What’s keeping you from success?
In the late Kurt Vonnegut’s futuristic short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” the country in 2081 had worked so diligently to make everyone equal, deep thinkers wore government-programmed hearing aids that broadcast loud sounds periodically to prevent creative thinking…and those blessed with athletic ability were “equalized” with everyone else by being made to carry 47-lb. bags of birdshot around their necks.
Luckily, in today’s world, people with special skills and abilities are not “handicapped” by the government, but for many of us, there’s always that consistent limitation – that bag of birdshot we carry around with us — that keeps us from moving to the next level.
Of course, many people don’t have any idea about their personal stumbling blocks – which means if they can’t identify it, they can’t do anything about it. But, once they’ve identified what’s keeping them from moving ahead, they need to know what I call “the barrier fact sheet.”
- Everybody has at least one barrier…one deal-breaking hurdle. Some are simply not important – and some you can negate by hiring someone who will keep your barriers – like your penchant for disorganization under control. Others barriers – to self-confidence, self-control and the ability to foster meaningful relationships – may not be so easy to knock down.
- You can’t remove barriers you don’t or won’t recognize. Your barriers set your boundaries. They mark the bottom and the ceiling. We’re sometimes not willing to recognize these barriers – these handicaps – but we also tend to hang on to those that we really should let go of – like stubbornness or the inability to let go…of anything.
- Our barriers exist 24/7, not just in our business world. Notice when you don’t delegate certain chores because you think you can do them better than anyone else…or what about how you demand – rather than ask – that jobs get done…now!
- Our barriers can be helpful or harmful. Our behaviors – positive and negative – impact every part of our lives, but these constant behaviors cause problems only when they get between us and our goals. For example, a competitive spirit is beneficial in sports or team challenges…not so much in relationships or social settings.
- Those who live with the least barriers cross the finish line first! Look around you. It may not be the most talented or the hardest workers who win awards, recognition or promotions. It’s always those who live with the fewest barriers to success.
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Valarie
First, You Gotta Eat the Frog!
Want to become more productive? Want to be more productive not just today but every day? Then first, you gotta eat the frog.
Mark Twain said it – if you eat a frog first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you’ll do all day. Okay – we don’t mean literally eating one of those little green toads from the garden. Actually they’re too valuable to eat….But what we do mean is starting your day by tacking that task you’ve been putting off – the one you’ve been dreading.
Twain’s sage advice will not only help you overcome procrastinating that not-so-appetizing task. It will also help you become much more productive.
So, when you walk into work each morning, tackle the nastiest, most disagreeable jobs first. If that means picking up the phone and calling the family who left an unpleasant voice mail yesterday, then “eat the frog.”
Here’s how you handle this menu:
- When you arrive at work, determine which is the biggest, ugliest, most awful frog on your plate for the day. All those other little tadpoles can wait.
- Start chunking your frog into several bites…and share if you can.
- Once you’ve begun, don’t stop eating until you’ve cleaned your plate.
- Then, reward yourself by doing a task that’s tastier – and one you’ll really enjoy.
- Keep the momentum going and be a role model for your colleagues. Once they see you downing those ugly frogs, they’ll soon find the nerve to follow your lead.
- And when the next frog lands on your plate, say loud enough for everyone to hear, “Would you supersize that, please?”
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Valerie
