Pete Carroll on Sticking With a Vision

Guest Post by Brian Wagner/WinForever Blog

At a recent Nike WinForever Workshop, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll spent a few minutes talking on the topic of sticking with a vision. Specifically, he talked about putting forth this WinForever philosophy that we preach every day–and sticking with it.

“You can do whatever you want to do with yourself,” Carroll explains. He urges that you take the WinForever vision to your work, coaching staff, family, etc.

“I promise you’re going to be thrilled about what changes,” Carroll says. “It may not come easy.” We know that if it were easy, it wouldn’t the real deal.

He ended the workshop with one strong statement to the audience, which you can grow from as well:  “I want to challenge you to compete. Battle. Fight your way through this. Stick with it. Don’t let up.”

“There’s nothing you can’t do.”

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Can You Fix Your Weaknesses?

Gallup's short answer is no. "There are no weaknesses, just overdone strengths."

This applies to your performance, not your character (which needs constant development).

 

Here are 3 reasons why:

The "Myth of Balance." You can't be good at everything. When you try to be a "jack of all trades, " you end up being a "master of none." Take pro athletes as an example. They stick to doing one thing really well and get compensated for it. Generalists don't get hired, specialists do.

Mediocrity. There are some things you'll never be good at. For me, I like to move at a fast pace, so I hate waiting for other people. I can try to be more patient in certain situations, but overall I'll always be somewhat impatient. It translates to my career because I want to take action. I'd rather delegate research and analysis to someone else because I hate it and also suck at it.

Overdone Strengths. There's a dark side to every personal strength.

If you're loyal, you can become blind to a fault. 

If you're analytical, it can paralyze you from taking action. 

If you're extroverted, you might talk too much. 

When you're potentially great at something, remember there are situations where you need to dial down the intensity. Your strengths can become a weakness if you're not self-aware of their implications.

This question comes down to focus. Would you rather work on developing your strengths or fixing your weaknesses? The choice is to: go towards (strengths) or away (weaknesses) from your desired target. Which will you choose?

Do What Matters Most

Guest Post by Charles Lee

#LiveForward

Life is Short. Do What Matters.

I know that we've heard it many times before. Life is short.

Yes, one out of every one person dies and none of us can predict when our day will come.

Since most idea-makers live in the realm of optimism (which is also one of our greatest strengths), it is quite possible that we may feel fairly invincible at times. The main drawback of this is that we may find ourselves doing things that may urgent in the present, but takes away from things that really matter to us at the end of the day. This may be as day-to-day as accomplishing daily goals or as significant as spending time wisely with those we truly love.

I've been trying to be more intentional of late to spend the majority of my time doing things that ultimately builds the things that matter most to me. This means that sometimes I have to say "no" to good opportunities. (I don't know about you, but this is extremely hard for me!) Staying focused is difficult and yet necessary. 

I know you know this. This is just a simple reminder for all of us to do what we know we ought to do.

The Power of No

Saying YES may be easier, but there's much more power in saying NO.

Here are 3 reasons why saying NO benefits you:

Prioritizing - Time is valuable, so how you spend it is crucial toward reaching your definition of success. Saying NO puts what is important to you on a list. When you say NO it means you are saying YES to something more valuable. Saying NO helps you spend your time wisely.

Boundaries - Imagine a game of tug of war, but you're on both sides of the rope. When you always say YES (even to things you don't want to do), your life is pulled around by others. It's like being in the passenger seat of a car and not having any say on where you're going. Draw a line between the things you want (YES) and don't want (NO). Determine what's inside and outside of your boundaries to help communicate and clarify your core values and desires.

Respect vs. Like - Most people don't like to say NO because it lets others down. Instead of being known as a YES-man (or woman), wouldn't you rather be respected because of your honesty to say NO? When you say YES to everyone, you become a hostage in your own skin. You become unhappy with all your obligations, yet have no one to blame except yourself. Saying NO means you understand you can't please everyone. Choose NO and uphold your values.

People who say NO are respected. Life isn't a popularity contest. Make decisions for yourself, not others. Practice saying NO now so when more important decisions come along you'll feel empowered to make the right choice.