I know you. You are 99.97% identical to me. We both do the exact same thing – we look for the shortcut, the quickfix, the fast resolution. This is necessary and important part of survival. It probably has to also do with how fast we can progress, and use tools, and just generally manipulate our environment.
However, when faced with a the challenging parts of life, self improvement, or leading a team of people there just is no way around the basics. You cannot shortcut the basics. In fact, the sooner you realize that doing the basics well will get you more success than any shortcut will the better. What do I mean?
I will give some examples. I have noted that one of the absolute basics of building relationships with people is spending time with them in conversation. A conversation in which you actually talk and carry out a meaningful conversation. You cannot expect to build great relationships with anyone without this basic element. Surprising how often we ignore this, or get around it and then end up shocked our relationship went bad. If you want to be a great sales leader – meet with your sales people personally. You want to be a great sales person – meet with your clients often. You want to be a great husband – talk to your wife frequently. You want to be a great father – talk to your kids. Jesus was a great teacher, not because he pontificated from mountain tops, but by wandering the streets and villages where they people were at and interacted with them.
You cannot avoid the basics. You want to lose weight, then you have to exercise daily and eat less food. Sure you can improve the quality of what you eat, and the quality of your exercise but without the basic concept of moving around more and eating less – quality is not going to be effective. You will discover a lot of shortcuts, but if you read the label or listen carefully to the expert on the shortcut they will always say that their solution needs to be part of a program in which you move more and eat less.
I have an idea. Instead of wasting time looking for a shortcut, spend your time getting really good at the basics. You want to invest money and be wealthy? Then guess what? You need to be really good at spending less money and investing wisely. Cannot get around those basics! Spend your time curbing your appetites and next thing you know, you will have started to build wealth.
You want to write a book? Then you have to write – everyday. You want to be a good musician? Then you have to practice – everyday. You want to be good at a sport – then you need to practice everyday. IF you get really good at doing the basics, you will find that was all that was necessary. Stop making success complicated. Just do the basics well.
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Guy Reams (191)
365 Member
