Tag: change

Don’t wait for them

Posted on by philipdodson

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Today I was at the RSA in London to listen to Simon Sinek speak, I love his stuff and have been massively inspired by his ‘Start With Why’ and ‘Leaders eat last’ books.

He spoke about how we all have a responsibility to change and help the failed generation, especially the millennials and how we need more empathy in society, something that I blog about regularly. The need to deal with our addictive society, especially our smartphones.

We feel the need to have them with us constantly and especially many derive their worthiness from their superficial connections to ‘friends’ via the devices.

Who is going to put them down and stop looking at them? We will wait for ‘them’ to do it first.

Since reading the brilliant ‘Deep Work’ by Cal Newport, I have switched off every single notification on my phone and removed many Apps that were simply a non-productive, meaningless distraction. Over 4 weeks now and nothing bad has happened, in fact, the opposite, I am more productive, happier and still connected to the people who matter in my life. More connected to the people who I cherish the most.

In fact, I used to charge my phone twice a day, now a single charge lasts all day!!

We live in a world where most are waiting for ‘them’ to fix all the challenges, problems or lead us. To be the first to act.

The people who are leading us are a reflection and manifestation of the world that we all live in.

We get the leaders we collectively deserve. If we all want instant fixes and instant gratification, how can we expect our leaders to think long-term? If we skip listening to others as we check who’s just liked the picture we posted of our cat, then can we expect others to listen?

What if instead of blaming ‘them’, we became accountable for what we do?

We can either spend a lifetime waiting for ‘them’ or we could spend a lifetime becoming the thing that we want and inspiring others to follow. If everyone took that approach change would happen and rapidly. It is no good waiting for ‘them’ as they just might not get it or ever change.

If you accept average

Posted on by philipdodson

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People moan. They moan a great deal.

Often that is all that they do, online, indoors, at lunch with colleagues.

Yet that moaning rarely turns into action and often in spite of moaning, people go back or repeat.

Average is what many things are, poor value for money, badly made, badly designed, ineffective, poor service, inedible beige food, unsatisfactory, just OK, unfulfilling.

Yet the moaners go back to that job, that life, that product, that service, that restaurant.

If you accept average in what you choose to do, or in what you choose to buy or use, then average is all you can expect from your life and more ineffective moaning won’t alter anything.

We have to choose to improve, lead, feedback and take action. Vote with your feet on poor service, poor products, average anything.

Also, vote with your feet on yourself and average ideas, average performance, on your average life.

Better comes from taking action, belief, commitment and a desire to not accept average or simply good enough in anything.

Those that have chosen to do better haven’t chosen the easy option, but the hard work and challenge that action involves reaps huge rewards.

After all, there is only upside on pushing yourself to achieve better.