PEOPLE SKILLS
It’s so simple, treat others how we would want to be treated. This is the secret to being a people person. Everyone wants to be respected and made to feel important. Nobody wants to be be taken advantage of or marginalized. Remembering and using people’s names, listening intently, saying thank you, offering praise when appropriate, and making others feel important goes a long way to winning them over.
INNOVATION
No matter what we do for a living, we should be finding ways to do what we do better. It doesn’t have to be giant leaps of insight and big ideas, just making small, continuous improvements over time (compound innovation) makes a big difference.
FEAR
I have a lot to say about this subject, but I’ll limit it to three main points. The first is, the people we see doing brave things were often afraid, but pushed past it. Our lives grow only as far as we push ourselves out of our comfort zone. Susan Jeffers said, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” I agree. Second, the only time I’m afraid to go on stage and speak to a large crowd is when I am not prepared (which is never, by the way). Practice, prepare, and then push yourself. Third, just say, “Yes!” The more we look before we leap, the harder it is to step off the cliff. Trust me, I know. In Hawaii, when I jumped off of some seriously high cliffs, I always offered to go first.
SIMPLICITY
I have found that the easiest way to simplify things (especially when it comes to decisions about what to do or not do) is to always choose to do the right thing.
INSTINCTS
We’ve all guessed on a test and then later came back to revisit the question only to change it to something else so it’s not just a good guess. Ha! That change is usually wrong. Our first instinct and gut reactions are usually right.
SLOW IS SMOOTH
Having coached baseball, football, and basketball I’ve come to learn that success comes when we slow things down. Don’t get me wrong I want a fast baserunner, a speedy receiver, and quick point guard, but I’ve come to live by this mantra: Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. How many times in life do we rush something and have to do it again. (Measure twice and cut once.) By slowing things down, we can actually save time.
KNOW AND NO
Some of us suffer from volunteerism. Others want to be people pleasers. And still more will say, “Yes” without thinking. Don’t be afraid to say, “No”. Many times a no to another person is a yes to ourselves. It’s okay to put family first and maybe miss out on going out. It’s okay to work on a personal project instead of trying to help others reach their goals. It’s okay to focus on fixing things in our own lives instead of trying to save the world. Know what matters most and focus on putting that first.
Part 2 of 3
