1.Ask ancient philosophical questions like “what is it?,“ “what do you mean by …?” or, “who are you?“ Make a list. Then go through and check. Not this. Not that. Probably this. Definitely not that! Definitely this!
2. Use safety nets wisely. Safety nets can be dangerous. Design life and work so you are working at the edges of your safety net. Whether employed, running a business or starting out on your own safety nets are weaker than ever. By working at the edges you stay interesting and interested.
3. Bring out the agility in you. Artists and creatives look at things from all angles. High performers and esteemed leaders do the same. Never contented that they can see everything. They seek to see the difference is all they do.
4. Show and care for resilience making. As a child we learn by falling over and then getting up. Life and work is like that two. Sherpa encouragers support you act like your younger self. Resilience is a must not a nice to have.
5. Shows you the need and value of scrappy. Scrappy is the new perfection. Being first, responding fast and relentlessly improving means doing is more important that perfecting. Perfect and you will die.
6. Allows you to see that you know how to jump over the cusp. No one wins when you hide. Make a decision and jump over the cusp. Then repeat. Progress will be made.
7. Holds you to your own. Attention to each touch point. Find the point or points that will make the biggest difference and work tirelessly at them.
8. Finds your haecceity. The best you do is unique to you. The job description is dead. List your bests. Video what your bests are and share with those people you respect.
9. Doesn’t allow you to drop your edge. If you get busy you will drop your edge. When you get busy you tend to do stuff. Stuff isnt your edge. Your difference and your impact zone is your edge. Test whether you are busy by seeing if you have dropped your edge.
10. Check when you last played your song. How much do you play your song will determine how much you connect with your community. If you were a song what would it be? Are you playing that song? If you are not playing your song people wont know who you are and wont connect with you emotionally.
11. See if what you are doing is grounded by you or your perceived thoughts of others. Ego is your enemy as Ryan Holiday says. Ego stops your best unique work. If you are being driven by ego your feet are not on the ground. Your team and your community will know if you are too.
12. Encourages you to swim in the sea. Swimming connects you with nature. Challenges you and brings a sensation you wont get elsewhere. That’s you at your best. Is that how your customers feel when they receive or experience your product? If you don’t live by the sea have a cold shower.
13. Notice your use of we and I. If you have more of I in your life there will be less good we. Collectively we do more. Like flames in a bonfire that dance together. Listen to how much we is in your day.
14. Sleep like otters. Otters sleep hand in hand on their backs. Teams that are working collectively systematically together metaphorically do the same. What do you need to do differently to have teams working like sleeping otters?
15. Keep us conscious so we don’t miss the obvious. Accident happen when we are unconscious. We know where we drive in own back yard. In a hurry we can miss the obvious if we are not careful. That’s the same at work and home. Be conscious more of the time.
16. Show you what you value today. What you do with your time and your money shows you what you value. Whether some is paid some is unpaid and some is domestic. When all the worlds integrate with balance and a happy rhythm, we keep our wellbeing.
17. Prod you so you do see the new things or if not encourage you to seek them out. What is the one new thing this week? Some learning, new feature n your product or new choices in your routine… Newness brings new perspectives with new approaches and fresh thinking.
18. Bring you to nature so you can be better and healthier. Nature and work is interconnected. Watch what nature does and see how these processes can work for you.
19. Hold you to your superpower. Interesting is the most important superpower. So where is your interesting?
20. Help you find the frills that are hiding within you. Edges is where you will win. Find the frills at the edge of your unique offering. Watch the magic begin.
21. Show you the rules of the banquet. Act as if you are at the banquet. Wait until the dish arrives in front of you and then make a decision.
22. Pulls you to effort. Effort is good. Effort creates friction. Friction means its hard. When you recruit make it hard.
23. Care about your past, present and future. History draws emotions. Emotions are the strings that pull on what we care about. Care by connecting with your history and the history around you. When you care you can share the care with others
24. Shows you the oar.So you can have your say in your team so they get the diversity of ideas. Are you showing the oar to all so giving everyone the opportunity?
25. Play the game. So you are prepared and run with the pace when the game moves to a sprint.
Image by Martin Satler on Unsplash