Archive for Work
Are you driven by Emotion? Or Character?
Posted by: | CommentsEarlier this week on Facebook and Twitter, I shared this statement from Dick Biggs:
The greatest gap in life is the one between knowing and doing.
Life would certainly be easier – and success more simple – if all it took to achieve was to KNOW the right things and DECIDE to do them, right? But I think it’s more accurate to say that a decision is just one bookend of achievement. The other is discipline. Decisions can only help us start. Discipline helps us finish.
That’s where character comes in. Emotion might drive us to make a decision. But character is what keeps us going, even when it gets hard.
In Developing the Leader Within You, I wrote about some differences between character-driven and emotion-driven people:
Character-driven people…
- Do right, then feel good.
- Are commitment driven.
- Make principle-based decisions.
- Let action control attitude.
- Believe it, then see it.
- Create momentum.
- Ask, “What are my responsibilities?
- Continue when problems arise.
- Are steady.
- Are leaders.
Emotion-driven people…
- Feel good, then do right.
- Are convenience-driven.
- Make popular decisions.
- Let attitude control action.
- See it, then believe it.
- Wait for momentum.
- Ask, “What are my rights?”
- Quit when problems arise.
- Are moody.
- Are followers.
The late Louis L’Amour is one of the best-selling authors of all time, with over 300 million copies of his popular western novels and short-story collections sold. When asked the key to his prolific writing, he responded, “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”
On priorities: Which ball do you drop?
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In a university commencement address several years ago, Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, spoke of the relationship of work to your other commitments:
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.
But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same.
I love this! Think about it: A glass ball is not only more fragile than a rubber ball; it’s also more valuable. So why do so many of us devote ourselves to keeping the rubber one from crashing?
Keep your priorities straight. Taking care of your family, your health, your relationships and your spirit is not a selfish act. It’s a sustaining one.
