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You.
I’ve been doing a lot of learning lately.
It almost feels like my hunger for more knowledge is insatiable. It’s not always like this, but there are definitely seasons where I feel like I can’t learn enough, fast enough. Maybe you can relate.
Listening to podcasts. Reading books. Searching online for compelling articles. Reading blogs. Researching how people organize their companies, design their websites, and communicate their brand. Getting lost in the new, best way to optimize something. etc., etc., etc. And I haven’t even skimmed the surface because every good link leads to another, and another, and another….
What I’ve discovered as I’ve immersed myself in all this, can be summed up in three (maybe over-) simplistic thoughts:
- This world is saturated with people sharing their “expertise”/giving advice, and…
- The majority of what’s out there is just saying the same thing, differently. If you look hard enough, you’ll most likely find everything somewhere else, but…
- None of it really matters… unless I take action on what I’m learning.
So what do you do? Throw up your hands and just follow the person who is most convincing, or looks most successful? Get overwhelmed in the sea of Self-Help and How To’s? Or just not read anything at all?
No, of course not.
What matters – what really matters – is that you get to know the one thing in this world that is unique…. and that’s YOU.
What makes you fulfilled? What makes you frustrated? Are you naturally organized, or do you work better in controlled chaos? Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you like to coach big groups, or do one-on-one PT? Are you a numbers person or do you thrive on building relationships?
Not everyone is a people person. Can you work on this to “improve” your relationship building capacity? Sure. But, you are who you are at the core. And it’s great.
I’ve observed so many people who meander through their lives, trying desperately to please other people, forgetting what really matters to them.
Mentors are important, but they should never be a “god”. Even if they are great, respectable, and trustworthy, they sometimes give really bad advice, especially when their advice is given through their own lens, and what works for them.
Let’s say it again… the only thing unique is you. Your goals, your dreams, your loves, your hates, your happy, your pet peeves. These all marry together to form something like nothing else.
Don’t let anyone tell you what time you “should” wake up. Don’t let anyone tell you how you “should” run your business. Don’t let anyone tell you how you “should” organize your day.
Listen, of course, because there is most likely some truth to be applied in what they say, but no one person can prescribe the right plan for your life.
At the end of the day, there is no Wizard behind the curtain, knowing exactly what you need to reach your optimal life. You are it.
What that means is, YOU have to do the hard work to realize the success you are longing for.
The mark of a good leader is the one who first and foremost knows who they are. Then they get crystal clear on what they want. Once they do that, they are willing to do the hard work to get there.
Here’s an action item to get to know yourself better: Get a small notebook and carry it around with you for a week. Write down (not a huge journal entry, just a sentence or two) every thing that makes you smile and fills you with joy. After a week, you’ll see that you’ve painted a picture of all the things that make you, you.
And, remember history is made by regular people who show up and make a difference.
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Article by: Julie Weldon | 321Go Brand Ambassador/Relationship Manager
Julie’s diverse background includes being a cake designer, coaching basketball, traveling to 13 different developing countries to do volunteer work on a year long trip, working in the not-for-profit world for 10 years, starting two businesses, working as a People & Change consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, taking a product to market (and “failing”, only to get back up and do it a second time), and working as a business coach/consultant to small businesses.
Julie has found home in beautiful Charleston, SC. She gets super fired up when helping individuals and small businesses take their success to the next level, and when she gets to hear people’s stories. In her free time, she can be found in the boat or on the beach, hanging out with her Golden Retriever, dreaming up another business idea with her partner, Stacey, or geeking out on yet another leadership book.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]