Have you noticed all this focus on the perfect habits of successful people as if the cause for their success can be summed up as a daily 8 hr sleep, 30 min exercise, and 30 min reflection time? But it’s not real.
New Years Eve, Christmas Day, birthdays… we’re pretty good at celebrating important occasions. In between these holidays our days can often be forgotten as the pace of life demands our time for work, errands, exercise, etc.
As a person I’ve gotten pretty good at forgoing fun to reach a goal. Often knowing that a holiday is coming is all I need to keep the sacrifice going.
When a goal is achieved it’s rewarding. It makes the sacrifice worthwhile. Inspirational speakers talk about the impact people can make if they choose growth over comfort and work over fun.
It’s hard not to praise people like Steve Jobs, who epitomized what it looks like to die for your company and dreams. At his end he remarked that it may have been the strain of working as the CEOs of both Pixar and Apple that brought about his cancer.
When you achieve your goals or hit the jackpot it’s easy to look back at that sacrifice and feel it was worth it. Yet, what if the road is longer than you anticipated and you’ve fallen short of your quarterly goals. Even though you are made of the stuff of champions – character and perseverance – the years go by and the goal remains aloof.
Is the sacrifice worth it if the reward is the end?
Sacrificing fun over work makes for a purpose-driven life, but not a good one.
Nelson Mandela is quoted as saying that, “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life less than the one you are capable of living.”
I see two important parts to what he said. Firstly, passion is found when you live up to your potential. And secondly, you are capable of living a larger life.
It’s easy for personalities like my own to miss the nuance of his point. Because I’m oriented towards action, when I read Mandela’s words I know them to be true and am motivated to work even harder.
But working harder isn’t living larger. It isn’t really living at all. It’s might even be playing small.
I’ve heard it said that we get to choose our habits and our habits choose our future. I agree with that. I’ve also learned from others that there is a difference between good trade-offs and bad ones.
Living a life that you are capable of requires trade-offs. Each person is unique and their trade-offs will be different. Perhaps it means giving up security for an opportunity. Or giving up the 80 hour work week for time to invest in your family.
As 2014 has come to a close here’s what I’ve learned and will be taking with me in 2015. Good luck this year as you pursue the large life that you are capable of living.
- To attract people to your cause you need a mission and a vision that’s easy to articulate.
- Find fulfilment in your vision because it will become real.
- Focusing your attention on growth and development rather than on goals makes the journey worthwhile.
- It’s hard to control outcomes but it’s easy to control activities.
- Measuring activities make outcomes more predictable
- People are motivated and/or held back by fear, security, and fun.
- Make fun an intentional part of your day.
- Celebrate everything.
- Working smarter is better than working harder, combining the two will get you further than either.
- Working with others who also understand this will multiply everyones efforts.
- If you are motivated you will be more likely to continue.
- If you continue you will be more likely to reach your goals.
- If your attention is on growth you will have achieved success on the entire journey.
All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through the bad luck – who keeps right on going – is the man who is there when the good luck comes – and is ready to receive it.
Robert Collier
- Successful people attract success.
- Life’s a long journey – make time for fun. It’s not a trade worth making.
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
Nelson Mandela
