Your Checklist Is Not a Global Priority

"The world does not revolve around me." Honestly, sometimes I forget this (and I don't think I am the only culprit). We all have to-do lists. Projects, lunch dates, appointments, practices, classes, meetings, and a myriad of other tasks fill mine--and I'm sure yours is no less hefty.

Having a checklist to take care of is stressful. It's daunting, uninspiring, and just when you think you've come to the end of it--crap!--you've just remembered something else you need to do. Yet, do we ever really stop to consider what comprises other people's checklists?

It is so easy to get caught up trying to make your crisis, your deadline, someone else's crisis, someone else's deadline, but we do it every day:
"[Insert Roommate's Name], can you do me a huge favor? I totally forgot to put my laundry in the dryer and I'm late for class."
"Mom! I need a prescription filled before Tuesday! Can you get it for me?"
"Dad! I'm totally lost driving in the middle of nowhere. Can you pretty-please Google directions for me? I'll be raped and killed otherwise! Did I mention it's really dark and scary?"

Sometimes, the things we ask of others are ridiculous (I wish I could say I made-up the aforementioned scenarios). So why are we so surprised when people are less than enthusiastic to bend over backwards for us? Try to remember that the world does not revolve around you. Your crisis may be a priority for you, but before you hurl it at the nearest passerby, remember that she has her own crisis too. Odds are, as one in almost seven billion people on this planet, your checklist is probably very insignificant in terms of global priorities.

On Lemonade

There is a phrase that I often repeat to myself when I’m feeling frustrated: Life is ten percent what is given to you and ninety percent what you make of it. A family friend once shared this with my dad, and since it has become our sort of unofficial family motto.

Granted, sometimes the ten percent you’re given is nothing but a pile of crap. That’s ok. If you can turn that pile into a sculpture, you’ve done all right.The motto is a lesson on attitude: work with what you’ve got and make the best of it (even if it’s crap).  Only you control your attitude, and, ninety percent of the time, that’s the only thing you can control, so stay positive.

We are presented with unfavorable conditions all the time—bad coaches, bad bosses, bad professors, bad service reps—you name it. But you can’t control irrational people (let alone understand them) so why dwell on it? Focus on your reality and what you do have power over; you’ll be surprised at what you can build out of a disappointing pile of shit. 

Opportunities Taken and Opportunities Missed

I play volleyball at the college-level, and over the past few years as a collegiate athlete, I've learned that the concept of 'earning' is relatively obsolete. There is no such thing as earning a position; no such thing as winning a captainship or deserving playing time. Likewise, from internships I've learned that, in the workplace, a pat on the back, a raise, or a corner office is not something you get because you are entitled to it. Certainly, hard work pays off. But we are fooled into believing that putting in x hours of hard work automatically merits immediate, tangible reimbursement. Unfortunately, the tie between hard work and advancement is not always a transactional relationship. Don't get me wrong--it is true that hard-working people are often rewarded; but success comes not from those people's day-to-day performance in practice (or in the office). Hard-working people's success is a result of how they perform in the hot seat--how they react when they are put in the game. From volleyball I've learned that you play, you are promoted, you are given a position because of your running tally of two events: opportunities taken and opportunities missed. Amid all of your daily efforts, you are frequently given small tests: opportunities to stand out, to shine, to corroborate your demonstrated hard work. When you take advantage of those opportunities, your reliability is noted and often rewarded. When you miss them, when you fail to recognize those opportunities' importance, you fail the test. Treat hard work as a paradigm--not a privelege--and take advantage of the unexpected opportunities to stand out.

Mission Statement

Life, as you know, is a game that we’re all still learning to play. This blog is my evolving (and perhaps sophomoric) playbook. Play #1: Double-knot your shoes—you never know when untied shoelaces (or, in life, loose ends) will sneak up on you.