know how bad they really were?)
I got this month’s tip from a future speaking star! She is an energetic young lady who is one of the most positive people I know. She approaches life with fun and excitement and is great to be around.
When I asked her about this quote, she told me how important it is to know who you are and be that person.
I was a server all through college and even for a couple of years after I graduated. I worked in fine dining environments, up-scale restaurants, and pubs, wearing anything from long-sleeved dress shirts with a tie to a polo shirt and khakis. Everywhere I worked, I wanted to be known as the best server. Not one of the best. THE best.
During my “serving career,” I worked with a lot of people who did just enough to get by. I never understood that. Those same co-workers could never understand why I consistently made more in tips than they did and why customers would request me as their server. I decided that if I was going to be working, I was going to get the most out of it by giving it my all. And the results paid off.
General: Any information in regard to money, credit, personal finance, or in regard to any other monetary topic, provided or shared on OutOfYourRut.com is presented for information and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. It is intended to provide general information only and does not constitute personal financial advice in regard to your specific circumstances...MORE-->
