You will get better at what you are doing if you are willing to practice every day, If you are willing to do the work.
Remember, to get the prize, you must first do the work.
Start where you are. Do not make it too hard for yourself. Getting better at something is not about making it too hard. It is about paying attention to it.
Makt it simple. According to Dr. Eric Maisel, ‘Simple doesn’t mean static. Simple doesn’t mean doing exactly the same thing each day. Simple means doing the thing appropriate to that day’s practice.’
‘One kind of playfulness? Improv! Maybe that’s what your practice needs today, some improvisation!’
‘The content of your practice needs to be, not some simulation, substitute, or likeness.’
‘There is no ‘way’ to practice. There is only honesty and intention. Let your practice honestly and intentionally serve your desire to live your life purposes.’
‘You decide. Who else should?’
‘You must decide on the contours of our practice. And you must decide to actually practice. You can’t begin to practice without deciding to practice.’
‘You can spend an intense hour. Or an intense minute. Either way, make it intense!’
‘Kneading the dough? That requires your presence. Cutting the onions? That requires your presence. Whatever your presence is, be present.’
‘Is your daily practice a private one? It could be. But it doesn’t have to be. Practice in public, if that’s what your heart desires. Trust yourself to understand what your practice requires!
‘Inspiration may come. Let’s hope so! But perspiration first.’
‘Should you read yet another business book? Or actually spend time every day building your business?’
‘We may not be able to do a lot, but we can do what we can every day.’
‘Can you run away from all that chaos and noise? Wouldn’t it be better to stop and create some silence?
Do not just read these quotes. Use them to change how you do your work.
As always, you are more, not less!
Further Reading:
Eric Maisel, PhD (2020). The Power of Daily Practice: How Creative and Performing Artists (and Everyone Else) Can Finally Meet Their Goals
Remember that you are responsible for your own life. If you do not like what is going on in your life, you can change it. If you can’t change it, then you have got to change yourself.
According to Kendra Scott, ‘You do not need to be perfect to be valued, you do not need to shine for anyone but yourself.’ If you want to change your life, do not focus on being perfect. Focus on making progress.
‘The best lessons you learn are the ones you never realize are being taught to you.’ To learn, always pay attention to what is going on around you, especially those things that people don’t say.
‘My work is not my purpose, but it powers my purpose.’ You work is your gift to God. So do it well. Really well!
‘The meaning of life is not to drive yourself to the ground but to be present with ourselves and each other.’ Doing too much is not the right way to get things done. The right way to get things is to be where you are, not the other way around.
‘We hardly ever know what moments and memories will become buidling blocks for who we are.’ That is why you should never underestimate what you are doing, where you are, and what you are getting.
‘Your drive and ambition are not measured by the hours you spend with your butt in a seat where I can see you, but by the passion you bring to your job.’ Hours are not equal results. Productivity has nothing to do with the hours you spend, but your commitment to what you are doing.
‘It’s on us to make sure that we create environments where the humanity of the people who work with us is not just recognized but respected.’ People want to be where they are respected, not disrespected. People want to be loved, not hated. If you can’t make it happen, people will leave you.
‘Sometimes, a sign is literally just a sign. But sometimes it’s more.’ That is life. Life is a sign. A sign is not just a sign. It is a direction. It is a journey. It is a guide, a mentor. It is a warning. It is saying something. It is a caller. If you do not want to get lost, you have got to read the signs really well.
‘You can teach anyone a skill. What you can’t teach is love, generosity, and kindness.’ Teach what you can teach. Show what you cannot teach.
‘You do not need to do it all and you cannot do it all.’ Don’t even try. It is the fastest way to burnout. Leadership is not about doing it all. It is about doing things with others. It is about traveling with others.
‘People want to work for people who care, who walk the walk, and who invest in their communities.’ That is what life is all about. You do not have to tell people who you. They know who you are. Because they are watching you. They see what you care about by just watching what you do every day.
‘You’re only as good as the people you get advice from.’ Advice is free. But make sure you get your advice from people who are for you, not against you. Make sure your advice is coming the right sources.
‘Your culture is the people, and how your people treat people.’ Let me start with you. How do you treat your people? If you do not treat them well, they will not treat your customers well.
‘Hiring the wrong person is a very expensive mistake, but holding on to the wrong person is even worse.’ No matter how smart the person might be, if you don’t want to poison your culture, you must get rid of the person.
‘We do not all need to be friends, but for the love of all that is good and holy we need to make sure that the conflicts we’re choosing are worth it, and that we speak respectfully to and about each other.’ Don’t waste your time picking the wrong fight. Fight the good fight, for the right purpose.
‘Power-real power- isn’t something that you wield like a weapon, it’s something that you protect.’ Great leaders use power to lift other people up. Power is not a weapon. It is a gift. And if you want to keep it, you have got to earn it. Power is power when you use it to make other people’s lives better, when you use it to create a better place where people can shine, when you use your power to show people the way, when you use your power to show people what is possible.
‘Trying to force ‘perspective’ on a person who is suffering is useless and unkind.’ Even when people are not talking, they are going through things that you don’t know anything about. If you want to know what is going on in their lives, you have got to meet them where they are. If not, you are just wasting your time.
‘Shifting your perspective isn’t as easy as just deciding you feel a different way, it’s truly sitting with the feelings you have. It’s acknowledging and respecting where you are so that you can move forward.’ No matter where you plan to go, where you are right now is the beginning of that journey. Without it, you do not have a starting point.
‘When you have everything you need, you also have to make sure that you want what you have, that you cut back on the things that don’t serve you.’ Don’t just go after things. Let your values do the driving.
‘If we open up about what we want and need, if we shout it out to everyone we love and trust, something magical can happen.’
Remember, according to Kendra, ‘Life is filled with people and situations dedicated to telling you who you are and what you can and cannot do.’
As always, when things get really tough, remember, ‘You are more, not less!
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