One of the scarier times in my life is on the horizon – college graduation. I don’t really think it will be one of the scariest, but its quick approach makes it all the more terrifying. Along with my uncertainty on grad school, I’ve made it a point to consistently remind myself to seek knowledge regardless of where I am in life.
Not only are people like me, who have been in school for 20 something years, use to learning, we’re damn good at it. Although graduating from college might seem like one of the more daunting milestones one can accomplish, it doesn’t have to be. If we feel passionate enough to choose a positive future for ourselves and set goals to have a sense of purpose, things will most likely pan out. Of course other things have to be in place, but its important to remind one self that the keys to success are all around us.
It’s ok to remind yourself of these things. Yes most of these things are common sense, but all kinds of people struggle through their journey and remind themselves of these things everyday. I have been lucky enough to be introduced to a great book that explores these general concepts. Not only do I highly recommend this book to people like me, who are not far from embarking on a big change, but I recommend it to anyone and everyone. The book’s title, Tuesday Morning Coaching: Eight Simple Truths to Boost Your Career and Your Life: A Mentor’s Perspective on Reigniting Success, gives you a very good idea to what the book is about. However, the best part of the read is feeling like you NEED TO share these Eight Simple Truths. So that is what this post is about – sharing these concepts with you in hopes that they will inspire you to be more excited, rather than anxious, for whats ahead. God Speed.
Eight simple truths,
by David Cottrell
The first of the simple truths is a truth that serves as a foundation, without it you most likely won’t accomplish things the way you want to. This truth is “No matter what.” It’s exactly what it sounds like. Most of the time we get second chances at things, but sometimes we dont, and thats ok. Even when we think about how bad a situation might be in the moment you should remind yourself that it is now in the past. Focus on moving on, rather than on the distractions. “People tend to focus on the negative or what they don’t want to happen, rather than visualizing the positive or what they do want to happen.”
The second truth, “And then some”, is a good one. It reminds us that we should do things with our full attention, and even surpass expectations. After all, complacency is the root of mediocrity.
“Consider it done” is the third truth. If you’re a 90’s kid like me, you’re growing up with distractions all around you- more distractions than our parents were exposed to, but that doesn’t mean we should use our distractions as an excuse to half ass our commitments. This is a truth that I want to make sure I apply daily in my life. I struggle with getting things done when I should. I always get it done, but I can only imagine how much better my work would be if I was motivated to get to work asap. I like this phrase because I like the way it sounds. Cottrell even describes it as a phrase that “alludes confidence, commitment and accountability and reflects an attitude of moving forward.”
“Above all else” is the fourth truth. I think this one is my favorite because I feel like I do a good job of carrying this one with me wherever I go. I also think it’s one of the most important ones. Through school, work, and friends its easy to loose yourself along the way, but your values should always be present. Stand by them.
“From now on” is the fifth truth. This truth alludes to the idea that its ok to fail. Its ok to fail, everyone fails at some point – but its not ok to keep failing. Pick yourself up and move forward. Learn from your mistakes, that’s what they’re there for. Accept change.
“See it, feel it, trust it, do it” is the sixth truth.
See it – envision a goal. Envision what you want to happen rather than what you don’t
Feel it- write the goal down. Describe it in a positive personal tense. Do a reality check. Is if realistic?
Trust it- who can you tell that will hold you accountable?
Do it- where are you now? Set a deadline.
“Focus inside your boat” is the seventh truth. Reminds us to be interested in only what you can control. Everything else is not worth expending the mental energy and attention that would distract you from your ultimate task. Manage attention by asking, “is this the best use of my attention at the moment?” Relocate your attention to something that leads you toward your goals. It’s not about time it’s about attention.
1. Identify priorities
2. Knowing when to say no
3. Attacking procrastination
And of course, the eight, most prominent truth is, “Knowledge is power no matter the profession.” Think about it. No matter what we are trying to achieve and what path we want to take towards our career goals, the same is true throughout all professions- knowledge is power. This is why CEO’s are where they are. Most of them read at least 15 books a year, not necessarily for fun, but because they need to continually fuel themselves and their team with knowledge. They have to remain relevant and in turn seek relevant and contemporary information.
I really hope that these key notes ignite your desire to read this book! But most importantly I hope this post excites you for whats ahead.
