
Tokyo. July 2016. Bob Miglani being photobombed by Japanese Chef who loves his job.
It feels like the world’s a mess.
From uncertainty in the world, change in our job, chaos in our career, disruption in our business, randomness in our life, it feels like nothing is secure, certain or predictable.
We often get so consumed by all the change going on in the world and the troubling headlines that we forget what we’re here to do. And that lack of clarity is what makes us feel worried, stressed and stuck.
So what do we do in times of change and turbulence?
Be Useful.
Build. Get busy building a body of work that you’ll be proud of at the end of your life. Be useful in building bridges. Be useful in building relationships. Be useful in building up people not tearing them down.
Give. Be useful to someone in your life. Help someone work through a problem they’re struggling with. Be honest. We all know someone who needs help. Don’t deny them because you don’t have time. Giving your skills and support gives your life a renewed sense of purpose.
Work. Be useful to your work. Show up early. Act sooner. Complain less. Call a customer. Return emails faster. Be proactive. Instead of killing an idea, encourage an idea. Dedicate yourself to a cause bigger than yourself.
Engage. Be useful in how you speak to people. The words we use matter to others and to ourselves. Use meaningful words. Words that say what you really mean. Don’t dance around a topic. Get straight to it. Be the person of substance that you are by using rich, bold, powerful words with real meaning, emotion, intelligence and pragmatism.
Solve. Be useful in solving your problems. Stop overthinking your mistakes and what went wrong. Stop blaming yourself or other people even if they are to blame. Do something useful to solve your problem. You’re the only one who can. Get out a sheet of paper and start writing your plan and take action. [Read more…]