This week I want to share two pieces of content that are applicable to every aspect of every day life. The first is a tweet I viewed that shares solid life advice. The second is an article about how and why we should focus on celebrating the small wins in life. Below you’ll find these and my thoughts on their implications.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed below are those of Mark Pew, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Marketing, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Preferred Medical.
#WordsMatter
Mark’s Thoughts:
That one word—”get” instead of “have”—makes a HUGE difference. I have relayed this story before in some of my speaking engagements and it is applicable to this particular thought. As my son (now 32) and daughter (now 26) were approaching college (and study major) choices, I had one primary piece of advice for them: Choose something at the intersection of their personal competence and passion. There are many people very competent at their job but absolutely hate it when the Monday morning alarm clock goes off. There are many people extremely passionate about what they do but are really bad at it. During my own personal journey of many twists and turns (I’ve had at least six distinct careers over my lifetime, with probably more to come), when you find that perfect intersection then “have to” converts to “get to” and it gives your life purpose. Do you have purposeful purpose in your life or are you just floating down a river that takes you wherever it will? Are you in charge of your life or is “life” your captain? Are you a have instead of a get? If so, it’s time to start looking for that spark.
How do you celebrate small wins?
Over time, it is easy to forget to celebrate the small wins and instead just focus on the high-level, long-term goal we’ve set. However, the way we reach these big goals is by accomplishing a lot of small goals that add up. Everyone is motivated in different ways. Some are driven solely by themselves and others needs affirmation from the outside. Most people are probably a mix of the two. This article provides insight into how to stay motivated to reach your goals and how you can celebrate the small wins.
Mark’s Thoughts:
You’ve heard the term “go big”. Sometimes, “go small” is just as important. Don’t wait until your major goal is accomplished to celebrate what you’ve done / overcome. Instead, as you make progress, celebrate (what you did right) and learn (from what you didn’t do right). Nobody ever gets to “big” without a bunch of “smalls” on the way. Here are some important excerpts from the article:
We should be setting goals that are uncomfortably high. It pushes us to be better.
To reach large goals, we need to find ways to stay motivated. But just how do we do that?
We need to celebrate wins along the way. Encouragement goes a long way to helping you stay on your journey.
In fact, many will say that while the goal is important, the journey and process is even more important. That’s where the growth and learning happen, and that’s what makes us feel fulfilled.
For me, the journey has typically been much richer than the destination. Not that achieving a goal is unfulfilling—the sense of accomplishment absolutely is. But during the journey I get to make mistakes (and learn from them), have successes (and celebrate them), and develop relationships along the way that make it all worthwhile.
To read everything on my mind this past week, please visit me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/marks-musings-october-28-mark-rxprofessor-pew/.
Until Next Week,
