I Envision A Time When…

Why do you work? Can you clearly articulate the end-state you are striving to achieve?

It’s a simple enough question but one that will probably stump you. I’ve asked this question to hundreds, maybe thousands of people and the most common answers they have given fall into one of two categories: 1) to pay bills, or 2) um, because I’m supposed to.

It is exactly this lack of goals, absence of vision, that lead over 70% of employees to be mentally and emotionally disengaged AT WORK! They just don’t care.

Among business owners it’s slightly better…but not much. In a recent Reddit thread the question was posed, “Why did you start your business?” and the majority of answers centered around what the job allowed them to escape, not what it was providing for them.

So whether you are an employee or a business owner, it’s really easy to get trapped in the “it’s what I’m supposed to do” way of thinking. That’s not intentional thinking and will NOT produce the results you’re looking for!

The reality is, if you don’t have a clear vision of what YOU call success, you will just wander around, doing whatever looks interesting and never really reaching your full potential!

So instead, why not give this thought experiment a try. Grab a piece of paper and finish this sentence, “I envision a time when…” What are the criteria you will use to decide if your journey has been successful?

Not only will this make answering the WHY question easier, but it also gives you a great decision-making tool! Use it when you face a choice and ask yourself which option moves me closer to my vision of success…then choose that one! Over time, you just might get there!

Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You!

Have you ever been ghosted? You know…ignored!? Today we’re talking about the one guaranteed way to prevent being ignored! Stay tuned!

“Be so good they can’t ignore you!” -Steve Martin

I love this quote from Steve Martin! So simple and yet so true! And it may be tipping you off to today’s topic.

The single best way to ensure you are not ignored is to be great at what you do. Be so great that they can’t ignore you (as Steve says). I’ve been saying for years that, “Results trump everything else,” and it’s true, well, mostly true. I mean, you can’t burn the building down or anything…but short of something like that, results matter!

But Thom, you don’t understand…I have a (mean boss, ridiculous quota, disliked product line, etc, etc…) to which I will reply… “Yeah, and?” Look, everybody has tough circumstances sometimes. Everybody has to deal with crap assignments, bad bosses…deal with it! Over-deliver anyway!

Tell me what you think. Drop a comment below and let me know if you’ve every experienced what can happen when you over-deliver!

The Right People Will Come

Have you ever thrown a party and worried that nobody would show up? Maybe it’s not a party but a grand opening or new product launch…you put everything you have into getting people to come out and being prepared….

Sometimes just the anxiety over whether anyone will show or not can be crushing! Especially if you REALLY need this to go well! What does it say about your business or you as a person if nobody shows? Well, here’s a thought…

I really do believe this sentiment with all my heart. Every time I host and event or promote a product, I get anxious about how many, if any, will show up. And then I remember this quote from Will and I’m reminded not to pay attention to the people that don’t show. Instead, I choose to see it as thinning out the crowd to only those that needed to be there…and I give them the very best I’ve got!

What about you? Do you find yourself worrying about results? Watching that LIKE count? Comparing follower counts with the other businesses and people serving your market?

Let me suggest that, just for today, you ignore all that. Just ignore it. You can go back to it tomorrow if you feel like you really need to. But for today, you’re just going to ignore it and put the very best you’ve got out into the world. Let’s try that today and see what happens!

PS – Leave a comment below or tag me on all the greatness you produce today. We’d love to see it!

A Life Worthwhile

What makes a life worthwhile? Well, if you believe Albert, it has something to do with living (working?) for others. Me? I think he was on to something. Read on and join in the conversation below.

I’ve shared my baseline belief statement many times, but, on the off chance that this is your first visit…welcome…and here it is again…

I believe we are each uniquely gifted, talented, and placed to do work that matters.

– Thom Rigsby

When I share that with people a common question I get is, “What do you mean by ‘work that matters?'” Wow! You were thinking that too? Huh…well, okay, let’s take a look at what makes work matter! I use a three part test for determining if your work matters.

First, does the work energize you?

Second, does the work challenge you?

Third, does the work align with your goals and values?

And finally, does it create opportunity and/or value for you and other people? And THIS is why we’re here today. We tend to be pretty good at seeking and creating value for ourself, buy how are you when it comes to creating value for other people? This is the crux of Albert’s statement, that a worthwhile life is on spent helping and creating value for others. When you focus and do that well, you will find joy and fulfillment beyond measure!

Take a minute right now and consider these questions about the work you do every day… about the work you are getting ready to do THIS day. Does it energize and challenge you? Does it align with your goals and values? Does it create value for you and others?

If you answered no to any of these questions, it’s time to reconsider the work you’re doing and begin pursuing better alignment with your purpose in life. At the time it was one of the toughest realizations I’d made in my life…and an equally difficult decision to take back the reins of my life. If you haven’t read my story, I’d encourage you to do so, here’s the link that answers the question Who Is Thom Rigsby.