I’ve had this little square, manmade resin stone with four words engraved on it on my desk for years. I don’t even remember where it came from. (Sorry, honey, if it was from you!)
Each of the four words has an accompanying quote. It gets rotated regularly, but at least one word is always in clear view. The words and the quotes have always impacted me, providing a little nudge from time to time. It seemed appropriate to share them, and maybe they will do the same for you.
Attitude
“Nothing in this world is impossible to a willing heart.”
This word is my favorite as I know of no other trait more important when looking for quality people than hiring great attitudes. They are hard to manufacture. You can usually train an inexperienced person on a skill, but when it comes to attitude, building a team with positive, optimistic attitudes is one of the best recipes there is for building an environment full or energy, and it sets the stage for these next three words to go to work in your business and life. It is important to note that in a poor environment great attitudes can be spoiled, so they are something that needs to be fostered.
Goals
“Keep your head and your heart in the right direction, and you’ll never have to worry about your feet.”
We spend a lot of time talking about the significance of having goals. But the difference between those who succeed and those who fail often has very little to do with levels of education, plaques on wall, or the type of business they own. More often than not, the people who consistently are high performers in their careers are people who take the time to write their goals down and clearly state when and what they are going to do. They review them regularly and track their progress. They are not just goals; they are SMART goals.
Belief
“If you do not believe in yourself … chances are nobody else will.”
If you own a business and don’t believe in what you are doing, your chances for long-term success are virtually nonexistent. And for you to believe in what you are doing, it starts with believing in yourself. Self-limiting beliefs is one of biggest obstacles there is in preventing the implementation of new game-changing ideas. And when you don’t believe in yourself, your employees will sense it, and your customers will smell it a mile away. Believe in yourself. Believe in your business. Believe in your employees and coworkers, and your customers will believe in you.
Desire
“The distance between success and failure can only be measured by one’s desire.”
How is it that two companies providing the exact same product or service in the exact same economy can have two completely different outcomes in terms of success? I am not just talking about financial success. Ultimately, if you’re a for-profit company, that has to be in the net result. But there’s also the desire for your business to stand for something, to make a difference by positively impacting your community, your region, or maybe the world. Think about Zappos or TOMS shoes. What’s their desire? Is it really about selling shoes? Or are the shoes just used as the vehicle to deliver what their real desire is? What do you really desire? If your desire is high, chances are success will be the byproduct.
That’s it. Attitude, goals, belief, desire — four words and quotes on a small square block. Maybe you have something similar? What do you use to give yourself a nudge when you need it?
