Monday, January 11, 2010

It's Okay To Be Selfish and a Little Dogish

So my apologies for being M.I.A. last week. I was out in California for meetings in San Jose early week and then shot down to Pasadena to root on the Longhorns in the National Championship. More on that trip later.

Anyway....did you miss me? I missed you!

As I was flying home from L.A. on Friday I started thinking about what I needed to do to get serious about making 2010 my best year yet! I have some lofty and ambitious goals for this new year - heck forget year try decade! With the newly expanded and revised edition of my book officially releasing this week I can tell you I am so excited about what this new decade holds for me personally and professionally.

I am super excited to be speaking after Stephen Covey on February 1st at the Training Magazine's 2010 Conference & Expo (I think that means he is officially opening for me right?) and the other assorted speaking and training opportunities I already have booked for 2010. I am excited about some big developments we are working on for integrating private social networks with a Ripple-flare for companies. And believe it or not I am anxious about carving out some time to write some more - an eBook for people either in or facing career transition and the getting the a new book about the Corporate Ripple finally under way.

As I began to assemble in my mind all that I have going on and all the various commitments I have I began to take stock on where I really need to spend my time and assert my effort. I have always been a big goal guy but like I said in my video from a few weeks ago, I realize that I need laser focus on what I want to accomplish this year (and beyond) and begin to disentangle myself from those people, activities and distractions that take me away from what's really important to me.

So with that in mind, I started thinking about all of the things that distract me from achieving what I want. I am sorry to say some key activities and relationships come to mind that at the end of the day aren't productive, useful or hold any promise in helping me get closer to what I want in life and they gotta go!

Sounds a bit selfish doesn't it? You're right! Sometimes it's useful to be a little selfish and introspective otherwise you may just find yourself living someone else's life, achieving someone else's dreams or driving down a road with no destination or end game. What the hell kind of fun is that?

Here's the reality folks....if you aren't piloting your life then life is more than happy to take the controls and pilot your life for you. I don't know about you but for me that's like the tail wagging the dog and I say screw that! I'm the slobbering happy go lucky beast that controls that damn tail not the other way around! And if you think that's selfish well then you're never likely going to find your favorite chew toy, bone or get the tickles on your tummy like I will.

I digress a bit with the dogish visuals but you get the point. It's okay to be selfish and and a bit dogish at the same time!

Do what I did and figure out what takes you off point and away from where you want to go and who you want to be in 2010. Then do what any good dog would do and lift a leg and show life and all those distractions who's really boss!

Ripple On!!!

2 comments:

Allison Peacock said...

Amen, Steve. Good reminder. My post holiday tail wagging has been a little off, too. Very timely post.

Allison

Carlon Haas said...

Good point, Steve. Do we control life or does life control us? I don't think it's selfish to think that way. Thats why it's important to make yourself scarce sometimes. How can you serve others if you can't serve yourself?