I was on a coaching call the other day and my client related the behavior of another in the workplace. The behavior was not totally heinous, but it was behavior that did not represent the best version of the person. We all do that don’t we? We all have moments where we are not our best selves. Why would we do that is the question?
The answer, because it is easy. It is terribly easy to step by step ease away from the best version and actions we are capable of producing. As Jim Collins says in the book Good To Great, “good is the enemy of great.” We settle for good and maybe even ease off that into mediocre. Now this isn’t to say that you should be killing yourself and working 100 hours a week and juggle all kinds of projects. It is to say you should narrow your priorities and be great at what they are.
Why dilute your contribution by over extending yourself? That makes no sense. But as days fly by sometimes we forget that we need to have valuable priorities, and that means that ‘everything’ will not fall unto our priority list.
The following is a great video, about five minutes, from TED regarding priorities. I believe you will find it a valuable reminder…