Shoulda Coulda Woulda – Fired Up Friday
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Life Hack:
Shoulda Coulda Woulda. Throughout our lives we find ourselves at forks in the road where we’re forced to make a decision. Do we take a new job? Do we go to graduate school? Do we change careers? We scrutinize our options and finally make a decision. But after the decision is made, we have a terrible habit of lamenting over the path NOT taken and what could have been. We punish ourselves for a reality that never was and never will be. This self torture can be detrimental to succeed on the path we have in fact chosen. By looking back on what “shoulda, coulda, woulda” been we’re impeding our progress and living in regret. Be confident in your decision. Be confident in your path, because this IS the path for you.
TED Talk to Check Out:
Gratitude by Louis Schwartzberg. Time lapse photographer, Louie Schwartzberg, presents for TEDx San Fransisco about how to find beauty, gratitude and happiness in the world around us. He previews a new project he is working on, called Happiness Revealed, which gives the perspective of an old man and young child on how to live happier by appreciating the world around us. Do yourself a favor, and carve out 10 minutes of your day for this video.
Career Tip:
LinkedIn Recommendations: The Win-Win Method. Have you ever found yourself scrambling for last minute recommendations when you’re trying land a new job? What if you could have recommendations ready to go BEFORE you start interviewing? My boss, Noah Logan, gave me an great suggestion this week to start collecting LinkedIn recommendations NOW. And what’s the best way to do this? Start writing recommendations for other people. These could be for people you’ve worked with, people who’ve managed you or customers. This win-win method could pay dividends for both of you.
Article to Read:
Please Don’t Ask Me if I Had “A Good Year.” Written by Jon Westenberg, this article challenges our traditional thought process around annualizing our accomplishments. During the holidays it’s common for friends and family to weigh their successes based on an arbitrary 12 month cycle. Jon proposes a different question to be asking this year… “are you happy?”
STL Holiday Gift Idea:
Buy a Book for a Personal Growth Nerd in Your Life (LAST CALL). Happy holidays everyone! Here’s a list of books that have changed my life in one small way or another. If your friend or family member is anything like me, they’ll love getting one of these books for the holidays. Also, any purchase you make through those links will give a small donation to Straddle The Line so I can keep producing awesome content.
Quote of the Week:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi
