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"Where does persistence end and obsession begin? How high is too high? How big is too big?" - questions posed by Ricardo Semler in his leadership book 'Maverick'.
We encourage ourselves to do our best and others likewise. However, from time to time we can over-cook aspects of life and work. At such moments, hold the old adage of "moderation in all things" in the forefront of your mind. Persistence is only a virtue when it's pointing in the right direction, is one my sayings and if you are verging on obsessive - STOP! Check your personal compass. Enough is enough!
Two of my clients, who have shown symptoms of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) are Sylvia, who constantly doubted if she had locked her front door and had to go through a daily rigid routine to get out of her house. And John who was convinced that he was going to lose his job plus the respect of his peers, if he did not work 12-15 hours a day. I extol clients to focus on their goals and be persistent, but in the case of Sylvia and John, the focus was distorted, unhelpful and destructive. This serves as a timely reminder that we probably all need to do some brain-washing on occasions.
Take heart, balance can be restored by the moderation maxim! Advances in technology have far outstripped advances in mentality. Technology can be transformed overnight; but mental processes can take decades and generations to alter; so allow time for you, your team and family members to adapt. And starting back to work after a holiday is an opportunity to consider change and review your progress.
Persistence does pay off. Take the young band 'The Yeah Yous' currently in the charts with their latest song Getting up with You. It's a great track that I'll be downloading as soon as it releases (in 10 days time) and what makes it even better for me personally, is that Michael, one of the singers is the son of my friend Mr Network - Will Kintish. It has taken the band 8 years to get in the charts! And now believe it or not, they are on the same playlists as... wait for it... Dame Vera Lynn! Talk about persistence! That amazing lady has it in spades! To be back in the charts at 92 years of age is unbelievable.
Are you persisting with your goals for this year? Are you heading in the right direction? If not, and you need some advice do drop me a line.
Click this link if you want to read Semler's book or others recommended by Talk Confidence readers. Jackie Cameron for example recommends "The One Thing You Need to Know..." by Marcus Buckingham.
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23-Sep-2009 10:47 AM