When you're navigating a starship, you do not chart a course by the clock. You chart it by the destination. You set a direction, and then you adjust along the way. Life works the same way.
I know in business, you often need deadlines. I get it. But when it comes to consulting projects, I used to keep things flexible. I never promised, "I'll have this part done by December 15th." Instead, I'd say things like, "This might take 2 to 4 weeks" or "Look for progress in about 5 to 6 weeks." I gave floating timelines, rough estimates, like how the cable guy says he'll be there between 9 AM and 3 PM. You know he's probably going to show up at 2:59, but at least you were warned. That way, clients knew what to expect, and I built in a little margin for life to happen.
When it comes to personal goals, I follow the same logic.
I never said, "I'm going to record 1,000 TechHelp videos in two years." That would be overwhelming. Instead, I told myself, "I'm going to try to make one TechHelp video every business day." And over time, that has added up. The same goes for my full-length Developer classes. My goal is to produce one each month. I do not always hit it, but it keeps me moving forward. I'm not chasing a deadline. I'm building momentum.
If you're in sales, you do not need to say, "I'm going to hit $30,000 in revenue this month." That is a big number to stare down. Try this instead: "I'm going to spend two or three hours each day making sales calls." The results will come from the effort. The consistency. Not the pressure of a giant monthly number.
Same goes for fitness. I've recently gotten serious about getting back in shape. My goal? Move my body for at least an hour a day, six days a week. That's it. I track my weight and my calories, but I don't beat myself up with strict limits or weight targets. The goal is progress, not punishment.
And for everyday personal stuff? Same rule. Don't say, "I'm going to clean the whole house today." Just say, "I'm going to clean off my desk." Start there. Start small.
And sometimes, once I get going, I find it becomes hard to stop. Once I clean the desk, I'm like, alright, now it's time for the bookshelves. Then I'll sweep the floor. Then I'm reorganizing the kitchen. That initial inertia is often the toughest part. It's the same thing with going out. You might not feel like getting ready or driving to meet up with friends. But once you're there, you're having fun. You're glad you went. The hardest part was just starting.
Set a course. Make a little progress. Then keep going.
To quote Captain Sisko: "Victory is never certain. It depends on your commitment. Your persistence. Your courage."
Self-reliance is not about deadlines. It is about direction. Keep moving forward.
Spot on sir! The first step is always the hardest!!
Lisa Snider
@Reply 12 months ago
There are times when cleaning my desk is an all day project, but I get your meaning. Step by step, my DB is growing and if, along the way, I get sidetracked with another option I think might make it better, hey, at least I'm not giving up.
Bryan Enbey
@Reply 12 months ago
From my days of working in corporate America, that was tough; managements are always on about metrics and figures. Even if that's a pressure in one's job, it needn't be that way if one is self-employed or in the daily realm of life.
It's sad that our culture impresses upon us to be so rat-race deadline-driven that we carry that like gold bar weighted suitcases through O'Hare. Even at 48, I find myself going "man, where'd the time go?". I look and feel younger, but that near half century number looks at you and laughs like Nelson from the Simpsons. It's a mental training exercise, but we have to avoid these traps and find ways of journeying and figuring out what is actually important in life, and not chasing due dates. Some things we can't help like bills, but there's much we can control.
Have a great week everyone
Bryan I hated Corporate America. I haven't had a "real job" since I was 22. That's when I decided to start my own business. I've been self-employed ever since. Those first few years were rough. Sure, I didn't have to meet deadlines for a boss, but there was still that pressure at the end of every month. "Rent's due. Time to hustle and make some money."
It doesn't matter if you work for someone else or for yourself, there's always some kind of deadline hanging over your head. That's one of the reasons I eventually stopped doing consulting work. I hate deadlines. I hate telling a client, "I'll have it done by June 1st," and then halfway through May realizing, "Oh crap, this is going to take two more months." Deadlines are just no fun.
One of the things I really enjoy about what I do now is the freedom to work on what I want, when I want. I try to release a new video every business day, but that's just a personal goal. It's not a hard deadline. Nobody's going to fire me if I skip a day. I know people are expecting it, and I try to stay consistent, but the pressure isn't the same.
Back then, the stress was always about finding enough work, bringing in enough money to keep the lights on and the bills paid. These days, at 52, after doing this for over 30 years and building up a solid subscriber base over the past decade or so, I'm finally in a place where things feel more stable. I'm not getting rich, but I can live comfortably. I don't have to worry about how I'm going to cover the mortgage for the next six months. That recurring subscriber income takes care of the basics.
I wish more people could have that kind of security. The rat race really does wear you down.
Michael Olgren
@Reply 12 months ago
"I wish more people could have that kind of security."
Amazing. That is what many in the personal development field would call an "abundance mentality," meaning a person who believes there's enough for everybody; that life is not a zero-sum game. Most people have no idea how rare that is. You sir are a paladin, a Lawful Good warrior for justice. Sorry I can't quite apply it to a distinct Star Trek reference...
I like to believe there is enough to go around for everyone. One person does not have to win at someone else's expense. That is how I look at life.
I do not think people should have to suffer or struggle just to make ends meet. I am not a socialist by any means. I believe in capitalism and the profit motive. But I also think we, as a society, have a responsibility to take care of the weakest among us.
We are the richest country on the planet. There is no reason why we should have people living on the streets, or going hungry, or unable to afford basic necessities. But that is the world we live in.
I like to hope that someday the world will resemble the one we see in Star Trek. A future where no one has to worry about money, where financial security is a given, and our basic needs are met. In that world, people can live their lives to improve themselves, because money is no longer the driving force.
It reminds me of that episode where they unfreeze those three people from the 20th century. One of them, Oppenheim I think, insists on getting in touch with his bank. He says something like, I am richer than you can possibly imagine, my law firm will take care of everything. And Picard calmly explains, the world does not work like that anymore.
That is the kind of future I hope we are moving toward, if we can stop all the petty squabbling, the wars, and the nonsense our species constantly gets wrapped up in.
I used to be more optimistic about that when I was younger. These days, I guess I have grown more cynical with age... but I still, deep down, believe we can accomplish that. Definitely not in my lifetime though. :(
Sam Domino
@Reply 12 months ago
That is the beauty of Star Trek! It shows us "what could be"! It is up to us to strive for that future. I don't believe we'll ever get there, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do our best to "make it so!"
Bryan Enbey
@Reply 12 months ago
Richard There truly is enough for all, with good stewardship practiced with wisdom of what we have. The dangers of our system as it stands is destruction/waste is profitable. A truly beneficial system would desire to weigh those things and seek to best use resources and ensure their longevity. You, sir, have your work cut out being more jaded than myself with knowing I am as Jade Dragon elsewhere like YT.
You look at this country 60+ years ago where an average worker could afford a small home, and now it's a massive hoard of debt to obtain and cover taxes on. The Trek universe feels light years away, yet.. with a very different look on life, at the very least, the hungry would eat and the homeless could find roof and rest. Economist Thomas Sowell blew me away on Uncommon Knowledge when he mentioned Harlem was safe to walk in the 1940s.. a less affluent area oughtn't ever have to be unsafe for anyone.
That's the kind of society that you get when corporations value profit and shareholder value above all else. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a capitalist at heart, I believe in the profit motive. But there comes a point at which you should put the good of mankind and the benefit of your neighbor over making sure you get that billionth dollar in your bank account.
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