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If you always win, what’s the point of the game?

I mean why even keep score, right? And if that’s the logic, why even play?

If you can’t be the best because everybody’s the best, why even try?

This general everybody wins mentality isn’t working. Because of the thought process above. If I get rewarded for doing nothing then why not just do nothing?!

This is why:

In the real world you fail.

In the real world, not everybody gets a trophy.

In the real world the are winners and losers.

And it’s all okay. You will fail. You will lose sometimes. It’s all about what you do with it when you do.

                                                                         What did you learn?

                                                                 What will you do differently?

                         You may not be the best at everything but you can be the best at SOMETHING.

All important lessons that were denied so many of us by this “everybody wins” world we grew up in.

                                                            From Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles:

                                                                Mom: Everyone’s special, Dash.

                                                    Dash: Which is another way of saying no one is.

If everyone is special, then no one is. Straight truth from our awesome Pixar friends 🙂

It’s okay to fail. It’s also okay to win. Do both. Often.

Happy Tuesday Awesome People!

Question:

What was a BIG lesson you learned through a BIG failure?

 

 

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I’m not a natural reader. It’s because I didn’t place much value in it I was younger. I’m sure video games are to blame;-)… Either way, I didn’t really read with any consistency until a few years ago. I had to force it into my routine and make it a habit when I realized this important truth:

No one was going to make me grow.

After high school, college, moving out on our own, growth doesn’t just happen on it’s own anymore. We become used to feeling of waking up and being fit, healthy, and able to learn by default because we have a class that day. As adults though, we have to take responsibility for our lives. Our health, our finances, AND our learning.

Books allow you to catch up.

Tim Sanders tells a story in his book, Love is the Killer App, about a plane ride experience. He was reading and taking notes while those around him, in their suits and platinum status first class seats, slept or read the same inflight magazine for the 100th time. His internal response:

“What the hell are you all doing? Do you realize how fast things are changing? Do you realize how close to obsolete you’re becoming? Why are you going to let people like me catch up to you?”

Reading is necessary for growth. If you’re not a big reader, like I used to be, you should consider making it a part of your growth plan. Here are some things that helped me to become one:

Use Audiobooks

Audiobooks have helped me get back into reading shape and helped me chew through some big business books like Good to Great and The Power of Habit. I listen to them while I’m in the car or anytime when I have an extra 5-10 minutes. It’s an easy way to digest books on the go.

How to get audiobooks:

Local library
Our local library has most anything I’m looking for. Check here first because it’s free:)

Audilbe.com
The biggest audiobook selection out there. They also have an amazing iPhone app that allows you to bookmark and take notes. Also, you get a free book every month with your membership.

Start with short reads

It helps to start with smaller reads to get the ball rolling. If I can finish a book in a couple days, that accomplishment will make me want to go on. Here are a couple short but good reads:

Evil Plans: Having fun on your way to world domination

Ignore Everybody: And 39 other keys to creativity

QBQ- The question behind the question\

Love Is The Killer App by Tim Sanders

Tribes by Seth Godin

Purple Cow by Seth Godin

Starting to read can be a challenge for people like me who may not be used to reading on a regular basis. But books provides so much value and you just can’t pass up the opportunity to expand your thinking, creativity, and leadership. The cost of entry to this school of learning is low but it is the best investment you can make.

Books allow you to catch up. So catch up. Don’t let someone like me catch up to you.

Chris Creed, Chris Creed Blog, The work blog

 

Happy Monday!

Question:
How has reading affected your life?

Do you have a reading plan for the month?

I’d love to hear about it! Connect with me in the comments and tell me what you’re reading!

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Comfort. Comfort is growing within me. Where is “the uncomfortable?” Is it just on the horizon or just around the corner.

All I have to do is turn around. Picture a crowded sidewalk or street in a busy city. We all walk the same way. But to find the uncomfortable all I have to is turn around. There it is. I fight through the traffic. I fight through the crowd, through the noise. Uncomfortable was following me all the time. I just got too comfortable following along doing what everyone else is doing.

Uncomfortable is not where everyone else is going.

