If you want the trajectory to change

Life rarely changes in a positive way without an increase in responsibility. This is true in many areas: taking ownership of your health, committing to a relationship, starting a business, etc. Whatever it is, if you want the trajectory to change, the amount of responsibility usually has to change.

The person who complains the loudest

The person who complains the loudest gets attention, but at the expense of their reputation. And yet, following up is an important life skill. If you want something done and you'd like it done soon, then you need to follow up. The balance is in the delivery. Be pleasant and persistent when things matter to you. Always be kind, but don't let it rest until it's done and done well.

We are all connected

We are all connected. The way you choose to live ripples into the future. Your decisions today can be a blessing or a curse for your descendants. Strive to live in such a way that the world will gain from your time here.

People can’t see every choice you make

People can’t see every choice you make, so they use the details they can see to infer the quality they cannot see. You can see it in the clean joints, the clear sentences, and the product's simplicity. If the work you can see is visibly sloppy, the work you can't see is likely to be the same (or worse).

If you really want to be a game changer

If you really want to be a game changer, become a master observer. Just the willingness to stop and look at things that no one else has even bothered to look at enables game changers to identify real points of meaning. The simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted can be a source of great power and creativity. We learn when we observe; we pick up on clues, we figure things out. That is what preparation is all about.

Lobby expertise

Someone who has seen a lot of movies but has never made one has a certain kind of knowledge. The same is true for clients, patients and students. They haven’t solved a problem, healed a patient or taught a class, but they’ve seen it done. They might have something helpful to add. Or they might not.

Responsibility, fault, blame and shame

Responsibility, fault, blame and shame. They’re not the same. They (mostly) don’t even rhyme. People can evade responsibility by saying it’s someone else’s fault. They can take responsibility, even if it’s not their fault. In fact, being an adult involves taking responsibility for things that we could point out are not our fault. We can soothe our unwillingness to take responsibility by blaming someone else, or we could surprise everyone by accepting it in advance. And shame? Shame’s the deal killer, the dream destroyer and toxic. It’s often on offer, but we don’t have to accept it.