The Power of the Detroit Perspective

As I talk with clients and colleagues in Metro Detroit, it is common for the conversation to focus on how difficult the local economy is. With the erosion of manufacturing jobs and the ongoing downsizing of the automotive industry, virtually everyone here is feeling the pinch. For those who have been impacted directly by a lost job, they are forced to take bold steps to adapt.

For those who are indirectly affected, they make more minor changes: they start eating at home more often or don't take the boat out as much as they did a few years ago. The difficulty starts when we start to shrink back from taking calculating risks, and start living in fear. I often hear "I'll never find a new job, because the economy sucks" or "no one will buy my services because no one has money." With these grand, sweeping statements, our options appear to shrink before our eyes. This perspective becomes so overwhelmingly powerful, that nothing seems possible.

People often ask me, "I bet it is tough to run your own business in this economy." Guess what, it isn't. There may be unique obstacles presented by it, but then isn't that true of anything worth having? There will always be obstacles, it is how we dodge, scale, or obliterate them that matters.

The reality is, most of us only need one job. And one life partner. And one home. We do not need the entire economy to be strong in order for us to have both what we need to get by and what we want to feel fulfilled.

And we are powerful. When locked in on scaling whatever obstacles inevitably pop up, we can accomplish great things in our lives. It is truly transcendent to see another human realize that "Wow, I can control my own life!" and to watch what that opens up for them.

Staggering Toward Greatness

Winning an Olympic Gold Medal is a dream for many, and a reality for a very few. We watch an athlete like Michael Phelps compete, and it almost looks effortless -- like something staged for our enjoyment. An athlete dreams, he trains, he wins gold!

In reality, most of us are more like Gabriele Andersen-Scheiss than Michael Phelps. Andersen-Scheiss is the female marathoner who staggered into the the Memorial Coliseum in LA in 1984 -- clearly exhausted, barely able to walk, and brushing off all attempts at help. And she finished the race. She didn't earn a medal, some might say she embarrassed herself, but she finished the Olympic marathon under her own power.

And I find that when we are moving toward "greatness" in our lives, however we define that for ourselves, that we are not running swiftly toward that goal, with styled hair, matching accessories and a clever quip on the tongue. We look more like Andersen-Scheiss, contorted and exhausted, but so very human.

Where in your life are you staggering? Where are you aware that what you are doing is unfamiliar, rough, or messy? Good news -- that is the very place where you are moving toward something better for yourself. You are not content to sit on the sidelines, either cheering on others or complaining about how no one has ever bought you the right running shoes.

I find in my work with my coaching clients that we often believe that change is easy -- whether one desires to find a new job, become a more balanced person, or invite love into their life. We believe that if we only put our mind to it, we could run that Olympic marathon tomorrow; so we set out with the best of intentions. Guess what happens? We cramp up in mile 6 and have to walk, or feel dizzy and have to stop, or someone trips us and we fall flat on the pavement. "How could this be?" we often ask. "I must be a failure!" we might say to ourselves.

Just run. And when you fall flat, get up and start running again. Or go buy better shoes, or talk to someone about how you could change your form. Or simply ask for someone to help you stand up. But just keep running.

For, in the words of actress Mary Pickford, "what we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down."

As long as you keep getting up and staggering forward, then greatness truly awaits you.

Creating Value in Your Day

Ah, the tyranny of the task list! That neat, box-filled list we compile in Outlook or on an attractive magnetic notepad from the dollar section at Target.

As a former corporate executive, I know the experience of this daily and weekly ritual of gathering up the things that should be done and then recording their completion. It is how things get done, right?

Surely, things do get done. Like "get labels from supply room for file folders" and "send out recap of conference call." Those are tasks that needed to be completed -- but what value did they create? How has the world, your life, or even your day been enhanced?

When does "Be unusually kind to someone" every show up on your task list? Or perhaps "Sit for two hours and just think about how I can make this organization better?" What value would that bring to your company or business, versus sending out the conference call recap that no one will read?

I challenge you to mix it up -- add one "stretch" task to your task list today. Think of how satisfying it will be to check that box.