Responding to your emails is something I really enjoy, so please keep them coming.
And although this column was never meant to be Dear Abbey-esque, and as those of you who send emails know, I am not short on advice and opinions.
In the spirit of being a little Dear Abbey-esque, I thought I would share a recent email exchange with a local reader who reached out in response to my column “Tired of Mediocrity.” Thanks Mike, for giving me the permission to share.
“Hi Michael, Just a note to say thanks for all your articles in the newspaper. I look forward to them each week, and am learning a lot. In one of your future articles, could you elaborate on what it means to give 100 percent or more? I seem to do fairly well in the short term, but keeping it consistently in high gear week after week is where it gets challenging. Thanks! Michael D. Edwards.”
My reply: “Thanks for the email Michael! That is a great idea for a future column, but let me give you a few tips right here.
Giving 100 percent all the time is hard for anybody. We all have times in our life where we just get tired. But remember that passion and purpose drive effort. Short-term drive and giving 100 percent stems from a passion and a purpose you have at that moment or during that short-term stretch, right?
If the work you are doing, or the relationship you are working on, or whatever the project is you hope to have that sustained 100 percent effort, find ways to remind yourself about the passion and purpose behind each one.
Example: For me, I am super passionate about my family. I have reminders everywhere about them, little messages, texts or emails they have sent, pictures, and images embedded in my memory that keep me focused on giving 100 percent as a dad and as a husband. Can I do it all the time? No way.
Example: Goals. Have you committed your goals to writing? I used to keep all my goals top of mind, it wasn’t until I wrote them down and understood why they were a goal did I actually start achieving my goals. I can tell you that so many people, me included years ago, think that writing down goals doesn’t matter. But I can tell you that almost every super successful person I have met has clearly defined goals. And they keep copies on the visor of their car, their bathroom mirror, taped to their computer monitor, on the first page of their notebook, etc.
The example of my family and of goals speak to the power of visualization and how by visualizing what we are most passionate about, we tend to act with greater passion and purpose. When that happens Michael, we find ourselves giving 100 percent more often.”
His reply to my reply: “Michael, Sorry to just now get back to you. Spring break started at our house last night and things got a little crazy. But I very much thank you for taking time to write me, and YES, you already have your next article — a lot of people would like to hear this about passion and goals. Every afternoon before I leave the office, I write down a to-do list for the next day, but I have not clearly thought about or written down my goals, especially those related to my passion. So, you have given me a lot to think about and a challenge, which I accept and I won’t phone it in! Take care, and thanks again. I look forward to your future articles.”
Please share your thoughts on how you consistently give 100 percent or find that passion for what you want most in life at gotonorton@gmail.com and as always, make it a better than good week.
Michael Norton, a resident of Highlands Ranch, is the former President of the Zig Ziglar organization and CEO and Founder of www.candogo.com