It has been a while since I was in school. But some memories remain, and one even became a habit.
That memory was getting the course syllabus each semester, a grocery list of when assignments were due, tests, quizzes and reports and… down at the bottom…hah: Minimum Requirements of this Course. I would determine the absolute least amount of effort that would be required to get the grade I was looking for. I saw it as sort of a game—getting the maximum result for the minimum effort.
I would then apply this same efficiency when I came home. What was the absolute least amount of labor I could get away with at home? My parents had a hobby farm and believed in the powers of manual labor, so there was always work to do. But I approached work at home with the same attitude as at school: what’s the least amount I can get away with?
Then came my first job. No syllabus! I could skate along doing the minimum and still get paid! There would be no principal, no dean and no disappointed teacher. Heck, even my parents were miles away. I could waste the maximum amount of time. It took me a while before I realized that I was stealing from myself the most precious possession I had—my life.
Like my Mom said, “Too soon old, too late schmart.”
I heard a retired Naval Commander speak about this, saying, “mentor yourself.” He pointed out that much of what you need to know about making yourself a better person is already available to you. He explained that many of us want to become a better employee, a better parent, a better boss or a better person. Much of what you need to achieve those goals is information you either know already or can figure out on your own. If you have that attitude, mentors will appear to help you when you need it. And if you choose not to do it, you will have no one to blame but yourself.
By now, in this most unusual of times, you have probably burned through all the to-do tasks around the house. The garage is clean, the storage room has been purged. There are no sports to speak of and you have explored the depths of Netflix and YouTube. Now what are you going to do? Forget a passing grade. Figure out what’s calling you to be the best possible version of yourself and how will you ace it?
Lean forward and bear down. If you look at this COVID-19 curve like an honors course of limited time, you will realize that the opportunity is running out.
The time for self-reflection, the time for truly serious change and hard learning is now. Soon it will be gone. The economy will start cranking again and the schedules will fill and the go-go-go of life will remove the chance to mentor yourself.
Do it now and you’ll find strengths inside yourself that you didn’t know existed. And you’ll be able to bring forth the best possible version of you. If you need help getting started, please let me know—I’m now offering coaching to help you live a life of more passion and purpose.
Let’s ace this!
