The Resilience Handbook: 5 Powerful Encouragements For When You're Not Seeing Results
You failed. Again. Or maybe you didn't? Maybe you're not failing but you just can't seem to cop a break. When oh when will you start seeing RESULTS?
I got ya back. In those moments when you feel like you've gone 150% over capacity and you're still getting zilch response, have a read of these 5 encouragements.
Before we get into them, let's have a listen to Macrohard founder Bill Gates. He sums it up beautifully:
"Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years." - Bill Gates
Okay, here we go. Get your heart ready to be filled with encouragement brother or sister:
1. Everyone Sucks
Boom! Take that positivity pill and swallow it. But hang on with me for a second. Sometimes we think there are people who are good at EVERYTHING. But it's just not true.
In truth, everyone sucks at first. You show me ONE baby that just hopped out of that womb and started running laps around the theatre. Nope. Everyone comes out and has to move that toe, wiggle that hand and start lifting that neck.
It's a slow, slow process. Trust me, I have a one year old. He is a little accident-finding explorer. A great motto for a one-year old would be, "How can I find a new way to nearly hurt myself really badly today?" I'm sure it only gets more severe as they get older.
So what? You suck at something? Join the team! The good news is, every time you see someone walking or see someone playing an instrument or writing beautiful prose, they must have sucked at some point.
Note: This excludes those absolute legends who can pick up any musical instrument and play like Beethoven. That is truly just unfair. But apart from them... everyone sucks at first.
2. The Hare Is Pretty Stupid
The tortoise and the hare. Who will win? We all know the slow poke just waddles his way to victory. But the hare is actually stupid. It had the skills to smash it. But it got too excited and ran ahead.
Don't be a hare. Be consistent. Grab your shell, chuck it on your back, pick up those tortoisey-legs and move one waddle after another. Get out there today. Get out there tomorrow. Get out there the day after.
You'll start slow. People will underestimate you. And then the hare will be sucking in big breaths cause it's exhausted and you'll coast past with all your heavy-shell momentum driving you forward.
3. Water Droplets Are Terrifyingly Powerful
Drip. Drip. Drip. The water just drips. It doesn't even make a pool. It doesn't even make a dent in a day or a year. But give it tiiiiiiime and seriously. Stuff gets smashed. Things move. Things shake.
Okay, things might not be cracking apart ahead of you. But keep on dripping. The drip, drip, drip consistency is king, queen and joker when it comes to nearly everything in life.
That's why Angela Duckworth's book Grit should inspire you.
4. Talent Is Not That Important
We've been sold an absolute shocker. Talent is everything. That's what we tell ourselves. I think we have so many sports where you see these absolute beasts performing things we maybe never could. Sure. I get it, I'm not 7 foot tall and can't dribble that well so I'm not headed for the NBA.
But Angela Duckworth's book points out that talent is not THAT important. It's part of the equation *there's an actual equation in the book which is cool* but it's dwarfed by the other variable.
Talent x effort = skill. Skill x effort = achievement
Let that sink in. The person with more talent than you is going to have more skill. Initially. But if you will put in the effort, then you'll find your skill improves. Then as you grab that tortoise shell, chuck it on your back and take a run up you'll start seeing achievement that shocks the crowds.
This is where Bill Gates' quote comes so true. It's turning up again, and again, and again that turns whatever talent you have into skill and then multiplies that skill dramatically into achievement.
You can't choose your talent. Maybe it's Maybelline? Maybe you're born with it. Or in my case, without many of the skills I wish I have! I reckon Ronaldo and Messi got a million of our soccer talents in their little feet.
But here's the good news:
You CAN Choose Your Effort.
Out-effort everyone. Don't fly around like a magpie defending its nest, but do put your head down and keep turning up. That equation will do wonders for you.
5. Guess What?
No, seriously, guess. What do you think I'm bout to say? You are doing better than you think you are. Apart from narcissists who usually think they're doing way better than they actually are which makes them just nightmares in general.
But you, you're not a narcissist are you? You question yourself all the time. You go to sleep wondering if you're actually any good at what you do. You wake up at 3am and it's dark and you question everything and then you try to forget that you did when it hits 9am and you're at work doing your thing.
You ARE doing better than you realize. The fruit will come. It's not a linear equation. It's much more like farming.
Don't believe me? Stage your funeral. Watch what happens from the stands. You'll be shocked.
Turns out people DO love you. DO appreciate you. You're being too hard on yourself.
Take a deep breath. Pick up your shell. Get those little tortoise-legs out. Take a 30-minute run up and start running up that hill (thanks Kate Bush for ruining that line forever!).
Then, the next time you're about to throw in the towel. Find this blog post and remind yourself:
1. Everyone Sucks
2. The Hare Is Pretty Stupid
3. Water Droplets Are Terrifyingly Powerful
4. Talent Is Not That Important
5. Guess What?
You. Are. Doing. Better. Than. You. Think. You. Are.
