Yesterday I finished reading Start.Right.Now.: Teach and Lead for Excellence by Todd Whitaker, Jeffrey Zoul, and Jimmy Casas.
While I could provide you with a summary or even a review, I want to get straight to the point of what I learned from reading the book.
My big ah-ha was sparked at the end of the book, page 203 to be exact, where the authors state in their own words, that excellence is achieved by being determined to accomplish a goal.
Here's why this is a big-ish deal right now: I believe that when considered within the context of my One Word for 2017 - SHIFT - this mindset of being determined to make "it" non-negotiable is how changes happen.
I'm reminded of the Yoda quote from Star Wars, "Do or do not. There is no try."
When you only try - there is no commitment, no emphasis on what's valuable, no eagerness to be different.
I probably suffer from perfectionism. I am hesitant to make changes unless I am assured of the outcome. But here is where this all comes together for me. When I am shifting (small nudges towards something different), I can be more confident in the results. And even if the results are not what I had hoped, I'm not set back that much. Whatever it is that I aiming for is still recoverable, especially if I make it a point to learn from the failure. Knowing this, I can be determined to take small steps towards a goal. Any reluctance I might have pales in comparison to the potential that might result.
This mindset is massively empowering!
Offering my BEST to you!
-Bethany