Uncomfortable is waiting

Don’t follow everybody else. Turn around. Uncomfortable is waiting.

Stoked for the weekend! Make something awesome this weekend, friends. But more important, make a connection this weekend.

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  • mynurse - ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
    I took the one less traveled by,
    And that has made all the difference.’ Robert FrostReplyCancel

You know, I think a lot about how social media, especially Facebook, allows so many voices to get into you head and have an effect on your attitude, creativity, and subsequently you work.

But Honestly the voice that is most often clouding my thoughts and keeping me from doing my work is my own. So the next time you catch yourself with negative self-talk, or negative “self-think,” Do the world a favor, slap yourself in the face, and get out of your own head! No one can stop that but you. And if it’s stopping you from doing your work, then it has affects all of us.

I’m talking to you too myself here too. Which may be counterproductive. 😉

Happy Thursday, guys!

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About two years ago, I read John Maxwell’s book Today Matters. It changed the way I look at my day to day activities and helped me to truly grasp the gravity of the things I do everyday. And also how those habits affect my life and success. One Of the things I’ve seen the most improvement in since practicing these steps is my attitude.

If your attitude is bad you don’t have much of a shot at changing the world.

If your cynicism is taking over your thoughts, you probably can easily talk yourself out of making something awesome.

So why not cut it off at the source? Why not just shift your thinking and intentionally choose to have a good attitude today?

Intentionality is critical when it comes to thinking. So here are a few intentional things that you can do today to improve your attitude.

1. Write down the negativity.

Get it all out. Write down all the negative thoughts in your head and then describe how wrong they are on paper. Example: you’re feeling like people are better than you and that nobody cares? Write it down and then write the names of the people you think don’t care THEN subtract that number from 7 Billion. The number that’s left is the pool of people who might care.

Also writing it all down just takes it out of your head. Which is the goal.

2. Breathe in, Breathe out, Smile, Repeat.

The act of paying attention to your breathing is a meditation practice and will leave you feel refreshed. The act of smiling on purpose creates the same feeling in your brain as smiling unintentionally. Focusing on these things and only these things for at least a minute will not only help shift your thinking, it can literally have an effect or your physiology. (For more on this, Check out the book You Are Here, by Thich Nhat Hanh.)

3. Set up a reminder, “Check Your Attitude”

Work Blog

Every day at 2pm for the past 709 days I have gotten a reminder (through Apple’s Reminder app) that says “Check Your Attitude.” That’s all. So now, almost 3 years later, as soon as I feel that buzz in my pocket at 2pm, I take a second, think about how my attitude is affecting me, and I move on. Some days it helps more than others but it always causes me to stop and think about how I’m doing attitude wise today. This has by far helped me the most and is the most consistent method I’ve found for turning it into a daily habit.

We all get thrown off during work and our day-to-day tasks from time to time. And it’s easy to forget how our attitude can affect us. But if we just allow ourselves a couple of minutes to think about it, it could change our entire day.

Check your attitude today and let me know if it’s as much help for you as it is for me.

Happy Wednesday!

Chris

Question: What is the biggest drain on your attitude?

What are some ways you can start pruning these things from your life and work? Or eliminating them altogether?

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  • The Passion Hunt - I love this so much! I think the biggest drain on my attitude is when I allow myself to become tired or I don’t take time for myself and then I have a poor or slightly more stressed attitude about the things I have to do. This is such a great post. Would love to come back and reference it often!!ReplyCancel

    • Chris Creed - Totally get that way when I’m tired as well… or when I’m hungry 😉

      Thanks for reading!ReplyCancel

  • PM Hut - Hi Chris,

    Am I the only one who smiled when seeing that your last “Check your attitude” reminder was 2 years ago (602 days).ReplyCancel

    • Chris Creed - Hey!

      Haha Yeah when I got a new phone I set up a new one. Turns out the other one rolled over through the cloud. If you don’t cross them off in the app, they keep showing up and that’s where the number comes from. Now I have two that go off everyday at 2 o’clock 🙂ReplyCancel

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