Is this you? Are you trying harder than ever but not getting where you want to go?
A True Story *
I'm sitting in a quiet room at the Millcroft Inn, a peaceful place hidden back among the pine trees about an hour out of Toronto. It's just past noon, late July, and I'm listening to the desperate sounds of a life-or-death struggle going on a few feet away.
There's a small fly burning out the last of its short life's energies in a futile attempt to fly through the glass of the windowpane. The whining wings tell the poignant story of the fly's strategy -- try harder.
But it's not working.
The frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part of the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking through the glass. Nevertheless, this little insect has staked its life on reaching its goal through raw effort and determination.
This fly is doomed. It will die there on the windowsill.
Across the room, ten steps away, the door is open. Ten seconds of flying time and this small creature could reach the outside world it seeks. With only a fraction of the effort now being wasted, it could be free of this self-imposed trap. The breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy.
Why doesn't the fly try another approach, something dramatically different? How did it get so locked in on the idea that this particular route, and determined effort, offer the most promise for success? What logic is there continuing, until death, to seek a breakthrough with "more of the same"?
No doubt this approach makes sense to the fly. Regrettably, it's an idea that will kill.
"Trying harder" isn't necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer any real promise for getting what you want out of life. Sometimes, in fact, it's a big part of the problem.
If you stake your hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever, you may kill your chances for success.
~~~~~~~~~~
What is your windowpane? Step back and look around for the door. Are you trying harder to make a break through and getting frustrated because your efforts are not paying off?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
~~~~~~~~~~
* By Price Pritchett in his 36-page book
You²: A High-Velocity Formula for Multiplying Your Personal Effectiveness in Quantum Leaps
http://www.pritchettnet.com
This excerpt is used with full permission from PRITCHETT, LP. All rights are reserved.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
We Judge by Appearance
We’ve all heard this many times before: don’t judge others by their appearance. Yet we still do it. Evidence the recent blast into stardom of Susan Boyle on ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’ She’s been featured on UTube (about 100 million views), on TV, in print, online, and emails are still flying around the world. Her voice coach worries that she’ll be lost in the PR swirl. (Yes, she has a coach.)
From laughter and ridicule to amazement and standing ovation in just a few moments. Many shed tears as they watched and listened to her surprisingly beautiful rendition of one of my favorite songs, “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. It’s heart warming to know that people can embrace someone so quickly, yet scary to think that just moments before she was openly ridiculed. I’m sure you’ve experienced similar examples of how fickle we can be.
Last week, at the memorial Mass of a friend who died unexpectedly, we learned that she, too, had talents most of us had never known. She had dementia, yet at some point wrote Haiku. I was so impressed with her catchy 3-lined poetry in 5-7-5 syllables -- descriptive, touching, clever words on paper that she could not have verbalized -- I pass these gems on to you, in her memory. The first two refer to her love of the performing arts.
The houselights have dimmed;
A hush descends upon us.
The curtain rises.
The stars are starring
In a play called "Heavenly".
The audience bows.
Her sense of humor and appreciation of the double entendre shine through:
In the streetlights glow
Shadows stretch before my eyes.
Then...it dawned on me.
Perhaps her writing talent could have been developed if she had had a coach to encourage her to stretch and practice, just as Susan Boyle’s coach did for her.
What are your hidden talents? What could you develop if you spent time practicing and stretching yourself? If a couple of things popped into your mind, think about taking action on one of them. You may surprise yourself and everyone you know with what you can do. Even if you don't look like you could.
###
From laughter and ridicule to amazement and standing ovation in just a few moments. Many shed tears as they watched and listened to her surprisingly beautiful rendition of one of my favorite songs, “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. It’s heart warming to know that people can embrace someone so quickly, yet scary to think that just moments before she was openly ridiculed. I’m sure you’ve experienced similar examples of how fickle we can be.
Last week, at the memorial Mass of a friend who died unexpectedly, we learned that she, too, had talents most of us had never known. She had dementia, yet at some point wrote Haiku. I was so impressed with her catchy 3-lined poetry in 5-7-5 syllables -- descriptive, touching, clever words on paper that she could not have verbalized -- I pass these gems on to you, in her memory. The first two refer to her love of the performing arts.
The houselights have dimmed;
A hush descends upon us.
The curtain rises.
The stars are starring
In a play called "Heavenly".
The audience bows.
Her sense of humor and appreciation of the double entendre shine through:
In the streetlights glow
Shadows stretch before my eyes.
Then...it dawned on me.
Perhaps her writing talent could have been developed if she had had a coach to encourage her to stretch and practice, just as Susan Boyle’s coach did for her.
What are your hidden talents? What could you develop if you spent time practicing and stretching yourself? If a couple of things popped into your mind, think about taking action on one of them. You may surprise yourself and everyone you know with what you can do. Even if you don't look like you could.
###
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Be Brief, Be Bright, Be Gone
As I thought about writing this post, I wanted to keep it brief and useful. That brought to mind a VP I worked with years ago. He was sharp, organized and always on top of his game. Well respected, too. His top managers were a lot like him. They were known for being team players, go getters and always said what they thought in a constructive way. It made me think that we all can work on making our points more succinctly. And in a positive way.
Everyone’s attention span is short. Whether you’re writing email, speaking at a meeting or making a presentation, keep that in mind.
Every time I write, I go back and remove at least 10% of the words. And then I do it again. That’s an old tip from Zinsser’s “On Writing Well.” I’m amazed at how wordy I can be. I’ve already cut much more than 10% of what I’ve written here!
It’s easy to rattle on. But I’m committed to keeping this post brief. The VP I mentioned was known for wanting his team to make their points quickly and succinctly. They said to be successful with him, you had to “be brief, be bright, be gone!” He didn’t say those words, they adapted that style because he valued it. I’ve never forgotten it.
If you want those you communicate with to be brief, bright and complete with their messages to you, set the example. When emailing, include the action you want taken in the first lines of your message. Make sure your tone is friendly, not dictatorial. You may even want to indicate ACTION: in your first line or two. You’ll be surprised at how others adapt your style. If you write long, wordy messages, you’ll often get that style in return. If you write clear, concise, appreciative messages, you’ll get them in return as well. You train others how you want to be treated. Try it.
OK, I’m gone. Let me know how it goes!
###
Everyone’s attention span is short. Whether you’re writing email, speaking at a meeting or making a presentation, keep that in mind.
Every time I write, I go back and remove at least 10% of the words. And then I do it again. That’s an old tip from Zinsser’s “On Writing Well.” I’m amazed at how wordy I can be. I’ve already cut much more than 10% of what I’ve written here!
It’s easy to rattle on. But I’m committed to keeping this post brief. The VP I mentioned was known for wanting his team to make their points quickly and succinctly. They said to be successful with him, you had to “be brief, be bright, be gone!” He didn’t say those words, they adapted that style because he valued it. I’ve never forgotten it.
If you want those you communicate with to be brief, bright and complete with their messages to you, set the example. When emailing, include the action you want taken in the first lines of your message. Make sure your tone is friendly, not dictatorial. You may even want to indicate ACTION: in your first line or two. You’ll be surprised at how others adapt your style. If you write long, wordy messages, you’ll often get that style in return. If you write clear, concise, appreciative messages, you’ll get them in return as well. You train others how you want to be treated. Try it.
OK, I’m gone. Let me know how it goes!
###
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