The Long & Winding Road

Last week we touched on the concept of perseverance. Today, we will take it a step further. It is one thing to see a challenge through; you win and lose every day. Life can be a roller coaster of ups and downs and only the strong survive. But, just because they are "the strong" doesn't mean they can't get their asses kicked.

So, you have endured the year and have fulfilled your aggressive expectations...now multiply it by 40.

It seems loyalty is not what it used to be, some folks give up too easily, others simply cannot find a challenge that truly engages them, and many are just going through the motions.

Every great professional I know has had an off year. As the professional turnstile revolves vulnerability to failure is replaced by reason to believe. We have to bring it every day and we have to replicate our results year after year. One thing remains certain if this is to be our professional conquest....

...You Better Love What You Do....

Love Lasts
What was the first thought that crossed your mind when the alarm clock introduced you to today? Is your motivation driven by fear or are you genuinely engaged in your profession? Does your stomach knot up on Sunday night? Do you hang up the phone in a cold sweat created by lack of certainty? Do you respect the people to whom you have dedicated your professional life? Would the 5 year old you be intrigued by who you are today?

The masters in their field are so because they love every day that they have the opportunity to serve their professional purpose. Great companies open their organizational heart to the things that matter to the individuals that formulate their collective. To be great at what you do you have to accelerate in every area. Nothing is worth doing unless you are dedicated to doing it better than anyone ever has in the history of the world.  

Keeping The Fire Burning
Everyone hits a professional plateau. We all ask ourselves if we have made the right choices or if our effort has done any good at all. That's life in the big city! The good news is that your mind is infinitely capable. You can always bust a hole in the wall. You can ollie any plateau. 

Creativity is the key to endurance. The best way to ensure what you are doing is working is to consider (or better yet invent) alternatives.

Passing The Torch
It is honorable to covet your family, to protect anything else is an act of insecurity!

If you have created something original you should want to share it. If you are fearful of sharing the content you feel belongs to only you....you probably just got lucky. Everything should be passed along to those who will follow. Those who follow should accept everything with intent of passing it along better formed than it was given.

The only way to grow a concept into a reality is to ask everyone to help mold it.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave