Tag: effort

The great power in pounding away at your goals every day.

In 2016 my family and I moved from Atlanta to Milwaukee. While Atlanta is a great city, it also has its not-so-great parts. By that I mean the ridiculous traffic problem. One of the things I love about living in Milwaukee is the lack of traffic. That and cheese curds 24/7.

However, right now, the 17 miles of I-43 that I drive on my commute to work every day are all under construction. They are adding another lane to the interstate in both directions over that entire stretch. Which means they also have to tear down and rebuild every bridge that crosses over the interstate to accommodate the wider freeway. I haven’t seen this much bridge destruction and rebuilding since I stopped watching The Real Housewives or Orange County.

One of the upsides of the slow-moving traffic is that there is plenty to look at. My favorite piece of equipment that I pass is the massive pile driver near Nicolet High School in Glendale. Every day I see and hear it pounding away in the median between the north and southbound lanes. It’s driving pilings for a new bridge support deep into the bedrock like Fred and Barney would do.

A non-WWE style pile driver, like the one I see on my commute.

A Role Model For Success

As I slowly drive by the loud, methodical bang, bang, banging of the pile driver and watch it make its mind-numbingly slow progress, I find myself inspired. Because that machine shows you exactly how you drive results in anything.

You just keep hammering away.

• Life has taught me that if you want to get stronger, you have to hit the weights, day after day, after day after day.

• If you want to create a successful business you have to keep pounding away at the fundamentals of business development, customer delivery, and employee support, day after day after day.

• To be a good parent you have to share the importance of good habits and good morals day after day for a minimum of 18 years. You also have to remind yourself not to run away and leave those children behind every day.

• To read a book you have to read word after word after word for days, weeks or months. There is no other way.

• If you want to write a 50,000-word book you have to write word after word after word. And then rewrite the book over and over again, like Nelly and Tim McGraw said.

• If you want a successful and happy marriage you have to work at it day after day after day until one of you dies.

• Athletic success requires you to put in the practice and training day after day for years and years.

• You become wealthy by steadily saving and investing your money and letting that interest compound day after day after day. (And if you accumulate too much you can always share it with me.)

Key Takeaway

Keep pounding. Success doesn’t come easy. Results don’t come overnight. The outcome you are after is built through a slow and steady accumulation of effort. Be patient. Be persistent. And just don’t stop. That is the simple yet proven formula for all great accomplishments.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

Life is like a choir concert. Which part do you play?

Last night I went to a middle school choir concert. And I noticed that there are three types of middle school choir participants.

  1. The Non-Singers.

These kids are in the choir physically. And that’s where their involvement stops. Yes, they are on stage. But there is little to no effort given. They have shown up to prove that showing up may be half the battle, but it’s not the half that makes a difference. Occasionally these kids will move their mouths. This happens most frequently during the chorus of a popular song. But if you were standing next to them on stage you wouldn’t hear much more than lyrical breathing coming from their faces.

2. The Singers

These kids sing. (Hence the name of this category.) They are involved. They knew the words. Their mouths move. And they look as if they are on the stage due to their own free will. There are no this is so dumb looks from The Singers. There are also no I am so dumb that I accidentally ended up on stage amongst a bunch of singers all wearing white shirts types of looks from The Singers. They simply show up, do their jobs, and try not to fall off the risers.

3. The Performers

These kids are in the choir to perform. To entertain. To put on a show. These kids have energy and effort. They have passion and joy. (In fact, I think Passion and Joy were two of the 7th-grade girls in the concert last night. They may have been twins.) The Performers make you think that the concert is one of the best events of the year. The Performers look alive. They put thought and effort into their appearance. You can tell that they are feeling it. They make you feel it too.

Key Takeaway

Fill your life with activities that make you feel like you are The Performer. Lean into the work that gives you energy. Where the effort comes easily and joyfully. Where the smile is natural. Find work that makes you feel strong and capable of entertaining with your skills and knowledge. Spend your time participating in hobbies and recreation that you love. Not only are those activities enjoyable for you, but that feeling you feel spreads to others who see you at work or play. Humans are wired to feel the energy of those around us. This has nothing to do with actual skill. It is about attitude, effort and enjoyment. And it’s contagious.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+If you are interested in more messages like this, check out my new book What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

If you want results stop chipping and start chopping.

Not all actions are equal. Which means the return on your invested time and energy is not equal. Occasional effort put into an activity, practice, or exercise is not the same as fully-dedicated effort with a plan, a schedule, and a timer. #TimeToMakeTheDonuts

Chipping

Chipping is the occasional effort you put towards a task. Sometimes you go for a run, eat a salad, read, or play an instrument. Chipping is going to church at Christmas and Easter, which makes you a  Chreaster. Chipping is shooting hoops in the driveway, sometimes, in your flip flops.

Chipping means you partake occasionally, when you feel like it. You write, sometimes. You study, now and then. You work late once a month.    

Chipping lets you say you tried. But it doesn’t move the needle. It doesn’t build momentum. And it won’t help your New Year’s resolution survive until February.

Chopping

Chopping is focusing on your goals, making a plan, writing it down, creating a schedule. Chopping means declaring a goal. Or declaring war. Chopping means setting a timer to your activity. Chopping is creating a habit. Chopping is swinging away and working up a sweat like clockwork. Over and over again. Like Nelly and Tim McGraw.

Key Takeaway

Chipping allows you to say you tried. Chopping brings down the tree.