It came out a couple of years ago, but I still think about Sports Illustrated’s profile of Sam Hinkie. I loved reading about his mind, his process, his approach to life.
Here’s my favorite bite: “People are too willing to scratch the itch of the near thing. Discipline is the difference between what you want and what you want most and what you really, really want.”
Perfect example in my life: What do I want? A brownie. What do I want most? Comfort and relief. What do I really really want? A healthy thriving body that fits into my beautiful clothes. So, if I apply discipline, no brownie goes into my mouth, right? Not so fast.
Running my own business while also writing a memoir this year has been incredibly stressful and challenging. So, if I’m looking deeply, this is the real truth: What do I want? A brownie. What do I want most? A healthy thriving body that fits into my beautiful clothes. What do I really really want? Comfort and relief. I’ve been feeling desperate for any form of respite, even if it’s self-destructive! And so, for much of this year, eating the brownie (or the popcorn, or whatever) got me what I really really wanted, but not what I wanted most.
Change and growth can be uncomfortable and scary. Writing a book (and trying to get it published!) is something I’ve never done before. I hate not being an expert. It’s so pleasant to coast into new projects with the confidence of past successes at my back. It’s spectacularly uncomfortable to know what I don’t know. And that’s not all – the steep end of this learning curve – or any learning curve – takes enormous resilience and stamina to climb.
When I step back and get perspective, I remember what Mark Bittman said on The Tim Ferriss Show: “Gaining confidence is one of the most fun things in life. I love that steep end of the learning curve.” Right! It’s especially great when one can look back and see how far one has climbed!
As you look back at 2018, see how far you’ve come in climbing those learning curves. Take at least an hour to relish your climb, to be amazed with yourself! That’s what I’m going to do during the holiday break this year!
Then, as you look ahead to 2019, ferret out what you really really want – as a leader, as a communicator, as a person. Me, I’m going to find comfort and relief that also helps me get as strong as I need to be for the next learning curves I have to climb!
Your business must scale, and you must scale with it. Great communicators create the change they want to see in the world. poseycorp helps innovators build powerful messages and the skill to deliver them so they can break through the noise and be heard! Click here to receive pragmatic communications advice in your inbox every month.
