Minute With Mallon: Who Not How
Hi folks, and welcome to "Minute with Mallon!"
Opening idea: Do you ever feel like you're drowning in things to do, but at the same time that you’re not making progress?
Something I Taught:
I have a friend named Dan Sullivan who wrote a little book called Who Not How.
I read the book back in July 2021. Since then, I’ve taught it to many coaching clients and have also used it weekly, if not daily, myself.
Here's a short excerpt:
If you’re ready to realize a much bigger and more powerful future, then you must stop asking yourself, “How can I accomplish this?” That question, although common, leads to mediocre results, frustration, and a life of regrets. A much better question is: “Who can help me achieve this?”
The premise of the book is to stop asking the question, "How do I do this?" but instead to ask, "Who can do this for me?"
In my coaching practice I've worked with dozens of leaders who have a hard time remembering to do this. This means they often waste their time working on the wrong things. Occasionally they will remember to delegate, or ask for assistance, but this is the exception, not the rule. To make this stick, it has to become a habit. Once it is a habit, it happens automatically. That's the key!
Recently I was asked by a friend to participate in a meal train they are running for a friend whose family is in need. As we were talking, my mind began thinking about who I could get to do this for me. Not out of laziness, but because I had coaching clients all day and then I had to lead a 4-hour event that night for some men at my church. With the best will in the world, I simply didn’t have the time to prepare a good, healthy meal that day. When I realized how busy the day was, the "How?" went out the window and the "Who?" took its place.
I messaged a person for help at 9:38 a.m. and went back to work. At 10:19 a.m. I was messaged back that the meal was ordered and that it would be delivered at 6:00 p.m.
When you look at your daily to-do list first thing in the morning (you do have one, don't you?), the first thing to do is look at each item and see which ones you can delegate to someone else. You need to focus on the Important, not the Urgent!
This little habit is one of the big keys to success and has helped many of my clients grow by leaps and bounds over the last several years! I hope this helps you! 👊🏻
Something I Learned:
So many times, the tough situations in our lives that we want to forget become the things that are most important in our growth, and can ultimately become some of our fondest memories.
Recently I read a book called Row the Boat by Jon Gordon. In the book he writes about what Head Coach P.J. Fleck did with his Western Michigan and Minnesota college football teams to take them to elite levels in their conferences, and how you can achieve in life by utilizing the right philosophies. Here's a passage I love:
The first golf balls were smooth all the way around, but they took on small dents when golfers hit them hard. At the time, the dents were considered a bad thing. However, as golfers learned that the ball traveled farther with more dimples, it changed people's perspectives. As the design evolved, golf balls were given more and more dimples. Nowadays a golf ball has anywhere between 300 and 500 dimples.
It's an interesting analogy and hopefully makes you think about some of those really tough times, the "dents" and struggles that you've experienced in your life. Is it possible that they helped mold some of the greatest strengths that you have today? Maybe we shouldn’t dread these situations the way we do. Maybe we should slow down a little and try to determine the benefits that these situations can bring us.
Sometimes it's just a matter of perspective. Just a thought! 😉
Something to Ponder:
Trials and challenges are like the fire that temper steel, forging us into stronger, wiser versions of ourselves.
Something I Saw:
Sandy and I visited Glen Ella Springs recently to celebrate our 16th anniversary. This was the view from our breakfast table!
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Until next week!
Robert
