Louis CK on Boredom

“I’m bored” is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless, it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand? The fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to say “I’m bored.” – Louis CK

Are you bored? How can you get back some of the amazement that Louis CK is talking about?

What is the most amazing thing that happened to you this week? If not amazing, think surprising, pleasurable, or even just nice?

From a professional standpoint, if you recognize your life is amazing, that gratitude is a career advantage.

Jerry Seinfeld on Growth

To me, if life boils down to one thing, it’s movement. To live is to keep moving. – Jerry Seinfeld

Are you moving or in a rut?

What is one small change you can make to your routine – even a different route to work, a different go-to meal for breakfast, a 10-minute refresh of one small space in your home?

From a professional standpoint, it comes down to keeping your skills, expertise and network updated. If you don’t need to update your resume with anything new in the last year, you’re not growing professionally. Review these seven reasons why your career has stalled, and resolve to keep it moving.

Lucille Ball on Self-Love

Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.  You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world – Lucille Ball

The first step of any goal is believing you can do it and you deserve it.

If you don’t have that confidence, can you move forward anyway and let your actions build your belief?

This follows for professional goals especially. Before you can convince your dream employer to hire you or your current boss to promote you or your ideal customer to buy from you, you need to convince yourself. Confidence attracts, and there are ways to become more confident even if you don’t feel that way right now.

Lily Tomlin on Slowing Down

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down – Lily Tomlin

Such an excellent reminder not to be so harried!

We all know that person who exudes a sense of calm, that grace under pressure. And we all like to be around that person!

From a professional standpoint, executive presence requires that you don’t rush around. To be at your best, also requires regular rest, enough sleep, and actually taking your vacation. You need space to be creative. And, yes, you can take time off and not fall completely behind in your work.

George Carlin on Guilt

Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is – George Carlin

Are you picking Should’s over Dreams? Do you feel guilty that your ideal day is doing nothing, that your next career move doesn’t mean a raise, that you prefer a leisurely job over training for marathons?

Make choices about your goals based on your values, interests and needs right now. Don’t let someone else guilt you into poor choices.

From a professional standpoint, don’t assume your true passions are impractical. You can translate your interests, whatever they are, to a viable career option.

Joan Rivers on Persistence

If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door – or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present. – Joan Rivers

Are you feeling stuck on a particular goal? Are you only trying one door? What are 5 other doors to entry?

If you can’t think of alternatives, convene 5 of your friends from different parts of your life. Have a pizza and beer brainstorming party. (Maybe get their ideas before serving too much beerJ)

If it’s a career goal, there are multiple paths into your dream job. Or you can make your own dream job by launching a business. Persistence pays off.

Will Ferrell on Compensation

Aren’t we all striving to be overpaid for what we do? – Will Ferrell

Do you begrudge a colleague for being overpaid? Are you afraid to ask for more for fear of seeming greedy?

It’s better for everyone when you are paid for your value.  You don’t get resentful at doing the work, and your employer or client keeps you happy and continues to get their great results. And because most people are shy about asking, you typically should stretch and ask for more.

Be prepared to promote yourself and negotiate.

Brian Tracy on Desire v. Fear

The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear. – Brian Tracy

Is your goal attracting you to a better possibility or helping you avoid something?

Do you visualize the most positive outcome or focus on how to manage the downside?

There is definitely a place for acknowledging risk, planning for contingencies, and insuring against losses. But it is even more important to let your ideal outcome be your guide.

Tony Robbins on Decisions

A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided – Tony Robbins

What is one step you mean to take, or a change you mean to make, but haven’t?

Is this a goal that really doesn’t matter? Have you changed your mind, and the goal doesn’t matter anymore?

Are you not sure of the next step and need support?

Is there something else you can focus on, even for the next week or two, to move your energy from procrastination into action mode? Once you get moving towards any other goal, if this one really matters, you’ll come back to it with a renewed commitment.

CS Lewis on Laziness

Laziness means more work in the long run. – CS Lewis

Have you ever neglected to do a small amount of maintenance, only to have an urgent emergency to attend to later on that cost a lot more money, time and grief? This might be taking an extra half hour with your direct report to hand off an assignment or blocking off an hour each week to check in on existing clients or putting away those supporting documents in their rightful place so you have them readily available as needed.

What if you just assume everything takes 10, 15, 30 minutes longer than you schedule, and you use that bonus time to invest in these preventative items?

What if you block off one lunch hour or one half day or one early morning before work to knock off these often-overlooked activities?

What is one item you can do right now that doesn’t have a deadline but you KNOW it will help later on?