A “Two-fer”

Two quick thoughts from a couple of conversations I’ve had:

A client asked me if my definition of Happiness a couple of weeks ago here in this blog spot was a bit off. Recall, my formula for Happiness is “Do what you are in the service of others.”

My client asked if “Do what you are” could lead to a real crash, should the economy or other forces conspire to suddenly take you away from the work that you do that is so tied up in your identity. GREAT QUESTION!

Here’s the answer–my formula works in one direction only, meaning you SHOULD “do what you are” but NOT “become what you do.” It may seem elusive, but the key thought here is discover yourself, down to your CORE, knowing what you want and who you are with CRYSTAL clarity (like Chet advises), and BRING THAT TO YOUR WORK. That’s completely different from letting what you do define who you are. That’s a quick ticket to DISASTER.

Got it?

Second, for those readers who are intrigued with Chet’s thoughts about mastery, and quitting, and when to know whether to do one or the other, pick up a copy of Seth Godin’s little gem “The Dip.” Seth sets us straight on why quitting sometimes is the best thing to do (contrary to all those football coaches who equated quitting with communism, back in my day). If you’re truly wasting your time on something that you’ll never be committed to, then QUIT. Go find something else you can master.

Godin explains that most of us “quit in the dip”–that sluggish period of time when the first rush of beginner’s improvement is over, and the path to mastery has begun. If you can power through the dip, you’ll beat out most people and competitors, who mostly “quit in the dip” too.

Commitment to Learn, Baby. It’s where it’s at!