Balancing Commitments and Delivery

Assertive employees often raise their hand for new assignments, additional workload, and the opportunity to show their worth. They seek new challenges and expect to deliver; they picture themselves holding up the end result like a trophy and everyone congratulating them for a job well done. This sometimes happens and they become fast-trackers, moving onward and upward faster than anyone could imagine.

What about the others?

Others are sometimes assertive on the front side, they crave opportunities, they willingly offer to take on new tasks and assignments, but the bad news is, they seldom deliver. Perhaps it is over commitment, or a very limited span of attention. Perhaps it is their need for the feeling of belonging, of being visible, or being valued by the group. Sadly their promises often fall short of expectations and the people, teams, and even the entire organization feel let down and dissatisfied.

If this is you, an overcommitted and stressed out employee armed with good intentions but lacking the time and resources to deliver, there is good news. Control your urge to over commit by realizing that it isn’t what you volunteer for that counts, it is what you deliver. Find the balance between commitments and your ability to deliver.

The fast-tracker already figured this out!

 

- DEG

Unstoppable Success

Some people are having unstoppable success. Some people are having unstoppable failures. Some people are just rolling through life, not exceedingly successful and not an absolute failure.

Many people take the easy road in life. They will let life happen to them, instead of making it work for them. This is the easy road because they accept little or no responsibility for their choices or actions. In their mind, what happens is what happens, it is an unchangeable fate.

There are at least two important points to consider:

1. You define what success means to you
2. You create it, but only if you choose to

What are you experiencing? Unstoppable success, unstoppable failure, or are you just rolling through life?

I know my choice – what is yours?

 

- DEG

Setback or Comeback

Sometimes it feels like life just isn’t fair. We try really hard, we follow societal standards and guidelines, we don’t break any rules, and we still have a feeling of coming up short. We could sell our story as the next box office drama or donate it to Nashville for a good country song.

Setbacks are a part of life. Disappointments happen and backup plans fail. So often we view others as having it better, we feel they got lucky, or they have family money. Some of this may be true but we still have choices. We can choose to let life happen to us, or we can make it happen for us. We can simply survive in the threat of more setbacks, or we can thrive in the reality of comebacks.

Leave setbacks in the past, move forward with what you have learned, create your way, and find your path.

Are you thriving, or just surviving?

- DEG

Victim or Champion

There are those who are always blaming someone else when their decisions turn out bad. Often referring to themselves as the victim they tend to view outcomes of their life as fate or some predetermined destiny.

If we believe in fate, then we must also believe in the concept that fate presents us with choices. Those choices and their associated outcomes are not predetermined, but provide us with opportunity. While it may be true that we can be the victim of a crime, we have an opportunity to create our own destiny.

Successful people persevere, they take risks, confront fears, and they assume responsibility for their future. They are not the victims of their own life, they are the champions.

Are you creating your destiny? Are you a champion?

- DEG

Let’s Be Honest

Most people are reaching for something more, some barely dare to dream about it, others make it happen. Those who make it happen have the drive and the ability to push through any barriers that threaten their success. Self-confidence is a big factor, and while some people settle for the idea that they don’t have enough self-confidence others go out and get it.

Self-confidence can be built; often it is built by taking small risks. One small risk that ends in a new accomplishment builds you up for another risk, and another, and so on. Let’s be honest though, sometimes our risks end in failure. This is what separates the dreamers from the achievers. Those who take a risk and fail learn more and come back better than before. Setbacks don’t bring them down; they refocus and use the experience to bring them up. It’s not about luck, it is about desire.

Those who really want it will achieve it!

So let’s be honest – do you want it?

- DEG

What I Found Appreciative Yesterday!

I’m late and have a list of to-do’s that would give a dead man a heart attack. Walking through the double doors of the local Post Office I noticed a line of people. Patiently I waited, a woman behind me spoke to me asking for the location of an area insurance company. While I did not know the location, based on our discussion I offered a few guesses and during this time I am thinking one thing – just let me out of here! As it becomes my turn to be waited on by the postal clerk, the woman asks if she can go in front of me.

Shocked and using some (almost) sarcasm I said “sure go ahead.” In my mind I was thinking – what could possibly be more important than my problems. I regrouped and accepted that my honoring of her request was the appreciative thing to do. As the woman asked the postal clerk for the location she mentioned that she must find the insurance company because her mother had just passed away and she needed to settle her affairs. I was humbled and internally embarrassed with the thought of how insignificant my rush to get out of the Post Office was compared to what this woman must be feeling. I offered more assistance while the other ten persons waiting in line were quiet and frozen in time as if it were a scene from the movie - The Matrix. Satisfied with the directions and location the woman proceeded to exit the Post Office. As I stepped to the counter the postal clerk dropped her shoulders and arms, looked at me with a bright smile and said, “you are so nice and so congenial - that poor woman” the clerk processed my mail, and thanked me no less than three times. Being appreciative – it’s the right thing to do!