MAWMonday Motivators 03/05/2017

by: Dr. Michael A. Wright In Blog, Coaching DiaryTagged , , , , ,

The Unstoppable, Excellent, Different, Good Question

You can do what you love and definitely change your world. You are changing the world even in the simple activity of reading this post. The idea that you can passively walk through time not changing anything is a fallacy. As you have the potential to create history, even your decisions of inaction have consequences for all of us. Often, we ask what will you do. We ask if you love what you do. We even ask about your decision making in the abstract. We ask about your legacy looking in retrospect, but no question defines you right now as well as “Who are you?” Yet, all these questions seek a partial answer to that unstoppable, excellent, different, good question. Your challenge is to answer the question with action. Know that your action creates the space for others to act.

Twitter seemed to be on the “Doing as Definition” train this morning. Take this motivation into your new week. You are changing the world. Make sure you are changing it on purpose.

1. Unstoppable

Charge after your goals. Be unstoppable in pursuit of them. That’s what many take away from this tweet. I also take away the reality that goals are made to be exceeded. This reality requires that goals are achieved, and new goals are created. This is another process of the unstoppable. It provides at least two lessons.

First, goal setting is a continuous process. You may be tempted to feel that you never get there. This can be a source of frustration. Refuse that feeling. Gain joy from the goal setting and the successes along the way. Second and related, large goals require smaller goals in order to reach. Not just the break down of goals into objectives into steps, but some goals are so larger that they require actual goals beneath them. Again, your challenge is to celebrate and energize to continue without frustration or loss of motivation. Be unstoppable.

2. Excellent

I have failed. Hard. Like “pack up and move” failure. The older I get, the more I question how I could have gotten as old as I had without experiencing that level of failure sooner. The answer is not as flattering as you may think. The first reaction of many would be to think that I had done well throughout my life. Truth is, I believe that I played it too safe. Sure, I’m the guy who has taken chances and made daring choices. But, I realize now that I didn’t risk to get information. I didn’t risk to partner. I did too little risking to make quantum leaps in career, finances, and relationships.

I have changed that reticence as a direct result of my monumental failure. My message to you: Get help. Get a second opinion. Call that office or program manager. Investigate that financial opportunity. Research that topic. Realize your need for information and networks. Outsource some developmental tasks. And, realize gains beyond what you alone can achieve. Be excellent.

3. Different

Just imagine the connections that exist in the world. When combined with the social technologies, accessible networks, and the availability of information, it is conceivable that anything is possible. This focuses increased importance on the choices that you make everyday. Humans are too connected to social processes for the choices you make to go unnoticed and to remain unimportant. This could be a troubling revelation, but I think it’s more of a call to relevance.

You matter. Now, you get to decide what the difference is going to be with that ability to influence outcomes in the world. I encourage you to be yourself–to release the uniqueness of perspective, insight, and experience that you have. You may need to discover new ways to package it, but begin with your awareness of its importance, the importance of engaging your difference. That’s how you make a difference. Be different.

4. Good

Good, as a word, is almost too simple. But, as this tweet suggests, simplicity, frailty, humility when linked in a chain can provide a certain strength of character. “Do not wait for leaders,” the tweet says. “Do it…” What is it that the tweet suggests you do? Become the leader. Every action you undertake is an action of leadership. Though you may be taking orders or following a recipe, your leadership is no in the reason behind your action only, but in the fact that someone is always watching. You may not consider yourself a leader, but you must realize on some level that you will always have followers. You may as well utilize this awareness for the benefit of those watchers. You might as well be good.

5. Question

So, Who are you? The answer is in what you do. This tweet suggests that the recipients of our actions are all those represented in the term humanity. That’s true. I want to emphasize that this impact on humanity expands in levels. Your answers to the question, your actions begin with a benefit to you. You gain knowledge and experience. Your action expands to influence others who are watching. Do what you love and allow that passion to come through. Your action expands to others who hear about you, those whose attention turns toward activity and greatness expressed without fear. Know that your action inspires and motivates others to live their best self. And, that’s how you change the world. It is as simple as acting to answer a simple question. It is the work of a lifetime. Question, and ensure your answer.

Dr. Michael A. Wright received his Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina - Columbia. Since 1997, Wright has led MAWMedia Group, LLC, a firm helping individuals and organizations tell stories and translate ideas into capital.