There is no denying that our world continues to grow in complexity, intensity, and uncertainty. Given this reality, we have a tendency to think that ‘today is different’ and there is a new set of rules in order to reach our full potential. History would tell us that there are always evolving techniques that can more effectively move us along the path to reaching our potential. However, the principles that we can apply as the foundation to our path are timeliness and retain their value regardless of the ‘latest and greatest’ technique or changing environment.
One clear, timeless principle is that effort is the great equalizer in reaching our potential.
Some of us may have had a stronger start in a nurturing, supportive home. Some of us may have received a better education. Some of us had stronger relationships that added fuel to our hopes and dreams. Some of us had mentors in the marketplace that helped us advance a few more steps in our career. Regardless of these momentary advantages, effort, applied over time, is the great equalizer in reaching our full potential. Along our journey of life, these momentary advantages seem to ‘seal the deal’ for individuals, but they are not sustaining. Our effort, applied over time, can sustain us on our journey to reach our full potential.
Most of us hearing this message are leaning forward and giving it all we have in life. What I want to highlight in this blog is one of the most important risks working against this principle of effort and its correlation to reaching our potential; the risk that derails our effort being the great equalizer to reaching our potential is a dilution of effort.
When academics and practical observers study people and organizations that succeed in reaching great heights, a common characteristic is a focus of effort. Our greatest risk to the truth that effort is the great equalizer is lack of focus. Despite how heroic we may think our personal capacity to work, love, and live is, we have limits. If we dilute our effort across too many fronts, we run the risk of falling short of our potential and being stuck in the middle of the bell-shaped curve of life. Even marginal effort has been proven to be a drain on our overall effectiveness to reach our full potential.
Here are just a few thoughts on avoiding the dilution of effort risk:
(1) Determine what is essential and make peace with saying “no” to the rest. Sustaining our effort to reach our full potential is dependent on our discipline to say “yes” to the essential and a clear, unequivocal “no” to everything else.
(2) When we choose to take on another task, another project, another hobby, or invest in another deep relationship, we need to be disciplined to determine what will come off our plate. The phrase “doing more with less,” popularized in the corporate downsizing trends of this recent recession, is a nice catch-phrase, but the reality is we need to say “no” to more in order to drive greater success on the important tasks.
(3) Let’s not kid ourselves. The real easy choices are eliminating the simple, mindless time wasters we can all walk easily into from time to time. Even minimal or “passive” activities are proven to be a drain on effectiveness. The tough part is once those frivolous energy drainers are gone and we have to cut to the bone on real promising activities, that is when we know we are making solid progress in eliminating the risk of dilution. One of the most effective questions I have found in assessing business plans and operating plans is “what are you not investing in?” A business can go in a number of seemingly promising directions and can risk diluting their effort. The most successful ones make disciplined choices on where they are not going just as much as determining where they are going. The same question is a good first step for us as individuals to clarify what we are saying “no” to in order to maximize our effort on the things we say “yes” to.
In determining what is essential, here are a few thoughts across the personal and professional sides of life: (1) No accomplishment in this world can compensate for a failure in the home. (2) In building an organization, all the great strategic insight and brilliant execution do not produce sustained success when there is a lack of trust. An honorable culture is critical to sustainability. (3) No individual can sustain a high level of accomplishment without a focus on his/her own character.
Making clear, intentional choices on where we apply our effort will help build and strengthen our character and Character Creates Opportunity® to reach our full potential.