Below are sayings I find myself repeating when I come up short, need encouragement, or want to improve. Self-talk matters. The conversation in my head stops long enough for me to visit with a friend or order my venti, dark roast coffee of the day, black.
- Inspiration is easy, implementation is the hard part. My Zone Director at MidSized Pharma repeated this at every meeting. Setting and starting new goals is never the problem. Keeping with them, on the other hand…
- People won’t change until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. Zone Director also repeated this one about changing habits every chance he got. If his statement rings true for me, it probably applies to those around me.
- Don’t be afraid to start small. Willie Nelson spoke volumes with this advice. He did not say “dream small” or “endeavor to stay small” just start small. My interpretation: get your bearings, make low-stakes mistakes, and then scale up.
- Willful waste makes woeful want. I hate waste – wasted time, wasted energy, or wasted money – precisely because when I did waste my time, energy or money, I later wished I had it.
- If a task is once begun, never leave it till it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all. When I am 2/3 the way through doing laundry, painting a room, or cleaning my office — and bored with my task — this little diddy starts singing between my ears.
- Leave it better than you found it. My brother finished out as Eagle Scout and my dad went along for the journey as a Scout leader. Their attitude towards picking up trash when they saw it, tidying up a space, or little courtesies to help someone out stays with me.
- Comparison only leads to bitterness or vanity. Do not compare. Enough said.
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